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By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(February 6, 2022) When Chevrolet reworked its top-selling Silverado pickup in 2019 it did a lot of good things to keep the Chevy faithful in the fold while attracting new buyers to the brand — upgrading the truck with a new body and frame, creating 20 percent more cargo space, increasing maximum payload capacity by 14 percent, upping max towing capacity by 5 percent, and creating user-friendly gauges and controls.
   


Chevrolet also made available a bevy of engines including a massive V-8 and an outstanding diesel variant. And the Silverado retained a plethora of trim levels and a myriad of configurations for every need and pocketbook.

But not all was right with the Silverado. While attempting to keep its traditional look both inside and out designers stumbled with a polarizing front-end treatment that sounded a huge discordant note with the rest of the exterior design. It shed all vestiges of Silverado front ends of the past two decades in favor of a space-age grille and an unusual headlight treatment that would look more at home on a big sport utility vehicle catering to the soccer-mom crowd.


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Likewise, the Silverado maintained its traditional interior design — that, by the way, we still very much like — while competitors were going with more "modern" interpretations of a automotive interior including large tablet or landscape-oriented center screens.

Chevrolet has attempted to rectify the situation in a 2022 refreshening. Chevy's design team worked on the truck's exterior revising the front end in an effort to make it more appealing to buyers. We think it's handsome, but the squinty headlight design remains, which we found to be a bone of contention for some long-time Chevy faithful since the 2019 remake.  




Silverado Limited interior (top) and new 2022 Silverado interior (bottom)

The interior gets the biggest makeover with an impressive-looking 13.4-inch horizontally oriented infotainment touchscreen that flows into the now fully digital, and configurable, instrument panel. It is a much more modern and thought out interior that buyers have come to expect from a new pickup truck.

Unfortunately, buyers will have to wait a bit longer to get the refreshed 2022 truck. For now, a 2022 model can be purchased in a so-called Limited format that is mostly a carryover 2021 truck including the 2021 interior. The delayed 2022 truck is the result of the microchip shortage and all the issues associated with lost time from the Covid-19 pandemic.

But don't expect a price break. Even in the Limited guise prices reportedly have gone up from between $675 and $2,395 depending on model and configuration.

Our test tuck was the high-end Limited LTZ trim with the off-road Z71 package. It might have looked like a 2021 model, but we found it a tasty dish powered by a pleasingly receptive 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine make 277 horsepower and a prodigious 460 pound-feet of torque mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The diesel-powered Silverado we tested has acceptable acceleration measured from 0-to-60 in 7.1 seconds. We were impressed by the engine's smooth and quiet operation.

We were delighted to find that the big Chevy has commendable on-road manners — an easy driver down a long stretch of Interstate highway with plenty of grunt from the diesel engine. The transmission smoothly shifts into the correct gear and downshifts quickly when necessary. We found the Silverado's handling surprisingly agile, and the brake pedal provided firm feedback.

The biggest advantage with the diesel is exceptional fuel mileage measured at 22 mpg city, 26 highway and 24 combined. Towing capacity for the diesel has been raised 4,000 pounds to 13,300 pounds pushing it in front of   such V-6 diesel competitors as the Ram (12,560 pounds) and Ford F-150 (11,500 pounds).

While we look forward to the restyled dashboard, Chevrolet has maintained what we consider a traditional pickup truck inside with the 2022 Limited. The Silverado's switchgear comes with big knobs and buttons including large knobs for radio volume and tuning. It's a layout that is simple and intuitive. The center console is huge with considerable storage. A dual glovebox also aids in storing stuff.

The 2021 interior has been criticized as having a dated look. Maybe we are out of step, but we like the "dated look." And it's one of the quietest interiors we've experienced in a pickup.

The 2022 Limited comes in eight trim levels — Work Truck (WT), Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ and High Country. The Silverado is offered in varying cab and bed configuration including two-door regular cab, four-door extend cab, and four-door crew cab.

There's a range of engines for 2022 including a turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder, the long-running 5.3-liter V-8, a 6.2-liter V-8 and the 3.0-liter turbo diesel inline 6.  The V-6 gas engine has been eliminated.

Our Limited LTZ crew cab tester with the Z71 package carried a bottom line of $63,990 including a $1,695 destination charge and a $1,000 credit for the LTZ and Z71 packages.

2022 Chevrolet Silverado Limited LTZ diesel

Essentials
Base price: $40,595; as driven: $63,990
Engine: 3.0-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder Duramax diesel
Horsepower: 277 @ 3,750 rpm
Torque: 460 pound-feet @ 1,500 rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Drive: four-wheel
Seating: 2/3
Wheelbase: 157 inches
Length: 241.3 inches
Curb weight: 5,653 pounds
Turning circle: 46.3 feet
Towing capacity: 13,300 pounds
Fuel capacity (24 gallons) diesel
EPA rating: 22 city, 26 highway, 24 combined
0-60: 7.1 seconds (Car and Driver)
Also consider: Ram 1500 diesel, Ford F-150 diesel

The Good
• Increased towing capacity for 2022
• User-friendly controls
• Good fuel mileage

The Bad
• Retains dated interior design

The Ugly
• Limited model a stopgap until the "real" 2022 arrives