Chevrolet Silverado – What you need to know

The love affair between Aussies and their utes continues to grow and now there’s even more choice with the new breed of full-size pick-up trucks from the US, particularly those converted locally with factory backing.

These leviathans have more power, more interior acreage, more luxury and more cargo and towing capacity than anything before them.

The Chevrolet Silverado is General Motors’ entrant in the full-size ute segment, converted in Melbourne by the Walkinshaw Group (which also ‘remanufactures’ RAM trucks) and is offered in three grades: 1500 LTZ Premium (with Tech Pack), 1500 ZR2 and 2500 HD LTZ Premium.

Both petrol and turbo-diesel V8 engines are offered with a 10-speed auto transmission, a two-speed transfer case, lockable diffs, selectable two-wheel drive as well as four-wheel drive with auto, low and high modes.

So let’s explore each model to find the right one for you.

Entry to the Silverado range is with the 1500 LTZ Premium that’s priced from $130,500 plus on-road costs.

It has a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine and comes with the following standard features:

The only option on the Chevrolet Silverado, as offered by General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV), is the paint colour. White is standard, with the other nine metallic finishes adding $1250.

Every Chevrolet Silverado model comes with a host of safety kit and driver assist tech.

Six airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic traction and stability control are fitted across the board, along with low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Front pedestrian braking and lane keep assist are missing on the HD LTZ Premium, while lane departure warning is not found on the LTZ Premium or ZR2.

But all three models have a 360-degree camera with up to 14 views, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, lane change with blind side alerts, rear traffic crossing alert, trailer blind side alert, distance following indicator, and automatic high beam for the high-intensity LED headlights.

Also standard is a camera in the rear-view mirror, a cargo bay camera, teen driver alert, hill descent control and tyre pressure monitoring. Missing from the LTZ Premium and ZR2 is rain-sensing wipers.

While the ZR2 makes do with rear parking sensors, the LTZ and HD Premium variants have parking sensors at each end. A high-definition rear-view camera is fitted to the LTZ Premium and ZR2 but not to the HD LTZ Premium.

At this stage, the Chevrolet Silverado hasn’t been tested by ANCAP for a safety rating, however that could change in the not-too-distant future.

A big interior needs a big infotainment screen and the three Chevrolet Silverado models have a 13.4-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging and an AM/FM and digital radio played through a premium Bose seven-speaker sound system.

The Silverado is also fitted standard with front and rear USB ports, Bluetooth music and phone connectivity, along with a configurable 12.3-inch multi-colour instrument cluster.

Every Chevrolet Silverado variant has a heated, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, vanity mirrors in the sun shades, a cargo area light, power windows with express up/down and a powered sliding rear window.

Other standard equipment across the board includes dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning (with rear vents), an ambient temperature display, a fold-down rear centre arm rest, and cup and bottle holders in both rows and all four doors.

Are leather seats on the wish list? Then choose whichever model you want. All Silverado pick-ups come with leather pews; they’re black in the LTZ Premium models and grey in the ZR2.

Would you like the seats to be power-adjusted? Ten-way power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats are standard fare in all models, and the driver’s seat has a position memory function.

Heated seats? Again, go for any model in the range as both rows of seats are heated with the fronts also having a cooling function. In the rear is a 60/40 split-fold seat with storage facility.

Is a sunroof a deal maker? Tick the box marked LTZ Premium or HD LTZ Premium for this feature.

A powered tailgate is definitely welcome on this size of ute, and while the ZR2 makes do with a power-open function, the two LTZ Premium models’ tailgate has power assistance for closing as well.

The durable cargo area with its spray-on bedliner has a Chevrolet or ZR2 logo, a cabin-operated LED light, a camera and 12 tie-down points.

Every Chevrolet Silverado has auto on/off LED high-intensity headlights, LED indicators LED tail-lights and LED daytime running lights. Privacy glass is also a range-wide standard feature.

Body and underbody protection extends across all three models, with a cutout off-road front bumper and skid plates underneath.

Setting them apart is the grille and front and rear bumpers. They’re chrome on the LTZ Premium, black on the ZR2 and body-coloured on the HD LTZ Premium.

The LTZ Premium stands out with black used on the badging, bonnet vent, door handles, door mirrors and beltline mouldings. Chrome is used on these parts on the LTZ Premium, with gold front badging, and on the ZR2 black is also used on the door handles, door mirrors and beltline mouldings, with high gloss for the front badging.

Setting each model apart are its wheels, with ZR2 running gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels, the LTZ Premium rolling on 20-inch silver alloys and the HD LTZ having 20-inch gloss black alloy rims. All come with a full-size spare.

A choice of two engines is offered in the Chevrolet Silverado range, split between the 1500 and 2500 models.

Powering the 1500 LTZ Premium and ZR2 is a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine that produces 313kW of power and 624Nm of torque. It features a dual active sport exhaust system and is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The LTZ Premium has a two-speed transfer case and four modes: 2WD Hi, 4WD auto, 4WD Hi and 4WD Lo.

The ZR2 has its own off-road mode, adding a crawl mode and advanced traction software to complete the package.

While the LTZ Premium runs an auto-locking rear diff, the ZR2 has driver-selectable locking front and rear diffs.

Under the bonnet of the 2500 HD LTZ Premium is a turbocharged 6.6-litre Duramax V8 diesel engine, producing 350kW and a staggering 1322Nm of torque. It also features a diesel exhaust brake.

The HD also has a 10-speed auto, a two-speed transfer case with push-button controls for the modes: 2WD, Auto, 4WD Hi and 4WD Lo, and the rear diff has an automatic locking function.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium measures 5931mm long, 2086mm wide and 1930 tall. Wheelbase is 3745mm and ground clearance is 228mm.

The Silverado ZR2 is also 5931mm long, but narrower at 2074mm and taller at 1991mm. It has a 3748mm wheelbase and a ground clearance of 296mm.

Towering over those two is the Silverado 2500 HD LTZ Premium with its 6387mm length, a width of 2263mm and a height of 2039mm. The wheelbase is 4036mm and ground clearance 251mm.

Gross vehicle mass for the Silverado varies from 3300kg to 5148kg, depending on the variant, while kerb weight similarly spans a 2552-3762kg range.

Towing capacity is up to 4500kg braked, however that depends on the size of the tow ball used and other factors. For all models, the maximum is 3500kg using a 50mm tow ball. That increases to 4200kg for the ZR2 when using a 70mm ball, or 4500kg for the LTZ (both 1500 and 2500 HD).

You’ll need a truck licence (NB2) to drive the 2500 HD at its full towing capacity.

There’s no denying the Chevrolet Silverado is huge and the first time driving into a car park is a daunting affair. It’s more you berth it than park it.

That said, the Silverado is extremely comfortable and very luxurious, with a massive interior space that will satisfy everyone.

The V8 petrol engine has a good turn of urge and the auto transmission shifts seamlessly. But it loves to sip premium fuel, especially around town.

The base LTZ Premium model is so well-decked-out, I wouldn’t bother looking any further.

But if you need or want even more space, more towing capacity and more of everything, the diesel-powered HD LTZ Premium is there.

How much does the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado cost?
1500 LTZ Premium (Tech Pack) – $130,500
1500 ZR2 – $138,000
2500 HD LTZ Premium – $163,000
*Prices exclude on-road costs