The Chevy Silverado ZR2 is among the few pickup trucks eligible for a North American Car of the Year Award.
This year’s North American Truck of the Year award will go to either the 2023 Chevy Silverado ZR2, Ford F-150 Lightning or Lordstown Endurance fleet truck. These are the only three pickup trucks that are either all-new or heavily redesigned this year, so they are the only models eligible for the award. Notably, the Silverado ZR2 is the only internal combustion engine truck up for the North American Truck of the Year award, as both the Ford F-150 Lightning and Lordstown Endurance are battery-electric.
The Silverado ZR2 was introduced on the refreshed Silverado 1500 for the 2022 model year, applying the philosophy of the existing Colorado ZR2 to a larger full-size package. Setting it apart is a unique front fascia with improved approach/departure angles and ground clearance, a steel front bumper with removable end caps, underbody skid plates, Multimatic DSSV dampers, front and rear e-lockers, 18-inch off-road alloy wheels wrapped in 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires, exterior and interior ZR2 badges, among more. The only available engine is be GM’s 6.2L L87 V8 engine, which produces 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It comes standard with the GM 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.
The Ford F-150 Lightning, meanwhile, is a new mass-market, battery-electric version of the iconic light-duty F-Series truck that is offered in fleet-focused Pro trim level for 2022, as well as Lariat, XLT and Platinum levels. It’s being offered with Standard Range and Extended Range battery packs, with the former rated at 230 miles of range and the latter at 300 miles of range. Standard range models have a peak output of 426 horsepower, with Extended Range models boasting 563 horsepower.
Lastly, there’s the Lordstown Endurance – a fleet-focused pickup being produced by struggling start-up automaker Lordstown Motors. The company is planning to start production of the vehicle with its manufacturing partner Foxconn in the third quarter of this year. The truck is powered by four in-wheel hub motors, which together have a maximum system output of around 600 horsepower, and can travel up to 250 miles on a single charge. It will first be available in Crew Cab configuration with a medium length bed, with prices starting from $52,500 USD.
The winners of the North American Car of the Year awards will be announced in early January of next year.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM-related awards news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Despite the ZR2 being the better truck, it will go to the Lightning. This forced adoption of EV’s will make sure despite how the judges think, someone will pull the strings. It won’t go to the endurance for the same reason. No place for newcomers in the new world order. Musk found that out.
Agreed. Zero chance in hell any Truck with a big V8 takes it. The Lightning has the crown. That’s what is politically correct right now. You couldn’t GIVE me that truck.
Actually you could. I’d sell it to one of the Kool-Aid drinkers.
It will definitely lose due to the socialists agenda of the USA that corporate America is buying into
How is the ZR2 all-new or heavily redesigned for 2023? Also, isn’t the Lightning a ’22 model? So the same question applies there. The only one that would be all-new or heavily redesigned is the Lordstown truck, which is selling as a 2023 model.
The ZR2 or frankly the 22 “refresh” or what I like to call the 22.5 should have been a 23. ZR2 production is already done for the year as is any truck with the 6.2 or the 3.0 but paying for 22 emission validation has to have a ROI.
My ZR2 has to be one of maybe a hundred at best that made the model year.
Let’s make it a triple cab, so we can take the family and neighbors along!!!!!!!!!
I love this truck its cool I have one