{"id":29068,"date":"2022-04-15T17:18:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T21:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29068"},"modified":"2022-04-15T17:18:17","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T21:18:17","slug":"payne-conquering-the-mojave-in-the-burly-chevy-silverado-zr2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/payne-conquering-the-mojave-in-the-burly-chevy-silverado-zr2","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Conquering the Mojave in the burly Chevy Silverado ZR2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joshua Tree National Park, California<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 At 4,200 feet above sea level here in the arid Mojave desert, not much survives. The landscape is raw, rocky, brown. Except for the enduring Joshua Tree. As if taken from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book, its hydra-like branches extend from the trunk \u2014 each topped by a head of sharp needles. Thanks to a deep root\u00a0system and the ability to go months without water, the interloper is uniquely equipped to survive in this hostile environment.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Kind of like the 2022 Chevy Silverado ZR2 performance truck I\u2019m driving.<\/p>\n

Armed with fearless Goodyear Wrangler Territorial MT tires, Multimatic shocks, three bash plates, two-speed transfer case, twin-locking differentials\u00a0and a relentless\u00a06.2-liter V-8 engine, this stubborn pickup is remarkably well-suited for the rocky desert.<\/p>\n

Amongst the green groves of Joshua trees, a media-piloted caravan of red, blue, sand, and white ZR2s added welcome color to the scorched landscape. A winding dirt road cut to extract gold from a solitary mine\u00a0stretched out in front of us.<\/p>\n

Transfer case on 4-wheel-drive high. Terrain mode selected. Wrangler tires aired down to 25 PSI. I nailed the throttle and the beast awoke.\u00a0WAAAUUUGGHHHRGH!<\/em><\/p>\n

I tested a GMC Hummer EV in similar\u00a0Arizona desert terrain a few weeks before, its silent drivetrain creeping through Boulders ORV Park\u2019s low brush. Hear the crunch of rocks below. The rustle of leaves.\u00a0SSSHHHHH.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The ZR2\u2019s V-8 is a different sensory experience.\u00a0WAAAUUURGH!<\/em>\u00a0You want to keep your boot on it to hear its heavy metal beat. Carbon prohibitionists despise it, of course. It\u2019s fun. Loud. Ban it.<\/p>\n

But like Brian Johnson screaming \u201cHell\u2019s Bells,\u201d ZR2 sends goosebumps up my spine. Windows down. Sunroof open. I crested 65 mph on the open road, pushing through the cloud of dust created by the ZR2 in front of me, another link in our speeding truck train.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an experience that Liana Prieto and her Dirt Days crew share with off-road customers in Joshua Tree and Salton Sea and the Baja Peninsula, home to some of the world\u2019s greatest off-roading over thousands of acres of desert wilderness. Dirt-kickers welcome: super trucks, Wranglers, Broncos.<\/p>\n

Before organizing trips like our ZR2 train for Chevrolet, she drove a Tesla Model S in LA. Then she experienced the joy of F-150 Raptor super trucks in the desert and she was addicted. Goodbye EV, hello 4WD.<\/p>\n

The ZR2 is a latecomer to the performance truck game. Notably, it lacks the steroid-induced power (Ram TRX has a supercharged, 702-horse powerplant), width (Raptor is 86.6 inches wide)\u00a0and tires (37s on Raptor) of its more ripped competitors.<\/p>\n

Its 6.2-liter V-8 is not supercharged, but it\u2019s a welcome voice in the choir. Raptor long ago abandoned its V-8 for a twin-turbo V-6. More torque, more applause from the Prohibitionists. But less enthusiasm from enthusiasts. Many Raptor owners held on to their gen-one V-8s, and Ford is expected to bring a supercharged V-8 back in the Raptor R.<\/p>\n

GM felt the eight-holer\u2019s 420 horses were\u00a0enough for desert sprints and Michigan off-road parks like Holly Oaks and The Mounds. Chevy\u2019s engineers have augmented it with a sport exhaust that\u2019ll wake the neighbors on start-up \u2014\u00a0BRAPPPA!<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 and upshift with authority \u2014\u00a0BRAP! BRAP!<\/em><\/p>\n

Like its competitors, the ZR2 has killer off-road shocks.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Sophisticated\u00a0Multimatic shocks and 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territorial MT tires absorb the brutal\u00a0washboard bumps and dips of the Joshua tree mining road like Kong shrugging off arrows. They are the same\u00a0Formula One-inspired shocks pioneered by the midsize Colorado ZR2, which I punished on an off-road race course in 2017.<\/p>\n

