2022 Chevrolet Silverado and First-Ever Silverado ZR2 Details

Hi-Ho, Silverado

A few weeks ago Chevy unpacked the new 2022 Silverado and first-ever Silverado ZR2. Here’s a more detailed look at them beyond the star-studded menagerie of commercials they laid out on YouTube and NFL ads. The 2022 Silverado is a significantly updated version of the brand’s best-selling truck and one that offers customers more choices, more technology, and more premium touches. So, big fun if you’re a Silverado fan. OH, and the Silverado ZR2 also pulls double duty as Chevy’s flagship off-road truck as well.

Seems like we have a lot to talk about. Grab yourself a beverage and we’ll get to it, then.

The enhanced 2022 Silverado also features an elevated exterior design and a new, expressive interior with enhanced technology. Changes include a 13.4-inch-diagonal touchscreen standard on LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, ZR2, LTZ and High Country and available Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance technology1 with trailering on High Country. Also new for 2022 is an enhanced, stronger version of the 2.7L Turbo High-Output engine that offers 20% more torque.

“The Silverado is legendary and continues to excite both new and loyal customers. For the new 2022 model, we’ve enhanced the Silverado lineup to build on its success, giving customers more choice, a refined design and new technology options,” said Kelly MacDonald, director, Chevrolet Truck Marketing. “The addition of the all-new Silverado ZR2, Chevy’s flagship off-road truck, builds on an already strong portfolio of factory-lifted pickups from Chevrolet that are bringing in new buyers.”

Additional Highlights: 2022 Chevrolet Silverado:

A fully redesigned interior for LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, ZR2, LTZ and High Country trims featuring a redesigned, sweeping horizontal instrument panel that makes the cabin feel more spacious, along with a new, more functional center console (with available electronic shift control on most trim levels)
A 13.4-inch-diagonal color touchscreen and new 12.3-inch-diagonal configurable digital instrument cluster standard on models with the new interior
Standard on trims with the new interior, Google built-in² offers access to Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play right on the infotainment screen. This new experience works with Android AutoTM3 and Apple CarPlay4 capability and offers new levels of customization and flexibility for customers
Every trim features a new front fascia, which emphasizes the truck’s stability and strength with a wide, planted stance while new daytime running lamps have been programmed with animated walk-up and walk-away functions in addition to swiping turn signal functions on select trims

The robustly refreshed Chevrolet Silverado arrives at dealerships in spring 2022.

First-ever Silverado ZR2

The first-ever Silverado ZR2 drives into the flagship position of Chevy Trucks’ factory-lifted off-road lineup, offering race-proven off-road performance customers can buy right from the showroom floor. The ZR2 brings together a premium interior, immersive technology, a number of standard safety equipment features8 and off-road prowess in a comprehensive package.

ZR2’s suspension upgrades, enhanced off-road technology and exterior enhancements were developed to optimize off-road performance and capability — whether desert running or rock crawling — while balancing everyday driving comfort and supporting comparable payload and trailering capability12 to other Silverado off-road trims. ZR2 max payload is 1,440 pounds and the conventional trailer weight rating is 8,900 pounds14.

Chevy Silverado ZR2 Highlights:

Standard 6.2L V-8 engine, delivering 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission
Silverado-first application of Multimatic 40mm DSSV spool-valve dampers, which feature:
Three separate spool valves to control damping
Three connected chambers for fluid flow
Uniquely-tuned springs that, with the Multimatic dampers, increase maximum front and rear suspension travel, compared to the Silverado Trail Boss
Front and rear e-lockers
Specific off-road chassis and suspension calibrations, including Terrain Mode, which allows one-pedal5 rock crawling
Specific 33-inch off-road MT tires
Unique skid plate package
New high-approach steel front bumper designed for off-road strength, durability and clearance that enables an improved 31.8-degree approach angle compared to other Silverado off-road models

“Chevrolet has been competing on some of the most grueling, toughest off-road courses with a prototype Silverado ZR2 in the Best in the Desert race series,” said Dom Lester, General Motors chief engineer, Performance Variants, Parts and Motorsports Engineering. “We applied what we learned in racing and Moab testing to the new ZR2 to offer a supremely capable and confidence-inspiring package, but one that doesn’t beat you up on the highway with its ride quality. It’s equally capable and comfortable.”

Elevated Exterior Design

Starting with an already bold style, the Silverado’s designers enhanced the 2022 model with elements that reinforce the truck’s wide, stable and confidence-inspiring stance while also incorporating refined cues that reflect how many customers use their trucks today — often as a family’s primary vehicle.

What hasn’t changed with the new 2022 Silverado’s exterior design is the durability and versatility. The sturdy, roll-formed high-strength-steel construction of the bed floor is the foundation for a class-leading6 89.1 cubic feet of standard cargo bed volume.

There are also 12 standard tie-downs, more than any competitor, and innovative features such as the available and industry-first power up/down tailgate and the available six-position Multi-Flex tailgate.

Three new exterior colors are offered with the refreshed 2022 Silverado: Dark Ash, Sand Dune and a vibrant blue recently named Glacier Blue Metallic13 by some of the most loyal Chevy owners, Chevy Truck Legends.

