Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ 2020 Review

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ is one big mutha of a vehicle. And I mean BIG big.

Let the numbers do the talking. The Silverado’s wheelbase is 3745mm, it’s 5885mm long, 2063mm wide, 1915mm tall, weighs in at 2588kg and can tow up to 4500kg.

By way of comparison, that’s over 500mm longer than a Holden Colorado (and almost 700mm longer in the wheelbase!)… Close to 200mm wider, over 100mm taller and one tonne better in towing rating!

And big doesn’t just apply to dimensions. It has a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine that produces 313kW and 624Nm, a 10-speed automatic transmission and it drinks an average 12.3L/100km (in theory anyway!).

Oh yeah, it also costs around $110,000 plus on-road costs to purchase from your local HSV dealer… HSV being the firm that remanufactures the ginormous dual-cab pick-up from left to right-hand drive at Walkinshaw Park in Melbourne.

Yes, you need a sizable bank account to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ. And here’s where the US to Australia dollar conversion conversations inevitably come in…

The reality is importing vehicles from North America, converting them locally and achieving full certification costs lots of money. HSV is essentially deconstructing and then rebuilding the Silverado.

Consider the local Silverado program started in late 2018 and involved 45 members of HSV’s engineering group who devoted 21,000 hours to it. They developed around 500 new parts and put them through 1600 hours of durability, rig and environmental testing.

Those parts included elements of the steering rack, new chassis mounting brackets, a locally-made right-hand drive dashboard and revamped heating and ventilation. The firewall separating engine bay and cabin was modified to facilitate the right-side swap, there’s a widened pedal box and modified seatbelt mounts.

And this being the latest generation full-size truck means it just cost more before you go through all that. It has a lot more bells and whistles than any other pick-ups sold here, including the RAM 1500 also remanufactured at Walkinshaw Park on a contract basis for American Special Vehicles.

Those RAMs, by the way, are selling like hot cakes, and it’s a big reason why HSV is pretty darn confident the newer, better equipped Silverado 1500 is going to do the same. That’s despite a sizable price disadvantage compared to the RAM, which starts at $79,950.

So what does the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ have that sets it apart from the other members of Australia’s expanding pick-up crew-cab competitive set?

For a start, the latest GM engineering tech baked into its new T1 ladder frame chassis. There’s a higher percentage of high-strength steel where it’s needed, while the body panels are aluminium to save weight. Up to 205kg, it is claimed.

Notable mechanical tech includes Active Fuel Management (read: cylinder deactivation) for the pushrod V8 that runs on any numbers of cylinders in a variety of combinations. Clever.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ has the ability to drive the rear wheels only or run in 4x4 High or 4x4 Low. An auto function allows the Silverado to shuttle between rear and all-wheel drive depending on conditions.

The Aussie Silverado comes in Z71 spec which brings with it the above mentioned two-speed transfer case, passive Rancho off-road twin tube shocks, underbody protection, hill descent control and a locking rear diff that helps off-road prowess -- not that we could tested that out on the drive program.

The real techno bragging rights are in the driver assistance systems. The Silverado is the first truck to arrive here with autonomous emergency braking. It’s a low speed system that works from 8-80km/h. A camera-based adaptive cruise control is also standard.

There’s also lane change alert with side blind zone and rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, front pedestrian detection, stability control and traction control, proactive roll avoidance, hill start assist and hill descent control. Six airbags, front and rear, park assist and intelligent high-beam LED headlights are also included.

Standard comfort equipment includes dual-zone climate control with adjustable rear vents, leather trim, 10-way adjustable heated and perforated front seats (including driver memory), heated outboard rear seats, wireless phone charging, MyLink infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a power sunroof, side steps, remote start, a power-operated lift-gate and a spray-in bedliner.

Standards wheels are 20-inch polished alloys fitted with 275/60R20 all-terrain rubber, but options exist up to 22-inches.

However, a few things drop off the US spec in the left to right-hand drive conversion process. We don’t get lane keep assist, which is where the vehicle actively steers to keep you in your lane. Embedded satellite-navigation is not available, nor the Onstar customer subscription service and the 120v inverter plug in the centre stack has been deactivated.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ does come to Australia with a basket of about 40 accessories including sports bar, bonnet protector, nudge bars, black side steps, bed extender and toolboxes.

These are chosen from 380 accessories offered with this vehicle in North America. So stand out for more to come!

That’s what the cabin of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ seems like. You could just about graze a herd of sheep in here. Space is its trump card. Four adults will live like kings in here.

Why not five? The centre-rear seat is uncomfortable because it includes a flip-down armrest that protrudes from the backrest when not in use.

Tucked away in various parts of this acreage are significant storage opportunities. The door bins are huge, the centre lidded bin is cavernous, there are two gloveboxes and the rear seat folds up out of the way to reveal a large hole. The bench also split-folds 60-40 and there lidded hidey-holes in the backrests.

The US media has got stuck into the new Silverado 1500 for the conservative presentation of its dashboard and instrument panel. Primarily, the 8.0-inch touchscreen is made instantly obsolete by the giant 12-inch screen offered with the latest RAM 1500 (which is not yet sold in Australia).

While that comparison doesn’t apply here yet, it’s not hard to understand why the commentary has emerged. The Silverado’s operations are utterly conventional, apart from the column-mounted gear shifter that protrudes from the right-side of the steering column.

At least the perceived material quality is high, even soft to the touch in places.

Happily, unlike many dual-cab utes, the Silverado’s steering column does adjust for reach and rake. Combine that with the substantial adjustability of the driver’s seat and the amply-sized pedal box and there should be few challenges getting a position sorted.

