Now the Gutsy Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Comes in a Turbo-Diesel

• Chevrolet has added the Duramax 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engine from the standard 1500 pickup as an option for the 2024 1500 ZR2.

• The 3.0-liter diesel engine offers fewer ponies but more torque than the huge 6.2-liter V-8 that comes standard on the ZR2.

• Outside of engine changes, Chevy included a host of additional updates scattered throughout the 1500 lineup.

In the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 family, the ZR2 and the ZR2 Bison are the big kids. Chevy introduced the ZR2 for 2022 and brought the AEV upgraded Bison to market in 2023 for more serious off-roaders. Looking ahead to the 2024 model year, Chevy is eager to offer some mid-cycle updates for the whole lineup.

The 3.0-liter Duramax diesel that is available on the standard 1500 is being added as an optional engine on the ZR2. The gutsy engine offers fewer ponies (305) than the monstrous 6.2-liter V-8 (420) but brings additional oomph from its respectable torque figure (495 pound-feet from the diesel vs. 460 pound-feet from the V-8). We haven't tested the Duramax since before it was updated for 2023, but in 2019 we applauded how silky and quiet it was in daily use. As far as the V-8 goes, Chevy is adding an active exhaust that can change based on drive mode.