Reviews, Utes

Review: Chevrolet Silverado dual-cab ute

If you prefer your utes super-sized, the Chevrolet Silverado is more truck than ute. However, says Fraser Stronach, it’s still a fine ride.

Chevrolet-Silverado

Buy-Silverado

Today’s popular dual-cab utes are far bigger and can carry and tow much more than ever before, but even the biggest and brawniest of them look decidedly small and puny compared to the newly released Chevrolet Silverado. This is a ute from another and altogether different world.

The Silverado comes to Australia courtesy of Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), the official performance-vehicle partner of Holden. Not that the monster-sized Chev ute is a performance vehicle in the mould of the tweaked Commodore V8s more commonly associated with HSV, but it nevertheless has a set of numbers that make a very big statement. How does 1,234Nm of torque sound? Or a towing capacity close to 6,000kg?

Chevrolet-Silverado

CLIMB ABOARD

As you walk up to the Silverado you can’t help but be impressed its sheer size. At over six metres long and nearly two metres high it dwarfs even the biggest of today’s mainstream dual-cabs. A measure of its size can be seen with its 3,886mm wheelbase, which is 666mm longer than that of the Ranger/BT50 twins that share the longest wheelbase amongst today’s popular utes.

Despite also riding very high (with 250mm of ground clearance), the sidesteps and a conveniently located assist-handle make it dead easy to climb aboard and once there you find yourself in a notably wide and tall cabin. A very plush and comfortable driver’s seat too although at this entry-level spec there isn’t any height adjustment for the seat (which shorter drivers would appreciate) nor does the steering wheel adjust for reach.

This ‘Work Truck’ (WT) model seats three across the front thanks to a fixed third seat (with a lap-only belt) above the transmission tunnel. When not in use the backrest of the centre seat folds down to become a centre console complete with three drinks holders. The general fit and finish is also good given much of the right hand drive (RHD) conversion is factory done.

Plenty of room too in the back seat for three six-foot-plus adults, even when the front seats are set back to also accommodate an over-six-foot driver or front-seat passenger.

One glitch is there’s no rear-seat centre headrest although all three rear-seat passengers do get lap-sash seat belts.

Chevrolet-Silverado

ON THE ROAD

Fire up the big 6.6-litre diesel V8 and while it sounds like a diesel, and a very big one at that, there’s nothing too truck-like here. It’s certainly more subdued that the 4.5-litre diesel V8 in a Toyota LandCruiser 79-Series ute, if you wish to draw a comparison to a popular and in some ways similar vehicle.

The Allison six-speed automatic transmission is operated via shifter on the left side of the steering column, which feels a bit odd at first if you’re more used to right-side column-shift automatics, but is easy enough to get used to.

Once underway the big V8 is effortless almost beyond description, even if it does has 3,500kg of unladen weight to deal with. With barely a touch on the throttle the Silverado dismisses with any driving duties, hills included. In fact, in the Silverado you wouldn’t know what hills are…

At 110km/h the engine is ticking over at around 1,500rpm in top gear and is quiet and surprisingly refined. Nice refinement from the gearbox too, not that it needs to shift much given it shifts out of the low gears early and holds the tall gears seemingly forever.

Pedal to the metal highway-speed overtaking is also impressive and such is the ease of what the engine does and the general lack of road noise it’s very deceptive of highway speed. When you look down at the speedo you’re always going faster than you thought…

The price you pay for all this is fairly high, but still not unreasonable, fuel consumption. Over the 1,000km road-test kilometres of mixed driving the Silverado used 17.7 litres/100km. The upside is the 136-litre tank still gives you a decent range.

In general driving you don’t feel the Silverado’s size as much as you may think. The steering is also surprisingly light (perhaps a little too light) and the general handling is stable and predicable on most roads even if there is some bump-steer from the rear axle on potholed unsealed roads when the vehicle is unladen. Otherwise the ride quality when unladen, often a ute problem, is good.

Chevrolet-Silverado

IN THE PADDOCK

The Silverado might be a bit flash to drive around the paddock, but if you do so wish it has clearance aplenty and robust ‘Light Truck’ construction tyres with a mild all-terrain pattern. Engaging high-range 4WD on the run is also easy and while you have to stop to engage low-range 4WD (as is the norm) the electro-magnetic shifter rarely balks either going in or out of low range. Plenty of tractive ability too thanks to an auto-engaging (mechanical) rear diff lock. Best of all the electronic traction control stays active on the front axle when the locker engages.

