My first drive in the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 included a jump on a Baja course and a slow, technical rock climb near Tucson, Arizona. Those are very different jobs for a full-size truck, and I came away impressed by how the ZR2 handled both.
The fast section let me feel the truck move around and settle after a landing. The rock section required patience, careful placement and help from spotters. Together, they gave me a more useful first impression than a walkaround alone.
A 6.6-liter V8 and 35-inch tires
The ZR2 I drove had the new 6.6-liter V8 and 35-inch tires. That is a different combination from the 5.7-liter V8 High Country used for my separate Silverado 1500 towing drive.
Chevrolet lists the 6.6-liter V8 as an available ZR2 engine, along with 35-inch mud-terrain tires, a 2-inch factory lift and Multimatic DSSV dampers paired with jounce shocks. The company pairs its 2027 Silverado engines with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Walking around the truck gave me a chance to look at its revised appearance, tires, rock rails and interior before heading out. The hardware matters, but I wanted to find out what it felt like from the driver’s seat.
My first jump in the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2
The Baja course was the place to explore the ZR2’s faster side. Wearing a helmet, I drove the course and felt how willingly the truck moved around. It did not feel as though it was constantly fighting what I was asking it to do.
The jump and landing were a highlight. From inside the cab, I could feel the suspension take the landing, and my immediate reaction was positive. This was an impressive experience in a stock truck.
The accompanying video shows that experience from the cabin. It is not an exterior shot of an airborne truck, and I did not measure jump height or distance. What I can report is the response I felt behind the wheel and how the truck behaved as I continued around the course.
Rock crawling changes the pace
Next came a technical rock section in Coronado National Forest. This part of the drive called for a much slower approach, with spotter directions helping me work through the climb.
The contrast with the Baja course was striking. Instead of concentrating on how the truck moved at speed, I was working through the route one maneuver at a time. The cameras and spotters became an important part of that process.
I came away impressed by the climb. It also reinforced why I would not judge a full-size off-road truck solely by its fast-course performance. Getting through a technical section confidently is another part of what buyers are paying for.
Cameras help, but spotters still matter
The camera views were particularly useful when the terrain became more difficult to see from the driver’s seat. During the rock section, I used the views available in the truck while following the spotters’ directions.
That combination stood out more than a screen-size specification. A camera can help show what is near the truck, but it does not choose a line or remove the need to pay attention to the people guiding you.
In the video, the cabin footage and display views show how those tools fit into the drive. My positive reaction was to the whole experience: the truck, the visibility aids and the assistance on the course.
My first impression of the new ZR2
By the end of the drive, I thought Chevrolet fans would have plenty to like. The ZR2 could be playful on the Baja course, yet the slower rock climb was just as memorable.
My closing comparison was with the standard Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 RHO. That was a first impression of the kind of capability Chevrolet is pursuing, not a back-to-back test or a claim that the ZR2 beat either truck. I was not comparing it with the Raptor R or TRX.
I described the ZR2 as roughly an $80,000 truck during the drive. That was an estimate, not the as-tested sticker price of this particular vehicle. Our 2027 Silverado pricing breakdown explains the published starting prices and destination charges.
This was a first drive on the routes provided at the event, not a long-term durability test. There is more to learn about living with the truck, but the first jump and rock climb gave me a strong reason to want more time behind the wheel.
