Chevrolet’s Silverado LTZ comes stacked with tech and spec for 2003.  It’s also one of a few ways to enjoy a stock 4WD pickup or SUV with that evocative rumble of a V8. To be specific, 6.2 litres of V8.

Since we can’t yet buy a Ford F150 in New Zealand, Chevy is one of only two brands offering real-life American pick-up motoring. It continues to be one of only two nameplates with that eight-cylinder soundtrack.

Two variants are being offered for 2023 – the luxury-focused Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium with standard Z71 package to enhance its off-roading capability and the new Silverado 1500 ZR2 offering a Ford Raptor-style boost to its all-round driveability courtesy of lifted suspension, bespoke dampers, additional off-road-focused drive modes and unique styling details that butch up its look and improve its approach and departure angles.

Uniquely, the LTZ Premium features bright-silver 20-inch alloys with 275/60 Bridgestone Dueler tyres, an all-black leather-appointed interior, adaptive cruise control, and a full-colour 15.0-inch head-up display, a rear camera mirror and a bed-view camera.

The “LTZ” acronym stands for “Luxury Touring Z”; the “Z” indicates the highest level of Luxury Touring.

As has been the case in the past, this is a left-hand drive vehicle, professionally re-manufactured in Australia to right hand drive. We defy buyers to spot the swap.

The Silverado features a four-wheel drive system capable of running in two or four-wheel drive, or in an automatic all-wheel drive mode suitable for sealed surfaces. The latter was our favourite on a drive route that included lumpy rural tarmac, gravel and muddy trails. There’s a mechanical locking rear differential as standard.

This truck is absolutely massive. Chevy says it’s bigger, but lighter than the outgoing model. The dual-cab utes we’re used to in New Zealand are generally a bit cramped in the rear, and you wouldn’t want to end up stuck on the middle seat for long.

The LTZ is completely the reverse and would tow the team and toys Auckland to Wellington without complaint from any of the occupants. Towing things is likely to be a big driver of sales for LTZ. A 4,500kg braked towing capacity and clever towing software engaged from the driver’s seat are class-leading. Even better, one of the camera modes is ‘hitch view’ for getting towball and trailer together without outside guidance.

Ergonomically, a lot of thought has gone into access of such a big vehicle. Stand alongside the chest-high bonnet (‘hood’) and it might seem getting into the LTZ is going to be a mission. Nothing further from the truth. One foot on the main side step, the door grab handle is in my hand before I realise, and the entry process is complete with a side-slide into the luxurious leather seat.

For all its weight and size, obvious limitations – starting with overall dimensions and compounded by a massive 14.4m turning circle – the MY23 Silverado isn’t the land yacht the bare figures might suggest.

Yes, there’s an enormous bonnet expanding ahead of the driver, but the breadth and clarity of the Silverado’s camera views go a long way to compensating for the space it occupies.

It’s not a bush-basher. The front chin is low and would hit the ground when crossing rain ruts. But then people buying an LTZ are more likely to use it to tow a ‘trailer queen’ tough truck than risk panel damage in this beast. Towing and reversing a towed load are made easy with eight cameras offering up to 14 camera views. There’s trailer side blind zone alert and an integrated trailer brake controller with brake gain memory. Silverado also has technologies like Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist and Auto Grade Braking. There’s also a segment-first Advanced Trailering System with an in-vehicle trailering app that offers customised trailer profiles, pre-departure checklists and trailer tyre pressure monitoring.

Off-roading steers a buyer to the other Silverado star of 2023, the ZR2, which has what Chevy describes as an ‘off road cut’ front bumper to facilitate ambitious dirt work.

Heading out of town, the sheer road presence of the LTZ is apparent. At 2070mm wide and 1911mm tall it’s 145mm wider and 31mm taller than the new Ford Ranger, and it shows from the outside and inside. Another key number: it’s almost six metres long.

Up front, it feels like the driver is sitting in a different postcode to the front passenger, and it’s possible to sit three adults in the back with acres of legroom, headroom, and space between the seats. The only downside is the fact it is not possible to punish the apprentice by sitting them in the awkward middle seat. There is no such awkward space.

