It’s time to drive the all-new 2027 Chevy Silverado 1500. Specifically this 6.6L V8-powered halo ZR2 off-road truck. This truck has a bigger and more powerful engine. It rolls on bigger 35-inch all-terrain tires. It still has front and rear locking differentials. The truck’s suspension has been upgraded. Let’s drive it on a difficult Arizona trail and on the roads around Tucson, Arizona. Let’s dig in!
On-Road
The new 6.6L V8 engine is rated at 481 hp and 501 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The truck cold starts with a deep and loud bark that rivals that of a Ram TRX. It quickly settles to a nice V8 rumble. There are active dual-mode valves in the exhaust system that change how loudly the 6.6L V8 exhales.
The truck accelerates effortlessly onto the local highway with a brief squeal of the tires. The transfer case can run in 2WD or AWD modes on the pavement. If it’s not icy or snowy, I would run it in 2WD to get the best possible efficiency. This ZR2 is rated at 13 city / 15 hwy / 14 combined MPG. The drive mode selector does not have an “Eco” mode. I did not get a chance to get a real-world MPG test this time. We will do one in Colorado ASAP. This ZR2 has a large 34-gallon fuel tank, so it should have plenty of driving range loaded or not.
Off-Road
We did not air down the tires for the trail run. This is a first drive event that is setup by Chevrolet. They selected the trail (rated 7 out of 10 on the onX Off-road app). It was a bit bouncy on this very rocky trail, but the suspension was working very well. I put the transfer case in 4LO as soon as we started the trail. The transmission does a good job of managing the big V8’s torque and the low gearing. This truck has a relatively mild 3.23-to-1 rear axle ratio.
The new 2027 Silverado 1500 ZR2 uses newly retuned DSSV spool-valve dampers and separate hydraulic bump stops by Multimatic. I also did some fast off-road driving on the rutted out dirt road on the way to the trail. This suspension still feels very capable and resilient. You can go fast over very rough terrain. GM off-road races the new Silverado 1500 in production class competition. They transfer what they learn in racing into the production truck.
The additional ground clearance that the 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires provide was very welcome on this tough Arizona trail. I ended up touching the side rock rails several times. There were moments that I wished I was driving the new ZR2 Bison with AEV skid plate and steel bumper package. The Bison package is also available for the 2027 model year and beyond.
The new Silverado 1500 ZR2 starts at $79,995 including destination charges. Please join me in the video below for all the details.