Sadly, while the driver’s seat is huge, it is flat as a pancake.

The local conversion job rarely makes itself obvious in the cabin. There is a plastic cap on the left-side door replacing the memory settings buttons that have moved to the right-side. The chunk cut out of the driver’s side mirror is another hint.

Before we get to the drive experience we should talk about towing and hauling. After all these are the reasons many people will be interested in the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ.

Maximum towing capacity is 4500kg with a 70mm tow ball, 3500kg with a 50mm ball or 750kg with an unbraked trailer. Payload is 712kg and Gross Combined Mass is pegged at 7160kg.

So taking into account the 2588kg kerb weight, if you opt to use the full 4500kg capacity you are going to have a payload of only about 72kg. That’s a small driver and little more.

So if you’re a grey nomad travelling the country you’re going to be much better off restricting your caravan to 3500kg or less. That’s still a bloody big unit and you’ll still have enough payload to fit your partner, the dog, some clothes and the fishing rods.

Look, towing is a really vexed and complex area, so read this just so you’re up to date.

To help you once the choice of towing rig is made, the Silverado comes standard with an integrated trailer brakes, 12 pin trailer plug, auto park assist, ‘hitch guidance’ with ‘hitch view’ via the reversing camera and a trailering app that includes a towing checklist, maintenance reminders, electrical diagnostics, remote light checking, and even saves different trailer profiles.

A local addition to comply with Australian Design Rules is a switch on the dash to adjust headlights.

By the way, you might be a little underwhelmed by the Silverado’s 712kg payload considering its sheer bulk. But that’s traditional for these 1500-class American pick-ups. Plenty of smaller pick-ups like the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger do better than that.

The Silverado comes to Australia with the ‘shortbox’ tray, which still measures up at 1776mm long and 1286mm wide between the wheel arches. So, it easily fits an Aussie pallett.

So, we were saying the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ is big right? In fact, from the driver’s seat it can be downright intimidating. And after a while, exhausting.

If you are waiting for that old cliché about how a big vehicle shrink wraps around you once on the move, don’t hold your breath. The Silverado 1500 doesn’t.

There’s so much real estate far out across the Silverado’s bonnet, you are sitting so high up and there is such a mass of metal, it’s impossible to be fully aware of everything in your vicinity.

That caught out one of my colleagues during the test drive, who was a bit shallow on the apex of a driveway and clouted a side-step on a tree stump. HSV had helpfully stuck a high-vis pole next to the obstacle, but even that was barely seen from the driver’s seat.

Part of the drive loop on Melbourne’s eastern outskirts included a series of crests and dips. Reaching the top of the hill and then committing to the far side was a drive into the unknown. I literally had no idea if someone was coming the other way.

Presumably, anyone that was unfortunate to choose my patch of road saw that tall chrome face and black Chevy bowtie looming above them and had time to react.

Reverse parking proved to be an exercise in hope and faith. In any carpark you are going to need two spaces.

The flipside all of this is few are gonna mess with you in the traffic. The Silverado really does dominate the road. It’s a surprisingly quiet place to be too. You’ll rarely hear the greenies swearing at your environmental vandalism.

Further good news is the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ does drive well considering its size. The lightness of the electric-assist steering really has no relationship with the vast bulk of the vehicle. The ride is helped by the massive 3745mm wheelbase and becomes more settled with a load onboard. HSV had helpfully strapped 350kg into one of the test vehicles to demonstrate.

The Silverado doesn’t so much corner as migrate. Rolling on an independent front end and solid rear axle supported by leaf springs, there’s an irresistible force of nature about this thing once it enters a bend.

The engine is strong, but obviously can’t overwhelm the mass it must haul. The fuel consumption of this thing will be truly epic when unleashed. We were in the 14.5L/100km range without really trying. The 91 litre tank might end up being a tad small.

But the least convincing aspect of the drive experience is the standard brake package. There is initial lack of response to a press of the pedal. Only when the action is decisive and solid does the Silverado respond.

HSV offered us the chance to sample a Silverado fitted with options including six-pot Brembo brakes with 22 per cent larger, 410mm front ventilated rotors and they were much more confidence inspiring.

The optional cold air intake improved engine breathing, while a cat-back exhaust provided a far more exciting soundtrack and an extra 9kW and 10Nm. Every green light and tromp of the throttle became a moment to savour

Intriguingly, HSV also allowed us to sample a set of locally developed shock absorbers. No details offered, but they did feel more refined than the Ranchos. No decision yet on if they will be offered on-sale.

There is a fair degree of driver-controlled adjustability in the Silverado. Normal, sport, off-road and tow/haul modes affect the transmission and throttle settings, while manual gearchanges can be made via +/- buttons on the column shifter. If that sounds weird, it is.

Walkinshaw Group and HSV are clearly getting good at this remanufacturing gig. There were few obvious reminders of the work that’s gone in locally to get Silverado on-sale.

The result is a vehicle that will surely be a leading light in the $100,000-plus full-size US pick-up segment. Who would have believed a few years ago this would be one of the few bright sales lights in a struggling Australian new vehicle market?

If fuel cost is not a concern, then it’s hard to imagine many better vehicles for big towing tasks -- as long as you keep your GVMs, GCMs and the rest of it in mind. Something like this would be superb for an around Australia expedition.

But as a day-to-day driver? Not for me thanks. The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ is too big, too cumbersome, too prone to hitting and being hit. I don’t think my nerves could stand the stress.

How much does the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ cost?
Price: $110,000 (plus on-road costs, estimated. See text)
Engine: 6.2-litre V8 petrol
Output: 313kW/624Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.32L/100km
CO2: 286 g/km
Safety Rating: N/A