{"id":27922,"date":"2021-09-10T11:15:03","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T15:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27922"},"modified":"2021-09-10T11:15:03","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T15:15:03","slug":"payne-burly-high-tech-2022-chevy-silverado-fills-in-the-holes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/payne-burly-high-tech-2022-chevy-silverado-fills-in-the-holes","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Burly, high-tech, 2022 Chevy Silverado fills in the holes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Farmington Hills \u2014<\/em>\u00a0The Silverado remake is complete.<\/p>\n

The launch of Chevy\u2019s fourth-generation, 2019 full-size pickup set segment benchmarks for chassis light-weighting and rugged bed construction. But the sleek\u00a0truck was dogged by questions about the uninspired interior and lack of a performance truck model. With the 2022 Silverado, the bow-tie brand has filled in the holes with a\u00a0state-of-the-art, digital interior and flagship, terrain-gulping ZR2 warrior.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Due in spring of next year, the Chevy Silverado ZR2 will go head-to-head against Ram and Ford competitors with a standard (on LT models and up), 12.3-inch digital instrument display and Tesla Model 3-like, 13.4-inch horizontal console screen.<\/p>\n

With Formula One-inspired Multimatic shocks, twin-locking e-differentials, and two-speed transfer case,\u00a0ZR2 will draw comparisons to the Ram 1500 Rebel and Ford F-150 Tremor and Raptor \u2014\u00a0though Chevy resisted going after the Ram TRX and Ford Raptor R super trucks by equipping its mule with a\u00a0supercharged, 700-plus horsepower mill. ZR2 is motivated by Chevy\u2019s familiar 420-horsepower, 460-torque. 6.2-liter V-8.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The new interior \u2014\u00a0combined with significant tech upgrades like the available, hands-free Super Cruise driver-assist system \u2014\u00a0signals an attempt to make Silverado a more premium player in the Detroit truck wars.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the new 2022 model, we\u2019ve enhanced the Silverado lineup\u00a0giving customers more choice, a refined design, and new technology options,\u201d said Kelly MacDonald, director, Chevrolet Truck Marketing.<\/p>\n

The flagship, off-road \u00a0ZR2 \u2014\u00a0like the Corvette sportscar for on-track enthusiasts \u2014\u00a0is a showpiece for Chevrolet technology and performance.<\/p>\n

Lifted over 11-inches off the ground\u00a0on huge, 33-inch off-road tires, the ZR2 \u2014\u00a0in stock form \u2014 has been flame-tested in the brutal Best in Desert racing series. Its sophisticated Multimatic\u00a0shocks are race-proven to go up against similar performance\u00a0variants like Fox (Raptor, Tremor) and Bilstein (Rebel).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The black front grille and hood menaces, underbody skid plates protect against hard hits, and the\u00a0V8\u00a0is a monster. But there is beauty inside the beast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe applied what we learned in racing and Moab testing to the new ZR2, but (it) doesn\u2019t beat you up on the highway with its ride quality. It\u2019s equally capable and comfortable,\u201d said Dom Lester, GM chief engineer of Performance Variants.<\/p>\n

The truck gains digital 12.3-inch and 13.4-inch screens now standard on all trucks above base, fleet-focused\u00a0work trucks \u2014 major improvements over the dated interior of 2019-2021 models. The stalk shifter is replaced by a console T-shifter backed by the usual, bottomless console storage space.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Out back, the ZR2 can be optioned \u2014\u00a0on Silverado LT and up\u00a0\u2014\u00a0with the Multi-Flex tailgate that first appeared on ’21 models. The six-way tailgate dropped jaws (literally, see the TV ads) of Truck Nation when it was first introduced on the GMC Sierra in 2019. The tailgate can be variously used as a stand-up desk, bar, or stairway into the bed.<\/p>\n

The tailgate caps Silverado\u2019s roll-formed high-strength-steel bed (available as 5 3\/4-foot\u00a0or 8-foot) that already offered a class-leading\u00a089.1 cubic feet of standard\u00a0volume.<\/p>\n

\"Starting<\/p>\n
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ZR2 will headline a lineup of lifted, off-road models\u00a0coveted by Silverado customers. Indeed, in 2021 lifted variants like the Trail Boss and ZR1 trims accounted for 60% of\u00a0sales.The Silverado ZR2 follows the acclaimed Colorado\u00a0ZR2 that accounts for nearly 12% of midsize Chevy pickup sales.<\/p>\n

ZR2 is sure to approach those numbers as it improves on the Trail Boss trim with bigger tires, removable bumper endplates, two-more skid plates, and superior suspension and 31.8-inch approach angle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe race what we sell and sell what we race,\u201d said Jaclyn McCaid, chief engineer for Silverado.<\/p>\n

Chevy has resisted Ford\u2019s much-ballyhooed move to turbocharged V6 engines\u00a0and aluminum bodywork with its 14th-generation F-150. Analysts say the fuel economy benefits of V6s are overblown and that sticking to cheaper steel body parts has proven beneficial for profits and durability. The steel\u00a0Silverado is up to 450 pounds lighter than its aluminum Ford competitor.<\/p>\n

The 2022 Silverado carries over its 6.2-liter and 5.3-liter V8s and 3.0-liter diesel turbo-6 powerplants from the previous generation. But the standard, 2.7-liter turbo-4 engine gets major structural upgrades.<\/p>\n

\"Note<\/p>\n
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As\u00a0a result, the 4-banger gains 20% torque over the previous model \u2014\u00a0420 pound-feet \u2014 for a best-in-class rating. The\u00a03.0-liter diesel offers maximum,13,300-pound towing grunt.<\/p>\n

The premium, High Country trim\u00a0is the first Chevy truck (following the Chevy Bolt EUV electric hatchback) to option GM\u2019s Super Cruise drive-assist system. It\u00a0allows hands-free driving \u2014\u00a0and automatic\u00a0lane changes \u2014\u00a0on divided roads and interstates.<\/p>\n

Chevy\u00a0has partnered with tech giant Google to offer Google built-in2 compatibility. Passengers\u00a0can control certain vehicle functions by saying, \u201cHey Google\u201d followed by commands to text friends, listen to music, and set car temperature. Wireless Apple\u00a0CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The 2022 Silverado is now offed in nine trims \u2014\u00a0Work Truck, Custom, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, ZR2, LTZ and High Country. While pricing won’t be announced until closer to launch next year, expect prices to range from the $40,000 LT to the $55k High Country.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Farmington Hills \u2014\u00a0The Silverado remake is complete. The launch of Chevy\u2019s fourth-generation, 2019 full-size pickup set segment benchmarks for chassis light-weighting and rugged bed construction. But the sleek\u00a0truck was dogged by questions about the uninspired interior and lack of a performance truck model. With the 2022 Silverado, the bow-tie brand has filled in the holes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27922"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27922"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27923,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27922\/revisions\/27923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}