Truck expert and Muscle Cars & Trucks scribe Manny Katakis rates the supertruck segment this way: \u201cI\u2019d take the ZR2\u2019s shocks, Raptor tires and TRX engine.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ZR2\u2019s interior shines, too. Embarrassed by Ram\u2019s upscale living quarters, ZR2 introduces an all-new dash for 2022 that brings rich\u00a012.3-inch instrument cluster and 13.4-inch console digital displays. My driving experience was aided by comfortable\u00a0bolstered seats, a head-up display the size of Oklahoma\u00a0and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The latter is a must for when you take the big dog for a run.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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At about 5,500 pounds \u2014 40% lighter than the $112,595 Hummer EV! \u2014 my $72,560 tester was easy to drive at high speeds even if it lacked Raptor\u2019s insane 14-inch front\/15-inch rear suspension travel (ZR2 clocks in at 9.6 inches front\/10.6 rear). Chevy\u2019s target is to make the ZR2 an all-around athlete with on-road manners, off-road macho (thus the Multimatics), 9,500-towing capability (thus the V-8) and\u00a0low-speed\u00a0rock crawling.<\/p>\n

To achieve the latter, ZR2 is armed with a 32-degree approach angle, camera views\u00a0and class-exclusive front-and-rear locking differentials (like little brother Colorado ZR2)\u00a0compared to the high-speed focused Raptor and TRX’s rear-only lockers.<\/p>\n

Tight canyon-crawling is usually the domain of narrow Wrangler Rubicons \u2014 but the Silverado defies the stereotype. Like 6\u201910\u201d Kevin Durant, dude wants to shoot threes\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0dunk.<\/p>\n

Climbing to reach Joshua\u2019s high plains, I crawled through narrow rock canyons and scrambled up twisted canyons cut by rainy season floods. With lockers activated and one-pedal drive enabled (think one-pedal, Tesla regen driving), my mule crawled effortlessly over rock and mogul.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/p>\n
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GRONCH!<\/em>\u00a0The front bash plate absorbed a quick descent.\u00a0PFISHZZZ!<\/em>\u00a0A plant\u2019s scraggly branches scraped along ZR2\u2019s muscular shoulders. The sounds might make an owner cringe after laying out $70K for this chiseled truck \u2014 but the pickup is built for durability.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0robust\u00a0top paint coat absorbed relentless branch \u201cpinstriping\u201d across all the trucks in our train. Bash plates are made of steel just like Silverado\u2019s signature bed. And ZR2\u00a0innovates a three-piece bumper for cheaper repairs should any piece be damaged.<\/p>\n

Washed and waxed after my adventure, ZR2 looked good as new.<\/p>\n

Pickups are the new luxury. Basketballer Durant could comfortably lounge in the rear seats of my ZR2 condo. Out back, a six-way Multi-Flex tailgate rolls out steps for easy bed access (if you\u2019re not spry enough to use the corner bumper steps).<\/p>\n

Like a supercar, this supertruck must be taken off-road to be appreciated. So call up Dirt Days, or your Midwest pickup buddies. Then head to the Outback, put on U2\u2019s \u201cJoshua Tree\u201d album, and turn up the V-8.<\/p>\n

This is pickup (and Joshua Tree)\u00a0country.<\/p>\n

2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, five-passenger pickup<\/p>\n

Price: $69,295, including $1,695\u00a0destination charge ($72,560 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 6.2-liter V-8<\/p>\n

Power:\u00a0420 horsepower, 460 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: towing, 8,900 lbs.; payload, 1,440 lbs.<\/p>\n

Weight: 5,500 lbs. (est.)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA:\u00a014 mpg city\/17 highway\/15\u00a0combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Much-improved interior; Multimatic magic<\/p>\n

Lows: No 35- or 37-inch tire option; gets pricey<\/p>\n

Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/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":"

Joshua Tree National Park, California\u00a0\u2014 At 4,200 feet above sea level here in the arid Mojave desert, not much survives. The landscape is raw, rocky, brown. Except for the enduring Joshua Tree. As if taken from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book, its hydra-like branches extend from the trunk \u2014 each topped by a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29068"}],"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=29068"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29069,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29068\/revisions\/29069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}