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A family vehicle?
The highlight of our short Ontario stay – the point of the visit, in fact - was of course the ZR2, but another variant found in the 2022 lineup piqued our curiosity as well. Indeed, among all those 6.2L V8-powered versions, Chevrolet Canada brought along an LT trim equipped with the "small" engine, a 4-cylinder unit that should, in principle at least, be the powerplant of the next Colorado. As mentioned above, torque from that 2.7L unit is more generous for 2022, but that's not what led me to explore this particular version.
Fuel economy
With the price of gas still very high as we enter the second half of 2022, it may be tempting to stick to a more fuel-economical version and take advantage of the other qualities of this road-going behemoth, notably the quietness that reigns on board, thanks to the discreteness of the 4-cylinder engine at highway speeds.
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To travel our great country with the family - and in comfort - this turbocharged 4-cylinder LT model could be a serious option for those who need to tow lighter loads - 9,500 lb for the 2.7L, versus a maximum of 13,200 lb for the turbocharged inline-6 - than those towed by V8 or turbocharged pickups. With the addition of a cargo box lid, the Silverado can carry a lot of gear on a daily basis and still throw in five or six passengers, with the version we tested having a bench seat in front.
During our drive, the on-board computer of our Silverado LT gave us an average of upwards of 12.8L/100 km, relatively near the 12.0L/100 km (highway) calculated by the Canadian EnerGuide.
While this figure isn’t exactly gangbusters in the age of automotive electrification, it should be noted that the official fuel consumption ratings of V8-powered pickup trucks are only slightly higher than those of the 4-cylinder. I say official, because in reality, it's still a bit higher than the advertised average. In short, the 4-cylinder Silverado is interesting, but not as interesting as the one equipped with the turbodiesel engine.
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The Silverado ZR2 versus two dinosaurs
But let's get back to the off-road version, the Silverado ZR2, which distinguishes itself from the two other "made in the USA" off-road monster pickups on the market by a body that is not widened, but also by its starting price, which is quite a bit lower. The Silverado ZR2 starts at $79,843, while the Ford F-150 Raptor flirts with the $100,000 mark; the Ram 1500 TRX blows past that figure even in its base version.
It's worth mentioning that the other two come with souped-up powertrains, which isn't the case for the Silverado ZR2, which retains the Silverado’s excellent 420-hp, 460 lb-ft, naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission, a unit it shares with the Ford representative.
Chevrolet strategists explain their decision not to offer a wider-body pickup because they feel it's more user-friendly to drive a regular-sized pickup on a daily basis. Even the off-road tires on Chevy’s pickup are less wide and less imposing than those of its rivals. In this respect, it's true that the truck is as agile as the other Silverados. In fact, the ZR2 is certainly more at ease than the two American dinosaurs (Raptor and TRX) when it comes to driving on narrow trails, not surprising since those were developed mainly for the wide open spaces of the southern United States, not necessarily for the Canadian forest!
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On the first day of our trip, we drove on the roads north of Toronto and confirmed that the ZR2 is, like its rivals, the most comfortable variant in the Silverado lineup, a feat made possible by the presence of the Multimatic three-valve shocks, which have proven their effectiveness on the Colorado ZR2 for several years now. For the Silverado, the Ontario-based company modified the shocks a bit to withstand the additional weight of the full-size truck, but the essential formula is the same. Even the off-road tires didn't detract from the ride on the region's roads, as the Silverado's cabin is quite well soundproofed.
Once we were let loose on an off-road course in the Head Lake area, the Silverado ZR2 demonstrated that it’s the best candidate in the lineup for venturing onto a course riddled with mud, wet rocks and holes, a terrain on which the presence of two locking differentials becomes a notable advantage. I was also able to put to the test the single-pedal driving feature, which is possible when the 4LO mode is activated.
Despite the challenges presented by our route, we had no trouble getting past the various obstacles, and this in a cabin that was as luxurious as any luxury sedan! There’s still something surreal about galumphing all over all kinds of difficult obstacles whilst enjoying the comfy, heated seats and periodically changing the satellite radio station piped in over the high-quality audio system…
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The last word
There's nothing surprising about this mid-cycle redesign. We suppose GM could have sat on its laurels, but with Ram gaining ground and Ford continuing its dominance, the surprise would have been if the American automaker had not responded. And thus we have the ZR2, still another option in the Chevy arsenal. As for the other trims of the Silverado, there's no shortage of choice for those who don't need an off-roader for their daily use.
We like
High level of comfort
The new dashboard
Ease of off-road driving
We like less
The design is a bit more subdued than some might want
The fuel consumption of the 4-cylinder turbo version
The much firmer seating of the Trail Boss version
The competition
Ford F-150 Raptor / Tremor
GMC Sierra AT4 / AT4X (coming soon)
Ram 1500 Rebel / TRX
Toyota Tundra TRD Pro
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