Although it’s big, the front (office) of the Silverado doesn’t feel overly sophisticated. The infotainment screen is 13.4 inches, but looks tiny perched in its matte black housing, and the black buttons on the dashboard are logically laid out.

The fact the Silverado features plenty of buttons will no doubt endear it to old-fashioned pickup fans, and the learning curve is very shallow.

There’s a heads-up display too, displaying essential information (speed) on the windscreen. Door mirrors are truck-sized, and the interior mirror is camera-based.

Those who need to work from their vehicle will appreciate the extensive interior room, making laptop use easy in front or rear. There’s an inductive (wireless) phone charger in front of the centre console. Hands-free phone calling is pretty much universal these days, and Silverado LTZ Premium is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.

The dash has a wide expanse of button controls, as does the multi-function steering wheel.

Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 system is on board, and there’s a Bose 7-speaker sound system. The door speakers live behind some on the biggest speaker grilles we have ever seen in a pickup or SUV.

The driver’s information display – what we once may have called the dash – is 12.3 inches wide.

The safety package begins with six airbags – dual-stage frontal airbags for driver and front passenger; seat-mounted side-impact airbags for driver and front passenger; head-curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions.

A key active technology is Chevy’s StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control.

Under the hood is the latest version of Chevy’s Ecotec V8, mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission. Key numbers: 313kW of power, 624Nm of torque. Clever engine management systems – Dynamic Fuel Management – mean it will operate on just two cylinders under a light throttle load yield an official combined fuel economy figure around 12.2l/100km. We picked the truck up with the fuel figures at 15.2l/100km and got it heading down toward the 12s but didn’t manage to hit the official claim.

The truck’s transmission is smooth and capable. Ten speeds work hand in hand with that V8 to propel 2.5 tonnes of 4WD pickup. The lowest ratio is 4.69:1, while the top three ratios are all overdriven.

Grip-wise, the LTZ is hard to disturb in 4A on-road or 4-high offroad. We never had the need to hit 4-Lo and the rear diff is an auto-locker that simply propels the truck forward in low grip situations.

The wellside is a special place. Not only is it huge, but it has no less than twelve reinforced tie-down/load anchor points. It also has an industry first: the tailgate is powered in both raise and lowering functions. On LTZ’s wellside there’s a roll-top to keep gear secure and out of site.

We also like the stone guard (hood deflector) across the top of the hood – very stealthy in black on the dark grey-black metallic paint – and the rear side steps giving access to gear in the wellside. The latter are a must with a rig this size.
So, how does it drive?

On the road, where most MY23 Silverado LTZs will spend most of their time, there’s a quietness and a level of refinement that befits this vehicle’s price and goes beyond what might be expected from a US truck still sporting a separate-chassis design and a live rear axle with leaf springs.

The best bit of the suspension has to be the Rancho shocks at each corner. Well matched to the long wheelbase and wide track of the Silverado, they hardly ever sent road shock through to the cab.

The front end feels softer than last year’s truck: it tends to roll more mid-corner. This is most obvious on tarmac, and using 4A mode reduces the ‘lean’.

On gravel, on tight Waikato byway roads, on muddy tracks beside the river – the LTZ is serene. Remarkably, the slippery riverside track we find is dispensed with. This 2.5 tonne beastie is simply unfussed. More to the point, the V8, the auto and the 4WD system work so well that the chassis gives the driver ample warning when grip declines. One wheel or axle starting to spin is easily managed, and the truck only once got all four wheels flinging mud. Forward momentum was easily maintained.

All things considered, the 2023 Silverado LTZ is an exceptionally pleasant place to spend extensive lengths of time. It will be bought for its ability to tow masses of gear, for its ability to transport five people huge distances in a day, and equally for the experience of sitting behind that big gold bowtie badge.

Key points in favour:
•    It’s a Chevy.
•    The LTZ is a supremely capable heavy hauler.
•    It has a massive, enormously comfortable, spacious interior for five adult.s
•    Its towing capacity is top-of-class.
•    Nothing beats V8 power, or its sound.
•    And it’s not actually that hard on fuel.