2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The big change to the front is a less vertical grille that, in rear view mirrors, could’ve looked like a semi bearing down. Instead of twin bars framing the bow tie emblem or Chevrolet name, depending on trim, the badging sits above one bar in the slotted grille. That bar stretches like a barbell to C-shaped daytime running lights. Squinting headlights appear lower, and the massive front bumper that seemed to have been inspired by a tow truck now stretches across the lower end in a more unified fashion. 

More significant changes take place on the interior of versions at the LT and above. Here too Chevy ditched the blocky, incongruous layout for something more whole. The former 8.0-inch touchscreen that seemed to be swallowed whole by the dash gets swapped out for a 13.4-inch touchscreen. Unlike Ford and Ram’s portrait orientation, Chevy stretches the screen landscape-style to reflect the stretched width on the exterior of the truck. It cants toward the driver, like a winged cockpit, yet still in visual line with the upper glovebox and vertical vents on the passenger side. Add the 12.3-inch digital cluster on that line, as well as available open-pore wood trim, leather upholstery with special stitching, and stainless steel speaker grilles, and the truck doubles as an executive office. 

Climate control dials, drive mode buttons, and a volume knob are a welcome respite from screens. The capacious center console comes with an electronic gear shifter, instead of the standard column-mounted shifter.

It might be tempting to dismiss the turbo-4 as too small, but it gets even more potent for 2022 and provides the quickest acceleration in the lineup. The 2.7-liter turbo-4 makes 310 hp and 430 lb-ft (up from 348 lb-ft last year) at 3,000 rpm and comes with a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission. The turbo gasps then whirs, but the sound is much quieter than the V-6 and a welcome addition when passing through neighborhoods. A brief lag accompanies a throttle stab, either from a stop or on the highway, but the turbo-4 jumps with surprising quickness that shapeshifts the full-size crew cab into Colorado-like proportions. Neat trick. We did not test the turbo-4’s improved towing capacity of up to 9,200 with rear-wheel drive, however.

A seamless 10-speed automatic with overdrive gears and a first gear seemingly for start-up only shuttles power to the rear axle or four-wheel drive with the other powertrains. The volume 5.3-liter V-8 still makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft that no longer outperforms the turbo-4 from a torque perspective. Depending on the model, it can be about $1,500 more than the turbo-4.

The most efficient engine is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 that makes 277 hp and 460 lb-ft at 1,500 rpm. With a towing capacity of 13,300 lb, it makes the most sense for hauling all those highway miles laden for capacity but unladen for economy. 

The big boss remains the 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft and it comes standard with 4WD. It can do most anything. 

Is the Chevy Silverado 4WD?

But of course. Rear-wheel drive comes standard and 4WD costs about $3,300 more. 

ZR2

The biggest news for the 2022 Silverado is the arrival of the ZR2 off-road model, which first appeared on the mid-size Colorado. Powered by the 6.2-liter V-8, the Silverado ZR2 comes with position-sensitive shocks that adapt to the terrain and spool valves with three different compression profiles for higher-speed overlanding and rock crawling. Electronic locking front and rear differentials, as well as a limited-slip rear diff, and 33-inch mud-terrain tires keep the ZR2 from ever getting stuck between a rock and a hard place. With red tow hooks, robust skid plates, distinct 18-inch wheels, and a new front fascia with a steel front bumper that improves the approach angle to 31.8 degrees, the ZR2 gives the Silverado lineup a bona fide off-roader that can go anywhere, though it doesn’t conquer as thoroughly as the F-150 Raptor or Ram TRX. 

Towing and payload

Payload and towing capacities vary by engine size, with the turbo-4 allowing owners to tow up to 7,900 lb and haul 2,280 lb. On the other end of the spectrum, the 6.2-liter V-8 double cab can tow up to 13,300 lb and haul 1,690 lb (2,090 lb with the Max Trailering package). The ZR2 sits at 8,900 lb towing and 1,440 lb of payload.

Bed sizes come in a 5-foot-8 short box with 62.9 cubic feet of space, a 6-foot-6 standard box with 71.7 cubes, and an 8-foot long bed housing 89.1 cubes. On average, that’s about 10 cubic feet more than the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150. Regular cabs come with the long bed, extended cabs with the standard box, and crew cabs with either the short or standard bed. Twelve tie downs come standard, and it can be optioned with a power tailgate that goes up or down with the push of a button on the gate, key fob, or from the cabin, or it can be equipped with GM’s six-way power tailgate that adds degrees of versatility.

The good news is Chevy equips all new 2022 Silverados with standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and automatic high beams. Driver-assist options range from a surround-view camera system to GM’s excellent Super Cruise hands-free driving system.  

For owners who log a lot of highway miles, the updated Super Cruise can be a revelation. Encompassing more than 200,000 miles of mapped divided highways in the U.S. and Canada, the truck will drive itself as long as the driver’s eyes remain on the road. It takes adaptive cruise control a step further, and automatically initiates lane changes to pass a slower vehicle if the pass lane is open, and automatically moves out of the passing lane when the other lane is open. It’s the most sophisticated and safest system on the market. Driver monitor sensors alert the driver to pay attention when needed, and it only takes a tap of the steering wheel to confirm, instead of torquing the wheel. It can be used while towing, but only with the Advanced Trailering System composed of eight cameras. 

A more polarizing standard safety feature is GM’s Buckle To Drive feature that will not let drivers shift out of park until fastening their seat belts.

Which Chevy Silverado should I buy?

For a crew cab and short bed, the LT fits our budget at $48,995; 4WD adds $3,300. It adds a 10-way power driver seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, remote start, keyless open and start, four USB ports, and two 120-volt outlets. It’s the least expensive trim to come with Chevy’s excellent 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 13.4-inch touchscreen powered by Google, and compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. GM’s headstart over other automakers in telematics continues to pay off with a sophisticated infotainment system that’s as easy to operate as a smartphone. 

How much is a fully loaded 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500?

The new ZR2 with standard four-wheel drive tops the lineup at $69,590. In addition to the mechanical upgrades listed in the Performance section, it has 18-inch wheels with mud terrain tires, 10-way power front seats that are cooled and trimmed in leather, Bose sound, a surround-view camera system that includes a bed view, heated rear outboard seats, and all the trailering tech.

The Silverado’s most efficient model, the turbodiesel with rear-wheel drive, rates at 23/31/26 mpg, making it great for truckers who log a lot of highway miles. 

Adding four-wheel drive drops it to 22/26/24 mpg, which matches the 2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid, and beats the 2022 Toyota Tundra Hybrid. 

The 5.3-liter with a 10-speed gets 16/21/18 with RWD or 4WD, though 4WD loses 1 mpg on the highway. The 6.2-liter with standard 4WD rates 15/20/17 mpg, which isn’t much of a penalty for the added power. Those estimates are with active cylinder deactivation that shuts down a certain number of V-8 cylinders when cruising or otherwise not needed. Without the fuel-saving tech, it drops 1 mpg. 

The ZR2 puts a beating on terrain and your wallet, at 14/17/15 mpg.