2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 Review: Off-Road Pickup's Magic Almost Feels Subtle

It used to be, that if you wanted to go seriously off-roading in your pickup, you'd need to do your homework first. New wheels, some extra underbody protection, and maybe even a suspension lift. These days, with automakers wise to the demand for tougher trucks, models like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 roll out of the dealership with all the hard work done for you.

As we've seen on other Chevy models, the ZR2 badge promises to "tame any trail" according to the automaker. Put another way, it's the low-hanging fruit on any high-end off-road pickup upgrade, all done for you, including some mighty fancy Multimatic dampers that work magic on or off the asphalt.

Convenience can be costly, however, and the ZR2 is no different. A starting price of $69,900 (plus $1,895 destination) means you're paying handsomely for the privilege of Chevrolet's engineers hand-picking your upgrades, and there are other compromises in opting for the most adventure-ready of the Silverado 1500 series.

As standard, the ZR2 now comes with the 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel, good for 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission equipped with a tow/haul mode for improved cooling, and standard 4WD. The diesel is rated to tow up to 8,700 pounds.

As a $1,695 option, ZR2 buyers can swap that for Chevy's 6.2-liter EcoTec V8 with the same transmission. With 420 hp it has more power, though its 460 lb-ft of torque falls slightly short of the diesel; it's rated to tow slightly more, at 8,800 pounds. Perhaps more importantly, the Duramax's maximum torque arrives much sooner: just 1,500 rpm, rather than the gas V8's 4,100 rpm.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Frankly, neither configuration's tow rating is particularly impressive: in fact, the diesel ZR2's is the lowest of the whole Silverado 1500 line-up. Opting for the same Duramax engine in any other Crew Cab 4x4 version can get you up to a 13,000-pound rating. Even the base-spec 2.7-liter turbo gas engine is rated for as much as 9,000 pounds.

Towing, though, isn't the ZR2's primary purpose, though it'd make a swell overlanding rig. Roaming out into the wilderness is far more in keeping with Chevy's intent, here, not to mention getting back again in one piece (albeit potentially with a few scuffs).

So, the ZR2 package incudes Multimatic DSSV dampers, a special off-road cut front bumper for a better, 33.5-degree approach angle than the regular Silverado 1500, and both the front and rear bumpers are made of sturdy steel. There are aluminum underbody skid plates, along with 18-inch aluminum wheels shod in 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires. A raised, contrast black hood, black chrome grille, and special LED headlamps pick up on that aesthetic and run with it (and the red-finish tow hooks are a fun contrast to this particular Glacier Blue metallic example).

Chris Davies/SlashGear

It's not just design flourishes and beefy wheels, though. Along with a 2-inch lift, there are also front and rear electronic locking differentials, a more heavy-duty air filter, and an enhanced 2-speed Autotrac transfer case (which has an added Terrain mode). If you really want to go wild, the $8,440 ZR2 Bison Edition option throws a heap of extra AEV-branded protection onto the truck, covering the rear diff, transfer case, fuel tank, and more.

There's a lot going on, then, but Chevrolet does its best to offer that up in a non-intimidating way. Buttons to the lower left of the steering wheel handle switching between Auto/4 High/4 Low/2 High, with a knob below for changing drive mode and enabling the trailering package features. Toggles below the touchscreen take care of the diff-locks and the hill descent control. In short, it's about as easy as you could hope it might be — without simultaneously making it too easy to get yourself into trouble.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

As we discovered last year, the Silverado ZR2 is more than up to the challenge of roaming off-road. What surprises is how well all that kit carries over to regular roads, and you can probably credit Multimatic's contribution for that.

The Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve, or DSSV, isn't new tech: Chevy actually used the damper system on ZR2 trucks back in the mid-2010s. Effectively they can change how firm or soft they are, depending on how heavy a load they're handling: presented with the slams and jolts of a dry riverbed, spool valves inside make them firmer, but the more sedate changes on a stretch of highway sees them soften.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

They work, but then again so do a lot of adaptive damping systems. What sets Chevy's implementation apart is that, though there are various drive modes, they don't need to set the dampers into, say, an off-road or on-road configuration. Instead, they just react according to the terrain you're on: something you'll appreciate if you aim the Silverado at a massive pothole just to see what happens. It was magical on the Colorado ZR2, and it feels magical here.

Certainly, the Silverado ZR2 isn't the most comfortable pickup if the bulk of your driving is in civilization. Big wheels, off-road-ready rubber, and a lifted ride height all have an impact after all: you don't need to look to GMC's Sierra Denali Ultimate, there are alternatives in Chevrolet's line-up that ride smoother and cosset better than the ZR2 manages. The Multimatic dampers aren't quite witchcraft, but their ability to take an adventure truck and tame the bulk of its excesses to make it livable with, day to day, is worthy of praise nonetheless.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

The Silverado's most recent dashboard upgrade is another big improvement. The 13.4-inch touchscreen — paired with a 12.3-inch digital driver display — runs Chevrolet's latest Google-based infotainment software, with Google Maps and the Google Assistant, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. It's easy to navigate, comes preloaded with Chevrolet's trailering app, and you still get physical knobs and buttons for the dual-zone climate control.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

That's not the only nicety to make off-roading feel more pleasant. Power leather-wrapped front bucket seats with heating and ventilation are standard on the ZR2, along with a heated steering wheel. Two 120V outlets — one in the dashboard, the other in the LED-illuminated bed — along with multiple USB charging ports (in USB-C and USB-A flavors) across both rows take care of gadgets. Chevy's seat hide strikes a good balance between sturdy and premium, and there are standard rubber floor mats and a sizable storage bin under the front armrest. I know many drivers still prefer a physical shifter versus buttons or a knob, but I wish the Silverado's felt a little less plasticky.

Standard safety equipment includes a 360-degree camera, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alerts and front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assistance and departure warnings, and blind spot warnings that can encompass the length of what you might be towing, too. There are also rear cross-traffic braking and rear pedestrian alerts, both highly useful given the scale of the Silverado and the way the lift on this particular trim only worsens the likelihood of seeing kids (or even adults) near its slab-sided edges.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

With all that said, some of Chevrolet's other decisions around the Silverado ZR2's technology do seem more frustrating. The most obvious omission is Super Cruise, GM's excellent hands-free driver assistance package that maintains pace with traffic, handles steering, and can even automatically overtake slower vehicles on pre-mapped highways. It's offered as an option on select Silverado 1500 trims, but the ZR2 is not one: it makes do with cruise control as standard, with adaptive cruise part of the $1,970 Technology Package.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

That option also adds a rear camera mirror, a head-up display, and a power-adjusting steering column. A power sunroof is another $995, while the clever MultiFlex tailgate is $445. With $395 for the paint, this particular Silverado lands at $75,600 including destination.

Not all that long ago, a sticker north of $70k for a pickup would cause palpitations. These days, seeing trucks near six figures isn't entirely unusual. The bigger question is how Chevrolet's most burly Silverado 1500 lines up with the rough-and-tumble options in rival dealerships, and there things get more complicated.

Despite the price similarity, the ZR2 doesn't entirely line up as a Ford F-150 Raptor competitor. Nor is it as expensive (or explosive) as a Raptor R or a Ram 1500 TRX. Toyota's hybrid Tundra TRD Pro is potent and similarly priced to the Chevy, but lacks its ground clearance and those marvelous dampers.

If the Raptor and TRX feel designed to go blasting through the wilderness, terrain-be-damned, the ZR2 feels more inclined to explore it. Tapping that plentiful turbodiesel torque and the leggy suspension to go strolling through scenes of outstanding natural beauty, without sacrificing creature comforts on the way, and with plenty of space for an overlanding tent on the back, too. 21 mpg combined economy, according to the EPA, beats Chevy's gas Silverados, and my own experience behind the wheel suggests the claimed 504-mile total range is actually conservative.

Here, more than in a lot of cases, being honest about what you need from a truck versus what you want can pay serious dividends. If it's the pleasing diesel, well, that's on offer in "lesser" Silverado trims for a lower price and typically — thanks to smoother rubber — with better fuel economy. An LT Trail Boss has a visual presence, while a High Country gets the upscale cabin and can be had with Super Cruise, too.

If, though, you actually want to go off-road, and by that you mean more than just traipsing across a muddy field or two, the Silverado 1500 ZR2 makes more sense. Though the Multimatic dampers help sway things, beyond that it's the package that Chevrolet has put together that appeals. I suspect the factory changes from the standard truck overlap what a lot of overlanders would have on their own to-do lists.

You pay a considerable fee for that out-of-the-box functionality, and you still don't get the roaring excesses of Ford or Ram's most outlandish counterparts. It seems strange to call something as big, bold, and capable as the 2024 Silverado 1500 ZR2 subtle, but for those who actually need its collection of talents, it checks off plenty of boxes without shouting about them in the process.