What Do RST And LTZ Mean For Chevy Cars?

Even if you've done the necessary research to choose the new vehicle model that's right for you, selecting between the trim options  can be just as tricky. While some manufacturers may add a self-explanatory sports or premium trim to the base model, sometimes the choice is harder to make. Chevrolet isn't really a brand to stick to the basics in this regard, a fact that can lead to a wide range of trim choices and some rather inscrutable acronyms.

Those more familiar with the Chevy brand may already be able to tell you what RST stands for: This is the company's Rally Sport Truck trim. LTZ, meanwhile, denotes the Luxury Touring Z option — an upgrade on the already plush LT.

If you're considering whether an LTZ or RST Chevy might be the right ride for you, read on. We'll cover each trim in turn — explaining which models in the Chevy range offer them, and the additional features the trims bring to the table.

Auto enthusiasts will be familiar with the connotations of the letters "RS" in this context (think Ford's Rallye Sport), — and the "T" indicates that this is a trim associated with some of the brand's most prominent trucks.

In the 2024 Chevy line-up, the RST trim is available for the 2024 Silverado 1500. Its battery-powered cousin, the Silverado EV, which impressed SlashGear with its towing power and range during our First Drive, also boasts the trim, in the shape of the pricey First-Edition RST, which starts at $96,495. RST trim is also offered by the 2024 and 2025 Tahoe, as well as the 2024 and the upcoming 2025 Suburban. 

Unlike the regular RS trim, which is available for models from the Equinox to the Malibu, the RST is rather more exclusive. If workhorses of the brand — like the popular Silverado — could be a fit for you, the next thing to consider is whether you feel the RST package is worth the additional cost over the base model. 

The Silverado 1500 has been through a lot of changes over its long life, and for the 2024 model year, the 4WD edition has an MSRP of $47,795 for the WT trim — while the RST model leaps up to $56,695. That's almost $9000 extra, and here's what drivers get for the additional premium. 

The Rally Edition of the RST offers the Silverado 1500 styling, including rally stripes, exhaust tips, a Chevytec bedliner, nameplates, and more elements in a striking black. Rally Custom and RST varieties are available, and the RST could be the trim of choice for those seeking a sportier look from their compatible Chevy. 

Also available with the trim for the Silverado is the RST All Star Premium Package, which adds features such as Adaptive Cruise Control, the Trailering app, 20-inch aluminum wheels, and parking assistance. Though some of this package's features are available for other Chevy trims, this combination of assets from the Safety Package and beyond is found only on the RST. So, too, is the RST Texas Edition Premium Package, which combines the virtues of the RST All Star Package with exclusive Texas Edition badge details.

For the Tahoe, the RST Performance Edition adds a generous range of new features, including darkened nameplates, Firestone Firehawk Pursuit tires, and the bonuses of the High-Performance Suspension and Luxury packages, all rolled into one high-spec RST.

Rally Sport Truck, essentially, is a version of the Rally Sport trim for select Chevy trucks. The LTZ trim is also designed to go bigger, though in a different sense. It can be considered a step above the LT, which, on Chevrolets, stands for Luxury Touring, and which is available for a much wider range of new Chevys than the RST.

In previous model years, the LTZ trim was also offered with other Chevy vehicles. These included the Tahoe and the plucky compact that was the Chevrolet Spark, pictured here. The Spark, sadly, was discontinued as appetites for machines of more humble dimensions began to wane. For the '24 and '25 model years, this trim level is a fantastic pick for Silverado enthusiasts looking to take a step beyond the Luxury Touring level.

In fact, the LTZ trim itself is available only for the following vehicles: the Silverado 1500, 2500 HD, and 3500 HD. This makes the wider Silverado family the only one to boast the LTZ in its newest guise. Let's see what it brings to the model range.

The LTZ trim has an MSRP of $62,495, which is a huge step up from WT's suggested price of $47,795 — so you'll want to be super-sure that you're getting value from that extra $14,700.

In a similar way to the RST variants, the LTZ trim incorporates features also used elsewhere in Chevy's 2024 and 2025 range, and the fruits of this are seen in the Silverado's LTZ Convenience Package, Convenience Package II, LTZ Premium Package, LTZ Plus Package, and LTZ Premium Texas Edition. Of these, the Convenience and Plus packages are included as standard. The former's console and bucket seating are two notable features, while the LTZ Convenience II adds a universal home remote control, a camera mirror, adaptive cruise control, a powered rear window, and heated seats in the rear – for a premium of $1,050.

The LTZ Premium Texas edition is the equivalent of the one offered by the RST, and includes everything from the LTZ Convenience Package II, as well as a powered sunroof and Texas Edition badging. The cost for these extras is $2,045.

[Image by HJUdall via Wikimedia Commons | Resized and cropped| CC BY CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication]