Manoli Katakis 
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reveal is happening just days from now. And for pickup truck fans, it’s going to be a day to frenzy the internet for every last molecule of information on this highly anticipated new half-tonner. But to get you ahead of the curve, we’ve compiled this extensive study guide on everything you can expect with the new Silverado, as well as the highly anticipated ZR2 off-road variant.
UPDATE: the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has broken cover, and you can read our coverage below:
- 2022 Silverado ZR2 Debuts as GM’s Most Off-Road Capable Half-Ton Truck
- 2022 Silverado Engines: 2.7L Turbo Max Torque Boosted TO 420 LB-FT
- 2022 Silverado Duramax Diesel Sees 4,000 Pound Towing Increase
Exterior Design
Onlookers will immediately notice design changes on the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Primarily in the front, where the “sideburn” air curtains that run along the far edges of the front clip will be swapped out for a pair of slatted openings fitted into the design opening of the front headlights. The style was teased a bit by GM Design officially, while a wireframe sketch from a new service manual depicted the front fascia design what’s to come for the 2022 Silverado 1500 WT and Custom trim levels. This is distinguished by the “CHEVROLET” lettered crossbar in the grille design. LT, RST, LTZ and High Country trims swap the letters out for a Chevrolet bowtie logo, as we see on the current model. Slight updates are expected with the rear taillights, also.
Interior Design
Interior design changes on the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are going to be the most apparent on higher end trim levels such as the RST, LTZ and High Country. With it will come a larger touch screen, likely measuring as much as twelve inches horizontally. Its orientation is expected to be different than that found in the DT Ram 1500 Limited, which is a more vertical and tablet-like screen. A digital instrument panel is also expected, along with a new shifter design, on higher end Silverado 1500 trucks.
Technology
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado is expected to make big strides in regards to technology that will augment towing, safety and highway driving. The killer app will be the addition of Super Cruise, which is finally making its way onto GM’s best selling vehicle in North America. And, not only will the 2022 Silverado be able to pilot itself on mapped freeways across the country, the technology is also sophisticated enough to tow a trailer while engaged. No competitive truck maker will be able to say as much. At least for now. The new Silverado will also come with an available Trailer Side Blind Zone alert, per earlier reports.
A minor addition will be the Buckle to Drive feature, which means that occupants will need to have their seatbelts fastened before the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can be put in gear. This technology seems to have some of our readers flustered. But they shouldn’t worry, as the feature can be overruled by simply disabling it via a driver options menu.
All of this powerful technology requires more powerful processing power, so the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will graduate itself from the GM Global A electrical architecture it currently rides on to the Global B system (also known as GM VIP). This new brain will allow for crisper infotainment and camera displays, faster load times, OTA updates, and (unfortunately) an encrypted ECU. Tuners beware.
Despite these technology gains, sources inform MC&T that the new Silverado and Sierra will not feature any kind of answer to the incredibly useful Pro Power Onboard inverter generator system found on the 2021 Ford F-150. Perhaps later.
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Engines
General Motors will be streamlining the engine list of both the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks compared to years prior. On the chopping block is the 4.3L LV3 V6 engine, which is based on the same Gen V small block architecture as the larger 5.3L and 6.2L V8 engines. Replacing it outright is going to be the 2.7 L3B turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 25 more horsepower and 43 more pound-feet of torque than the LV3 (310 hp, 348 lb-ft).
GM is also cutting the L82 V8, which is an older version of the 5.3L L84 V8 that doesn’t feature dynamic fuel management. It produces the same output as the L84 (355 hp, and 383 lb-ft), so eliminating the L82 rids the Silverado lineup of some redundancy. We also expect Chevrolet to drop the six-speed automatic transmission that’s still found on its entry level Silverado pickup trucks.
The final update to the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engine family is the 3.0L LM2 Duramax diesel engine. This straight-six torque monster should be getting a few updates that will help improve its towing and payload capabilities. Specifically when it comes to cooling. At the moment, the LM2 is optimized for fuel economy, which delivers a class-leading 23 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined on 2WD models. Its availability is also expected to be extended to the Trail Boss trim level, but not on the top-of-the-range ZR2 off-road variant.
2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
Which brings us to the most anticipated addition to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 family: the ZR2. MC&T was first to accurately disclose information on the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2, which has long been teased by the Hall Racing truck, and will represent the top-of-the range in off-road capabilities for the entire lineup.
The formula will closely follow what we currently see with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. This means that the 2022 Silverado ZR2 will feature Multimatic DSSV dampers, upgraded belly armor, a unique set of wheels, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler M/T tires, improved approach and departure angles from the Z71 and Trail Boss models, locking front and rear differentials, transfer case, and a unique 3.23 rear gear ratio. The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 will also feature a unique “crawl mode” setting, not unlike Trail Control, which we see on the Ford F-150 Tremor and others.
Concerning the competition, the adventure-ready Silverado is expected to slot in between the Tremor and Raptor within the landscape. For Ram, that means in between the Rebel and TRX. This is because the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 is expected to have superior off-road capabilities compared to both the Tremor and Rebel, but will lack the sheer power that we see in the 700+ hp TRX and upcoming Raptor R. The new Chevy Silverado ZR2 will be exclusively powered by one engine: the 6.2L L87 V8 engine at launch. No diesel, and no smaller V8 are expected just yet. Perhaps later. The Silverado 1500 ZR2 will also come in just one body style: a short bed crew cab. Take it or leave it.
2022 Silverado 1500 Price
With minimal changes at the entry level, we don’t expect the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 base MSRP to fluctuate that much, other than perhaps an inflation adjustment. At the higher end, we do expect the prices for the Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ, High Country and others to rise a bit, with the added technology options like Super Cruise taking the premiums to a record level. After all, if Ford can sell you an $80,000-plus F-150, Chevrolet fancies it can do the same with a Silverado. The 2022 Silverado ZR2 price is likely to fall within the low-mid $50,000 range.
Production Timeline
After delays suffered from the past 18 months, the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2021. Hopefully the global microchip shortage, COVID delays, or WW3 doesn’t push the timeline out further.
2022 Silverado LTD & 2022 Silverado: Know The Differences
Making up for lost time in the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 timeline is a stopgap variant known as the 2022 Silverado LTD. The Chevy truck is mostly a carryover for the 2021 model year, save for a few engineering updates, such as the addition of the LM2 diesel engine to the Trail Boss package. Over at GMC, the mechanical twin to the Silverado LTD is known as the 2022 Sierra Limited.
Internally, the updated Silverado is described as a “2022i” model year. But at the dealership, they will simply be known as 2022 models. The Silverado LTD is expected to phase out with the production of the true 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will officially debut on September 9, and be sure to check in with MC&T as the big news happens. It’s bound to be a big day for all Chevy truck fans.
GM needs to can & send a buttload of powertrain engineers to work on a next EVO or Civic, or AMG, or one(world)Ford. They don’t love GM power.
They’ve planted a giant bastard into the heart of the Silverado family.
Neither do the federal government or eco-fascists. But GM still has to sell trucks somehow.