Yahoo Autos 2024 Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 Bison First Drive Review: Comfortable Confidence
Big trucks are the best trucks if you ask most Americans. This is why pickups are consistently the most popular vehicles on sale. But even with half-ton trucks growing larger every generation, folks still want more. Those drivers end up in trucks like the new 2024 Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 Bison.
The idea of an off-road-focused heavy-duty truck is not new, but it is quite niche. The Ram 2500 Power Wagon was first, then the Ford F-250 Super Duty Tremor hit the market, and the Silverado HD ZR2 was just announced in April. Chevy is aiming squarely at beating both of those trucks with a little bit of special suspension sauce, some clever off-road tech, and help from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV).
The Bison takes the ZR2 to another level, ruggedizing it and making it even more resilient with lots of steel plating. In short, it knows how to party. But most importantly, it also knows exactly what the customer wants: Comfort and confidence.
2024 Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 Bison Specs | 2024 Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 Bison Specs |
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The Basics
The Silverado HD ZR2 Bison is unique for a couple of reasons, two of which are related to its suspension. The Silverado HD is the only heavy-duty truck that uses independent front suspension (IFS); both the Ford and Ram use a solid axle up front. That is a point of contention for some truck enthusiasts who argue about durability, but there are distinct advantages to IFS that help the Silverado HD have much nicer road manners and off-road capability, while still maintaining plenty of ruggedness.
But the true trump card is the ZR2’s Multimatic DSSV spool valve dampers. More than anything else, the dampers define the experience of the HD ZR2 as truly one of a kind, especially for folks who are familiar with heavy-duty trucks and how they ride. The technology has been used in several Chevy Camaro models, the second-generation Ford GT, and most recently the Ferrari SF90 Assetto Fiorano and Ferrari Purosangue. This might be the only time in history a heavy-duty pickup has anything in common with a Ferrari.
The point is this: The DSSV damper technology is exceptionally good because it turns the idea of a damper on its head. Instead of rubber seals and flexible valving shims controlling oil flow (which is how dampers dampen), spool valve dampers use, well, spool valves. Rubber seals and shims in normal dampers are more prone to inconsistency and are sensitive to heat, which is where a spool valve excels.
Using a tiny bullet-sized spring-loaded mechanism and precisely shaped ports, engineers can define damping curves with orders of magnitude more precision than with even the best conventional dampers. They are also supremely consistent in their behavior, whereas a normal damper can change drastically with heat and wear. In practice, it’s how the Silverado HD ZR2 can tow 18,500 pounds, hit a double black diamond off-road trail, and ride home in serene comfort without adaptive dampers.
The HD ZR2 comes with the DSSV dampers as standard, but with your choice of 6.6-liter gasoline or diesel powertrains, as well as most of the normal Silverado HD options. In fact, most of the value is in the standard ZR2 package, which comes with a suspension lift, massive 35-inch off-road tires, serious underbody protection, some off-road cameras, and off-road bumpers.
What the Bison adds is a serious brace of AEV goodies. Different wheels, front and rear bumpers, AEV-stamped underbody protection, the Multi-Flex tailgate, and some AEV-branded interior trim complete the Bison package. Frankly, it’s not a revolution over the well-equipped standard ZR2, especially for the $9,135 it costs. Nonetheless, the Silverado HD ZR2 impressed on the road and on the trail.
Driving Experience
On a sunny day in the legendary Johnson Valley OHV park, the HD ZR2 Bison felt more at home than it should have. From the drive to the park, to blasting across a dry lakebed, to a technical, ABS-punishing, side-step-claiming rocky descent, the 8,495-pound behemoth rarely felt out of its depth. Not only was it competent, but it’s one of the few trucks I’ve driven that knows how to party.
