2027 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Is An Off-Road Truck For Grownups: Driven
The 2027 Silverado ZR2 skips the theater but adds a trick new Baja mode for high-speed off-road antics.
It wasn't so long ago that "off-road performance" started and stopped with the Jeep Wrangler. Today, though, we live in a golden age, and the fiercest battle is in the world of pickup trucks. While attention tends to center on the supercharged monsters from Dearborn and Auburn Hills, Chevrolet and its ZR2 line offer a more traditional take on off-road performance.
The absence of theater, of cartoonishly swollen fenders or dinosaur mascots, and the presence of "just" 481 horsepower mean that, relative to the competition, the Silverado ZR2 feels almost responsible. And while the redesigned 2027 Silverado ZR2 adds a new Baja drive mode that shifts the balance a bit closer to high-speed competence, our experience over several days in Tucson, Arizona, proved that the truck gives up none of its low-speed focus (even if its controls take some learning).
I Wanna Go Fast
Compared to Ford, Chevrolet is far less obnoxious about its off-road competition legacy. But staying quiet about it doesn't mean Chevy lacks it or isn't proud of it. Chevrolet developed the Silverado ZR2 alongside Chad Hall Racing, the team named for Chad Hall (son of Ford motorsport icon Rod Hall). Off-road racing also drove the development of the ZR2's new Baja mode.
Baja mode debuted on the Colorado ZR2, and just as it does on the Colorado, it adjusts the Silverado’s throttle, transmission, steering, stability control, and ABS behavior, while setting the Multimatic DSSV dampers up to better manage repeated high-speed bumps and ripples. That simple description undersells how eager Baja mode makes the ZR2 feel at speed.
The standard 6.6-liter V8, meanwhile, is just as appealing in the ZR2 as it is in the High Country. In a world of forced induction, it feels more engaging and requires more focus and effort. Its 501 pound-feet of torque nearly matches the 510 lb-ft from the Raptor’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost, but it arrives at 4,000 rpm, 900 revs later than the Ford.
While Baja mode helps keep the V8's revs up, two more cylinders can't beat two more turbochargers in accessible output. Buyers who want accessible torque have an alternative in the ZR2's optional 3.0-liter Duramax diesel, though. With a 34-gallon tank, it delivers huge range, and its 495 lb-ft of torque arrives at just 2,700 rpm, making it tough to ignore.
On a short but quick off-road course that alternated between loose, rutted dirt and hard-packed gravel, the Silverado ZR2 dispatched every challenge, including a jump, with ease. The Chevy engineer in the passenger seat asked us to keep our speed below 45 mph, and to be clear, the truck could have gone faster. In fact, we often found ourselves pulling back to stay under the limit.
The ZR2 offered a sharp and predictable throttle and perfectly timed downshifts that seemed to arrive just as we got on the brakes. It never lost its balance, and as soon as we found the apex, the 6.6-liter V8's power was ready for action. By just our second lap, we were confident steering with the brake and accelerator pedals, managing chicanes with a dab of opposite lock that felt more appropriate to a rally car than a half-ton pickup truck.
Rock And Roll
The next day, we got behind the wheel of a ZR2 for an on-road trek to Reddington Pass, east of Tucson. On the paved roads between our hotel and the pass, the Silverado ZR2's standard 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires had little impact on ride quality or noise, vibration, and harshness. And predictably, the Multimatic DSSV dampers never met a paved-road imperfection that bothered them.
In fact, the biggest drawback to daily driving a ZR2 is climbing into the damn thing. Relative to the broad sidesteps on the F-150 Raptor, the ZR2's rock rails show how much more serious this truck is about low-speed capability.
Largely because we didn't air down (Chevy's team cited logistical challenges), our trek along washboard dirt roads to the trailhead outside Tucson was more uncomfortable than we'd expected. Head toss was common, and the steering lacked isolation.
When we were able to build speed, though, the suspension settled into a better operating range. But having to go faster on an uneven surface to improve stability and control is counterintuitive for some drivers, and we wouldn't have had to do it in some comparable off-roaders (or even those with shorter wheelbases).
Predictably, the Multimatic DSSV dampers never met a paved-road imperfection that bothered them.
Then there are the ZR2's two other off-road modes: Off-Road and Terrain. Take a second and try to figure out which situation calls for Off-Road and which calls for Terrain. We'll wait.
Welcome back, and no, the names offer no context clues about how best to use the drive modes. Off-Road is for general rough-terrain use, such as two-tracks or muddy trails that drivers would approach at speed. Terrain is the ZR2's version of the Rock Crawl in the F-150 Raptor or Rock in the Ram 1500 RHO. Think slow, technical situations. Unlike its rivals, though, the Silverado ZR2’s most rugged setting doesn't require low range, so there's some added flexibility.
Terrain also enables a one-pedal driving mode by default. The Silverado’s system is far superior to the Trail 1-Pedal Drive system Ford offers on F-150 and Bronco, mainly because its brake application is smoother and more predictable. The throttle for the 6.6-liter V8 is also incredibly easy to modulate. It’s a system we actually looked forward to working with as we proceeded down the trail.
It’s also adjustable. Select manual mode and cycle between L1 and L2, with the former proving the most aggressive braking input. This was more in line with how Ford’s system behaves, with sharp brake inputs, so it’s little surprise that Chevy had us save it for a steep, uneven, and highly technical downhill section where managing momentum really mattered. This major obstacle pushed the ZR2’s capability and called for, at the very least, the rear locking differential.
Electronic front and rear locking differentials are standard on Silverado, although we struggled to figure out just how to engage them. All Silverados have a set of buttons below the main touchscreen for cycling through drive modes, managing the four-wheel-drive system, and adjusting the trailer brake control. You’d be forgiven for imagining that the differential controls would be here as well, but you’d be wrong.
After some fumbling, we found them on the dash, near the wheel’s 7 o’clock position, nowhere near where we thought they’d be. Rear locker engaged, the ZR2 proved undramatic on the most challenging part of the course.
We also missed a comparable system to Ford’s Trail Control. This off-road cruise control system makes even intimidating obstacles trivial and significantly expands the accessibility and approachability of off-roading.
Verdict: An Undramatic And Engaging Off-Road Truck
The Silverado ZR2’s low-speed capability and the confidence it inspires feel truer to the original mission of a pickup truck, and it’s more relatable to the everyday driver. After all, how many of us encounter sand dunes on our daily commute? But it’s pricier than its rivals that are built for those conditions.
Starting at $79,995, the only trucks more expensive than the Silverado ZR2 are the supercharged V8 trucks from Ram and Ford. A V6-powered Raptor starts at $78,000, while the most powerful truck in the class, the Ram RHO, demands just $77,000 (each of those prices includes a $2,795 destination charge).
We like the Silverado ZR2’s standard 6.6-liter V8 plenty, but it also looks and feels like a mainstream Silverado, despite its increased capability. Some might call that the point, while others will see it as a problem.
We’re in the former group. The Silverado ZR2 is honest and likable, staying truer to the original brief of the pickup truck than its 'roided-up rivals. It doesn’t make the statement that a Raptor or RHO does, so we suppose it’s the truck equivalent of a sleeper. And sleepers are cool. Is that a good enough reason to buy a Silverado ZR2 over a Ram or Ford? Probably not. But when it comes to high-performance off-road pickup trucks, does anyone really need a good reason?
Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Competitors
2027 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
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