All that doesn’t make the Silverado useful on off-road trails as it’s simply too big and it lacks the wheel travel to negotiate lumpy ground and is limited by its approach and ramp-over angles.

Chevrolet-Silverado

LOAD CARRYING AND TOWING

The Silverado is built to tow and with a pintle coupling can tow up to 5,890kg, although at the time of writing this was pending certification. With a 70mm ball it’s good for 4,500kg, or with a standard 50mm ball it can tow 3,500kg. Even the 4,500kg rating puts it in a league of its own compared to mainstream utes.

The Silverado also comes with an in-built trailer-brake bias controller, a tow-mode for the transmission and exhaust brakes. With its 1,234Nm of torque and extra long wheelbase it should make an effortless and stable heavy-duty tow tug, something that we can hopefully test once the 5,890kg certification comes through.

Surprisingly the Silverado’s payload is under 1,000kg, but the upside is a monster tray that’s over half a metre longer and a little wider than the biggest tray you’ll get on one of the popular dual cabs.

Chevrolet-Silverado

OWNERSHIP

While the Silverado’s right-hand-drive conversion is done locally by HSV, much of the preparation work for Australia is ex-factory. Given HSV’s connection to GM in the USA, items such as the AM/FM radio, kilometre speedo and dash are factory-fit RHD. Even the RHD steering system is made by the same supplier that produces the LHD steering system, all positives from an ownership point of view. The Silverado will be sold through selected Holden dealers and all HSV dealers and is offered with a three-year/100,000km warranty.

Chevrolet-Silverado

THE BOTTOM LINE

There’s not much not to love about the Silverado provided you don’t need to park it in the local Woolies carpark! In general driving you quickly get used to its size but parking it in confined spaces is never easy. It’s also surprisingly comfortable and refined for what is inescapably more truck than ute.

Chevrolet-Silverado

SILVERADO MODEL RANGE

The Silverado model range starts with the 2,500HD WT, which gets you seating for six, leather seats, carpet, eight air-bags, a seven-inch touch screen, a rear-view camera, a six-speaker audio system with two USB ports and a auxiliary input, and 18-inch steel wheels wearing Light Truck designation all-terrain tyres.

The next model up is the 2500HD LTZ, which seats five via two front bucket seats with electric seat adjustment. The LTZ also adds power adjustable pedals, steering-wheel reach and two-position memory for the driver. Additional LTZ features includes push-button start, a bigger eight-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a seven-speaker BOSE audio system. Safety additions include forward collision and lane-departure warnings. Mechanical changes include 35mm twin-tube gas-charged suspension dampers, a thicker front stabiliser bar, transfer-case protection and 18-inch alloys.

From there the ‘Midnight Edition’ is effectively a LTZ in black and with black-finish for the wheels, sidesteps, grille, bumpers and other exterior items. The ‘Custom Sport Edition’ is also based on the LTZ, but is white themed and rides on 20-inch wheels. The top-of-the-range 3500HD has dual rear wheels and a longer tub.

Chevrolet-Silverado

CHEVROLET SILVERADO PRICES

2500HD WT: $114,990

2500HD LTZ: $134,990

2500HD LTZ ‘Midnight’: $139,990

2500HD LTZ ‘Custom Sport’: $139,990

3500HD LTZ: $147,990

Manufacturers list price. Does not include on-road costs.

Chevrolet-Silverado

CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD WT SPECS

Engine: 6.6-litre V8 turbo diesel

Max power: 332kW @ 2800rpm

Max torque: 1234Nm @ 1600rpm

Gearbox: six-speed automatic

4WD system: part-time dual-range

Front suspension: independent/torsion bars

Rear suspension: live axle/leaf springs

Wheels: 18-inch steel

Tyres: LT265/70R18

Unladen weight: 3516kg

GVM: 4491kg

Payload: 975kg

Max tow capacity: 5890kg*

GCM: 9801kg

Overall length: 6085mm

Width: 2388mm

Height: 1958mm

Wheelbase: 3886mm

Ground clearance: 250mm

Turning circle: 15.7m

Fuel tank capacity: 136 litres

Test fuel use: 17.7 litres/100km

Range: 768km**

*With pintle (pending certification)

**Based on test fuel use, claimed fuel capacity and a 50km ‘safety’ margin.

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Photography: Fraser Stronach

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