Chevy launches special off-road edition, improved diesel engine on 2023 Silverado

DETROIT — Chevrolet is launching a special edition Silverado ZR2 Bison to boost the full-size pickup's off-roading power.

Chevy is collaborating on tooling and design with American Expedition Vehicles, an off-road aftermarket manufacturer, on the Bison. Chevy and AEV introduced the Bison on the Colorado midsize pickup in 2019.

"We're thrilled to team up again to bring customers Chevrolet's next chapter of off-road dominance, this time on Silverado," Scott Bell, Chevrolet vice president, said in a statement. "The 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison unlocks the pinnacle of the nameplate's off-road capability."

Production is expected to begin in early 2023. Canadian pricing hasn't been announced, but it will start at US$78,490, including shipping, in the United States, the automaker said Tuesday.

The Bison edition is expected to offer more off-roading capability than the 2022 Silverado ZR2, with sharper front approach and departure angles. Both the ZR2 and the ZR2 Bison are expected to have 28.4 centimetres — 11.2 inches — of ground clearance.

The front and rear bumpers are equipped with AEV 3-mm-thick steel and are powder-coated and e-coated. The press-hardened steel used for the underbody skid plates is three and a half times stronger than a cold-stamped high-strength steel plate, which prevents underbody damage, GM said.

The Bison comes standard with AEV stamped front and rear bumpers, five unique hot-stamped boron steel skid plates, steel rocker panel protection, a steel front bumper with vertical front tow hooks and 18-inch AEV wheels with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires.

Chevy will also launch a more powerful diesel engine on the Silverado for the 2023 model year. The 3.0-litre inline-six turbodiesel Duramax will have maximum horsepower of 305, 10 per cent more than the 2022 model, and maximum torque of 495 pound-feet, a 7.6-per-cent increase over 2022.

"These improvements to the popular 3.0L Diesel Duramax build on the already advanced design of the first-generation engine," John Barta, assistant chief engineer of diesels engines, said in the statement. "We often hear customers express their satisfaction with the outstanding fuel economy and smooth quiet power of the current diesel engine, so we can't wait for them to experience this advanced engine made possible by the continued design evolution and advances in engine technologies."

The diesel engine will be available on the Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ and High Country trims. It will be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.