There is an array of pickup trucks in the automotive market. Compact, intermediate or full-size, the choices are very varied to allow drivers looking for such a vehicle to find what suits them. The more the years progress, the more the manufacturers decline the vehicles in various versions in order to gain lucrative market shares in the segment.
After an update for the 2024 model year, Chevrolet is also announcing the addition of 2 new versions to the Silverado HD lineup, namely the Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 and the Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 Bison. Two full-size pickup trucks mixing work and off-roading.
Keep the utility side
The Silverado HD ZR2 was developed from the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD. Offered only in Crew Cab and Standard Bed, 2018 mm (6 ft, 7 in) length, the HD ZR2 comes standard with GM’s 6.6-litre V8 engine. This engine develops 401 horsepower and produces 464 lb-ft of torque. Combined with a 10-speed automatic transmission, this mechanism offers a towing capacity of 7,257 kilos (15,965 pounds).
For even more towing capacity, it is possible to choose, as an option, the 6.6-liter V8 turbodiesel engine. Still equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission, this engine promises 470 horsepower and an impressive 975 lb-ft of torque, which allows for a towing capacity of 8,391 kilos (18,460 lbs).
During the presentation of the vehicles, the engineers and persons in charge of Communications at Chevrolet repeated several times that the HD ZR2 edition of the Silverado 2500 is intended to be a hybrid between pleasure and work. According to GM, 96% of Silverado HD owners use their vehicle for towing, 87% for travel and 50% for cruising off-road.
To respond to this sweet mix between the useful and the pleasant, Chevrolet has modified several technical elements to provide the Silverado HD ZR2 with enhanced off-road skills, while maintaining, according to the manufacturer, the towing capacities of the series. HD.
Based on this desire, Chevrolet confirms that it wants to compete with two established products in the segment, namely the Ram 2500 Rebel and the Ford F-250 Super Duty Tremor. The Ram 2500 Rebel launched on the market last fall is, according to GM, a direct competitor to the new Silverado HD ZR2.
If we compare the technical characteristics, we see that the ZR2 has better towing capacity than the Ram Rebel and its 7,652 kilos (16,834 pounds), an argument that GM hastened to reveal to us. GM’s pickup, however, can’t beat the 10,432-kilo (23,000-pound) Ford F-250 Tremor in terms of towing capacity.
A new ZR2 member
To achieve the work/adventure balance Chevrolet wants the HD ZR2 to have, engineers decided to follow in the footsteps of the manufacturer’s other ZR2 models. Known initially with the Colorado and then the Silverado 1500, the ZR2 series is unique in the Chevrolet catalog. This designation refers to vehicles that have been modified to increase their off-road capabilities. Several technologies are exclusive to this series, such as the many skid plates and the suspension system.
Speaking of suspension system, GM has developed, in conjunction with a Canadian company, a suspension called Multimatic DSSV. As proven on the Colorado ZR2, this suspension is standard on the Silverado HD ZR2. Due to its array of settings, the DSSV suspension is renowned for its comfort and off-road capability, according to GM. Raised by approximately 38 millimeters front and rear, this suspension becomes an important point of differentiation with the regular Silverado HD 2500 series.
In addition to the suspension, several technical elements have been modified. The HD ZR2 is shod with 35-inch tires mounted on exclusive 18-inch aluminum wheels, multiple skid plates under the vehicle and fender moldings incorporating edition-exclusive mud flaps. The grille is unique to the ZR2 series, as is the addition of an off-road driving mode to the vehicle.
This new Off-Road mode adjusts components such as the ABS brakes, traction control and stability control system to optimize, according to GM, performance for off-road driving. To increase control on the trail, the Off-Road mode modifies throttle progression and gear changes in parallel. It also allows the rear axle to be locked without speed limitation.
A bison version
Announced at the same time as the unveiling of the Silverado HD ZR2, the Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 Bison is a model built in collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). This company is renowned in the modification and improvement of vehicles in off-road situations. As it has already collaborated with Chevrolet on the Silverado 1500 ZR2 Bison and the Colorado ZR2 Bison, AEV simply enhanced the Silverado HD ZR2 with a few technical elements exclusive to the Bison edition.
AEV has, among other things, replaced the front and rear bumpers of the HD ZR2 with stamped steel bumpers including a winch. The company also added stamped steel skid plates for the front of the vehicle, rack, exhaust and transfer case. The ZR2 Bison gets exclusive 18-inch AEV wheels in gloss black.
Otherwise, this version is identical to the Silverado HD ZR2 in terms of mechanics and technique. In addition, both vehicles are entitled to the new redesigned cabin of the Silverado HD 2024 line. This cabin is made of materials that are easy to clean, according to the manufacturer. The dashboard houses an infotainment system with a 13.4-inch display installed diagonally and facing the driver; another 12.3-inch screen takes care of giving the necessary information to the person behind the wheel. To increase the technological level on board the vehicle, GM specifies that the two vehicles are also equipped with a head-up display system and a camera system allowing 360 vision around the vans.
At the time of this writing, it is impossible to know at what price the two new versions of the Silverado 2500 HD will be sold. We do know, however, that pickups equipped with the ZR2 option will be built at GM’s plant in Flint, Michigan, and each vehicle will be built to order. The first editions should hit the roads of North America at the end of the coming summer, allowing fans of this type of pickup truck to get their hands on a brand new competitor in the segment.
