Test drive: The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado got a gut renovation

When the Chevrolet Silverado was redesigned for 2019 it was a well-received update that was primarily dinged by critics for an interior that was far from best in class.

It was functional, but uninteresting, and constructed from relatively low-grade materials.

That’s been remedied for 2022 with a gut renovation that brings an all-new dashboard to all but the entry level Silverado WT and Custom trims and raises the bar for style and tech.

High end versions of the 2022 Silverado, including the High Country, feature a new look.
(Chevrolet)

The Silverado also has a refreshed face and is available with range of engines that includes a 310 hp turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder, 355 hp 5.3-liter V8 and 420 hp 6.2-liter V8.

Its 277 hp 3.0-liter diesel gets a maximum tow rating boost of 4,000 pounds from last year’s model to match the big V8’s 13,300-pound rating when properly equipped, second only to the Ford F-150’s 14,000 pound rating.

The 2022 Silverado also has a new front-end design.
(Chevrolet)

The new dashboard features a horizontal motif that brings to mind 1970s boulevardier sedans, especially in the top of the line Silverado High Country, which dresses it in real leather and wood trim at a starting price of $64,245. The transmission selector also moves from the column to the center console on models with two front seats.

The Silverado LT is the lowest-priced model with the new interior at $46,595.
(Chevrolet)

The lowest-priced Silverado with it is the LT Double Cab Standard Bed with the 2.7-liter engine that starts at $46,595.

The LT’s interior has the same style, but is trimmed in different materials than the High Country’s.
(Chevrolet)

A digital instrument cluster and 13.4-inch infotainment system display are very modern touches, however, with the latter powered by Google and offering an optional 360-degree camera system.

The High Country can now also be ordered with the latest version of GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving aid that works with a trailer and can change lanes automatically to pass slower vehicles ahead.

Aside from the introduction of the high-performance Silverado ZR2, the trucks are for the most part mechanically the same as the outgoing models, but equipment availability has been inconsistent due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage. For instance, the High Country currently can’t be ordered with the 6.2-liter V8 my test truck had, or the computer controlled adaptive suspension system that was offered on the 2021 Silverado.

The updates help keep the Silverado competitive with the F-150 and Ram 1500, both of which outsold it last year, but still don’t do enough to move it to the head of the class among the most luxurious models.

Chevrolet has something entirely different in store for next year, when it’s scheduled to launch the first all-electric Silverado EV, which is built on an entirely different platform than the internal combustion engine trucks are.