All-New Interior Appointments

Silverado has a refreshed interior on the LT trim and above, incorporating new materials into a design that gives the cabin a spacious and more premium feel.

“It’s a more contemporary, refined design that elevates the premium nature of the interior,” said Alexandre Scartezini, Chevrolet Truck lead interior designer. “It’s also a more driver-oriented space that’s connected to our performance heritage, with a hint of Corvette influence in its design DNA.”

Additionally, the new center console incorporates an available electronic shift controller in models with bucket seats.

The look and feel of the interior are elevated with new available colors, seat designs and more premium materials throughout. That’s especially true for the top-level High Country trim, which features new and unique elements including:

Authentic open-pore wood trim on the console, upper glove box and doors
Standard leather seating surfaces with an exclusive custom perforation and stitching pattern
Stainless steel speaker grilles with the Bose premium audio system, standard on High Country and LTZ
Two interior color choices, Jet Black or Nightshift Blue

Dynamic Integrated Technologies

Silverado’s new infotainment7 screen is the centerpiece of the more intuitive technology and is paired with a new digital, configurable instrument cluster. Together, they provide customers with a bold, panoramic and at-a-glance view of the important vehicle feature readouts and infotainment settings.

The configurable cluster and infotainment display are designed to engage customers with new levels of personalization and intuitive interaction. It starts the moment the driver slides behind the wheel and the driver information center comes to life. The available Rear Camera Mirror8 and Head-Up Display take the total to four technologically advanced screens, each helping provide an engaging and comprehensive driving experience.

Additionally, all Silverado trims LT and above are equipped with Google built-in compatibility. With it, customers can control certain vehicle functions by saying, “Hey Google” or pressing the “push to talk” button on the steering wheel. Customers can use their voice to call or text friends, listen to music, set reminders, or even change the temperature in the car.

Google built-in complements technologies Silverado customers have already come to love, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, as well as available Amazon Alexa9.

Super Cruise1 driver-assistance features
The enhanced 2022 Silverado will be the first Chevy pickup offered with available Super Cruise, the industry’s first true hands-free driver-assistance technology for compatible roads. It is available on Silverado High Country and can be used on more than 200,000 miles (320,000 km) of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada.

Super Cruise employs many advanced technology features, including a Driver Attention System and precision LiDAR map data. The Driver Attention System uses a small camera located on the top of the steering column and works with infrared lights to determine where the driver is looking whenever Super Cruise is in operation.

If the Driver Attention System detects the driver’s gaze has turned away from the road ahead for too long, the steering wheel light bar will prompt the driver to return their attention to the road. If the system determines continued inattentiveness, it will use visible and audible alerts to notify the driver to take back control of the wheel.

Super Cruise can be used when trailering with the Silverado, with specific calibrations designed to account for the additional drag and increased braking distance that comes with trailering. When not trailering, Lane Change on Demand and Automatic Lane Change are also available with Super Cruise.

The 2022 Silverado’s capability to tow hands-free on compatible roads adds to trailering technology leadership that includes up to eight available cameras. No competitor offers more camera views10. The available Advanced Trailering System with an in-vehicle trailering app11 helps make trailering easier from departure to arrival.

In addition to Super Cruise, the 2022 Silverado also offers other driver-assistance features with trailering in mind, including Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert8, which accounts for the length of the trailer when changing lanes, and enhancements to Adaptive Cruise Control8 to enable use while trailering.

For the new 2022 Silverado, Chevy Safety Assist8, a suite of six standard active safety features, is standard on every trim, and includes Forward Collision Alert, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Following Distance Indicator, and IntelliBeam auto high beams.

Additional safety features such as HD Rear Vision Camera8 and Buckle to Drive are standard across the lineup for the new 2022 Silverado models.

Silverado Performance

The Silverado’s propulsion lineup is strengthened and streamlined for the new 2022 models, starting with significant enhancements to the 2.7L Turbo High-Output engine. It has a maximum trailering rating of 9,500 pounds in a two-wheel drive configuration12.

A new, more rigid cylinder block casting is the foundation for the refined 2.7L Turbo High-Output engine and it’s complemented with a 30-percent-stiffer crankshaft. The engine maintains its fully forged bottom end as well as technology used in diesel engines to deliver on truck durability.

These enhancements enabled engineers to reduce noise and tune the engine for greater torque production, particularly in the usable low-mid rpm range. Maximum torque is GM-estimated at 420 lb-ft (569 Nm), over a 20-percent increase compared to the current engine.

There also have been shift scheduling revisions of the 2.7L Turbo High-Output engine’s complementing eight-speed automatic transmission to offer smoother shifting, along with quicker downshifts, for a greater feeling of refinement and power on demand.

The other engine that sees improvements is the popular 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel. Chassis changes now allow inclusion of the max tow package, so the 3.0L Duramax now has a max tow rating of 13,300 pounds in a two-wheel drive configuration12. This is a 4,000-pound improvement over the 2022 Silverado LTD models and brings new capability to an engine praised for its smooth ride and impressive efficiency.

Both engines are part of a propulsion lineup that also includes the proven 5.3L V-8 with Dynamic Fuel Management and the 6.2L V-8 — the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 engine in the segment. All V-8 engines and the 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel are paired exclusively with a 10-speed automatic transmission for retail customers.