Chevrolet fourth-generation Silverado featured a number of improvements, but was pretty evolutionary. Chevrolet is now attempting to right the wrongs with the 2022 Silverado 1500, which features extensive updates. It’s a refreshing change of pace and it shows the bowtie brand is ready to take Ford and Ram head-on. While the truck is significantly improved, the changes aren’t immediately apparent on the outside. Instead, there’s an evolutionary front fascia and grille, which incorporate some cues from the Tahoe and Suburban.
As part of the change, the headlights have been lowered to “emphasize the Silverado’s strength and stability.” LT and above trims also have revised daytime running lamps, which now feature animated lighting sequences when approaching, starting or walking away from the vehicle. Additional updates are limited, but the truck gains three new exterior colors called Dark Ash, Sand Dune and Glacier Blue Metallic. Buyers will also find familiar features including a six-position Multi-Flex tailgate.
While it was hard to fault the Silverado’s old exterior design, the interior was panned for a plasticky and cheap appearance. It’s thankfully a thing of the past as LT and above trims have an all-new interior with higher quality materials, modern technology and a vastly improved design. On the tech side of things, there’s an all-new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.4-inch infotainment system. Both are customizable and feature animations that start as soon as you get into the cab. The truck is also smarter thanks to built-in Google compatibility. The system responds to the “Hey Google” wake word and allows people to use their voice to call or text friends, listen to music, set reminders, or adjust the climate control system. In effect, it takes a lot of things that people love about their smart homes and brings that experience into the vehicle.
Speaking of tech, there’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Amazon Alexa also makes an appearance, but Google is obviously front and center thanks to Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play. Putting the technology aside, the cabin features an improved design and an all-new center console on trucks equipped with bucket seats. The console offers more storage space and is topped by an electronic shifter, which replaces the old school column-mounted setup. The interior looks far more upscale than its predecessor and that’s especially true in the range-topping High Country trim. The luxury pickup boasts unique leather seats with special perforation and distinctive stitching. Buyers will also find open-pore wood trim and a Bose premium audio system with stainless steel speaker grilles.
One of the biggest additions is Super Cruise, which offers hands-free driving on more than 320,000 km of compatible roadway in the United States and Canada. The system is available exclusively on the Silverado 1500 High Country and it uses a variety of cameras and sensors as well as precision LiDAR map data to enable the pickup to drive itself as well as make automated lane changes. Interestingly, Super Cruise can be used when towing as engineers have made “specific calibrations designed to account for the additional drag and increased braking distance that comes with trailering.” However, when towing, Lane Change on Demand and Automatic Lane Change are not available.
As in other models with Super Cruise, there’s a Driver Attention System which uses a small camera on the steering column to ensure the driver is watching the road ahead. If they advert their gaze for too long, the steering wheel light bar will attempt to get their attention, and audible and visible alerts will follow if they fail to respond. Speaking of driver assistance systems, the 2022 Silverado offers an upgraded Adaptive Cruise Control system that now works when towing. The model can also be equipped with up to eight cameras and a Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert system, which accounts for the length of the trailer. The truck also comes standard with the Chevy Safety Assist suite of driver assistance systems. It includes Forward Collision Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking and Front Pedestrian Braking. They’re joined by IntelliBeam auto high beam headlights, Following Distance Indicator and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning.
Not long ago, the idea of a four-cylinder full-size pickup would have been ridiculed to no end. That’s no longer the case and GM is doubling down by making a host of improvements to their turbocharged 2.7-liter engine. The engine incorporates ten key changes including a 30% stiffer crankshaft and a more rigid cylinder block casting. Thanks to these and other improvements, the engine now produces an estimated 310 hp and 569 Nm of torque. While the horsepower rating carries over, the torque output climbs by an impressive98 Nm. Thanks to the change, the four-cylinder has more torque than any base engine in its class. The powertrain also compares pretty favorably to the 5.3-liter V8, which produces 355 hp and 519 Nm of torque.
Besides the increased output, the four-cylinder engine has been retuned to be quieter and develop more torque in the low-mid rpm range where it’s most useful. Other updates include “shift scheduling revisions” that allow for smoother shifts, quicker downshifts, better response and more refinement. Elsewhere in the engine lineup, models equipped with the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel can now tow up to 6,033 kg. This 1,814 kg improvement was made possible due to a revised rear differential, cooling enhancements, and chassis changes that allowed for the inclusion of the max tow package. The 6.2-liter V8 carries over and continues to produce 420 hp and 623 Nm of torque. However, it appears to be the end of the road for the 4.3-liter V6 as the engine is no longer listed and Chevrolet told us the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder will now come standard on six of the Silverado’s nine trim levels.
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will go into production early next year and is set to arrive at dealerships in the spring. The company is also confident the truck’s launch won’t be impacted by the continuing chip crisis.
