ZR2 heads freshened range landing as CO2 regulations tighten.

NINE months after being announced, 2023 model year enhancements to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, including a new ZR2 flagship, are hitting the road.

The additional variant is designed to be more attuned to off-road use, with distributor General Motors Speciality Vehicles promising it will deliver ‘next-level’ off-road capability. The brand says the type has been validated in an off-road racing series.

Feature highlights include front and rear e-lockers and Multimatic DSSV dampers, 33-inch mud-terrain tyres and a new high-approach steel-cut front bumper designed for off-road strength, durability and clearance.

In addition to its functional features, ZR2 is distinguished by aesthetic cues, which include a black chrome grille with a Chevrolet ‘flow-tie’ emblem.

The ZR2 and GMSV’s other Silverado choice, the 1500 LTZ Premium, also adopt a refreshed interior. The centrepiece is a 13.4-inch-diagonal colour touchscreen and new 12.3-inch-diagonal configurable digital instrument cluster. The 2023 cars also have an electronic transmission shift control, on the centre console.

Both feature the 6.2-litre EcoTech3 V8 engine, cited as the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 engine in its class with 313kW and 624Nm.

LTZ Premium sells for $144,000 and ZR2 is $149,000, before Clean Car CO2 penalties are considered. These are now a double whammy as, in addition to the $5000-plus cost hitting customers at time of purchase – a regulation implemented last April 1 – there’s also now a additional per-unit cost on distributors of high CO2 fare.

That’s the Clean Car Standard, which enacted on January 1 and, though fees aren’t actually being collected until June, they’re already in play and payments will be backdated. The increase in Silverado prices might well reflect this, though the models also cost more than their predecessors in Australia as well.