May 6, 2024
A popular Chevy Silverado for sale, a red 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2 Bison, is shown off-road.

Off-roading has only become more popular with truck drivers nationwide. A lot of people love venturing off the beaten path in their full-size pickups, but usually, most of the off-road trims are relegated to the light-duty offerings. If you wanted a heavy-duty pickup with off-road capabilities, most dedicated enthusiasts have relied on aftermarket upgrades. Well, you no longer have to look beyond the factory options for your off-road fix with the 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD because it’s now available with the dedicated off-road trim known as the ZR2, which has become available for Chevy’s line-up of heavy-duty trucks for the 2024 model year.

This means that if you have been eager to find a Chevy Silverado for sale with the intent of taking it off-road while also using it for heavy-duty purposes, you now have a high-end option with the introduction of the ZR2 trim. But what makes the trim so special, and why should it matter to you if you’re shopping for a heavy-duty Silverado that you can also use for recreation or for casual fun off the paved road? Well, because it has some extensive features that many enthusiasts will find to be extremely useful for a wide number of applications.

#1 – Lifted Suspension

The standard 2024 Silverado 2500 HD sits at 10.1 inches when it comes to ground clearance. The ZR2 raises the ground clearance to 11.6 inches. If that’s not enough, the ZR2 Bison Edition goes even higher with 11.8 inches, giving you that extra height. This is important for scaling obstacles off-road. The ZR2 also has an increased approach angle of 32.5 degrees, a departure angle of 25.7 degrees, and a breakover angle of 21.2 degrees.

The lifted suspension of the Silverado 2500 HD ZR2 means that you don’t have to get an aftermarket kit to lift the truck. It’s heavy-duty, so you get all of the benefits of a heavy-duty pickup truck while also being able to take advantage of the extra height for clearing obstacles. If you have to travel off the road and need extra clearance with a heavy-duty truck, the Silverado 2500 HD ZR2 manages to accomplish that. Plus, with the Multimatic DSSV dampers, you have dynamic dampers that react based on the terrain to give the truck maximum stability while traversing even the roughest of pathways.

Boat in the rearview mirror of a 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500HD.

#2 – High-End Trailering With Off-Road Capabilities

One of the most important aspects of a heavy-duty truck is its trailering capabilities. High-end trailering is a given with these trucks, but that doesn’t always play well with off-roading. However, in the case of the 2024 Silverado 2500 HD ZR2, you get a max trailering capacity of 18,500 lbs and a max payload capacity of 3,397 lbs. It also has some brand-new features, such as enhanced trailering tech. This includes the all-new Adaptive Cruise Control with trailering, enabling you to relax while letting the vehicle do a lot of the work. You also have an improved Transparent Trailer View so you can see behind your trailer while on the road and an enhanced Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert to make changing lanes safer.

All of the enhanced trailering technologies new for the 2024 model year join other existing tech, such as HD Surround Vision, an in-vehicle trailering app, and enhanced camera views so you can always manage what you have hitched to the truck. These work in conjunction with the ZR2’s off-roading capabilities, so not only can you tow and trailer large loads, but you can do so off-road thanks to the ZR2’s strengthened upper and lower control arms for better articulation and durability, as well as improved steering knuckles so you have precision control over the truck while off-road.

#3 – Rugged Exterior for Work and Play

Everyone loves a rugged-looking, heavy-duty pickup. It screams, “Look at me!” and “Drive me now!” The 2024 Silverado 2500 HD is no different, and a lot of people will absolutely love to own one just for the basic features it offers, let alone the added off-road capabilities of the ZR2 trim. You get this bold, menacing-looking truck but with all of the utility and functionality of a standard heavy-duty model.

Some of the ZR2 features include a sports-themed hood scoop, mudguards, special ZR2 badging, and 18-inch aluminum wheels that come standard with 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires. These features give you a very cool-looking truck that is as capable as it looks. It’s not all just for show. A lot of the features of the Silverado 2500 HD ZR2 are wholly functional, such as the front tow hooks and high-durability skid plates, so the truck looks really good while also being extremely functional.

#4 – Power and Performance With ZR2 Features

An off-road truck will sometimes lack the utility of a more work-oriented model. However, with the Silverado 2500 HD ZR2, you get all of those off-road features and amazing content, like an electronically locking rear differential for enhanced traction control, as well as a two-speed transfer case for engaging four-wheel drive capabilities. In addition to this, you also get all of the standard power and performance capabilities that the Silverado 2500 HD is capable of, thanks to its powertrain line-up.

You have either a 6.6-liter V8 engine that offers 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque or a 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel V8 that makes 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque. The ZR2 comes standard in four-wheel drive, making full use of the truck’s powertrain capabilities while also giving you all of the truck’s towing and hauling capabilities, plus all of the benefits of the ZR2. If you wanted all the great utility of the Silverado 2500 HD but with the ZR2 features, you get that with the 2024 model year three-quarter-ton Silverado.

Grille and badge on a red 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2.

#5 – Interior Cabin Space for Convenience

All of the highlights of the exterior, suspension, and performance of the ZR2 for the Silverado 2500 HD sound great, but what good are a lot of great performance and capability functions if the ride isn’t smooth? The value of the Silverado 2500 HD ZR2 extends beyond its rock-crawling and mudding prowess; it’s also about how it utilizes the interior space for comfort and convenience, and the vehicle is capable of seating up to five people across two rows

You have 43 inches of headroom up front and 40 inches of headroom in the rear, along with 44.5 inches of legroom in the front and 43 inches of legroom in the second row. You have heated and ventilated perforated leather seats in the front and rear, a robust digital driver information display cluster with customizable profiles, a 13.4-inch infotainment touchscreen with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Wi-Fi hotspot network connectivity. All of the luxuries that make the Silverado so endearing to many shoppers are still present for the ZR2 model, including a Bose premium surround sound system, OnStar remote access, wireless charging, and automatic climate control.

#6 – All the Silverado 2500 HD Functionality In an Off-Road Model

Some potential shoppers looking for a heavy-duty Chevy Silverado for sale might be worried that some of the functionality of the Silverado 2500 HD would be lost when opting for an off-road model. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only do you get all of the towing and trailering capabilities, along with the infotainment access for trailering technology, but you also have access to other utilitarian features as well to get the most out of the heavy-duty model. This makes the ZR2 quite an enticing proposition for shoppers.

If you need a three-quarter-ton pickup for work or just for recreational use, you get all of that with the Silverado 2500 HD ZR2. In fact, the truck comes with upfitting options and available packages for towing, plowing, and more. There are even features like the Multi-Flex Tailgate and upfitter switches. If you want a truck that is completely kitted out for work but also completely capable of heading off-road and handling all of the challenges that come with traversing unpaved roads, the 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD ZR2 is more than capable of living up to the task.