The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 debuted earlier this month, with many welcome changes. On the top end High Country, the interior sees more thought-out finishing touches, while the rest of the lineup short of the WT trim level sees a revised center console with a larger infotainment screen complete with Google Built-In technology. Then of course, there’s the first ever Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, which raised the bar for the nameplate in off-road prowess. And for those looking for more long-haul proficiencies, there’s the 2022 Silverado 1500 Duramax.
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax: Improvements To LM2 Engine
MC&T recently caught up with the folks at Chevrolet to detail on the sort of changes and updates that the 2022 Silverado 1500 Duramax had to go through to see a massive, 4,000 pound increase in maximum towing capacity. Maximum towing on the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax is now a solid 13,300 pounds in 2WD configuration; a 20 percent improvement, and now ahead of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which has a max tow rating of 12,560 pounds. As far as diesel half-ton trucks go, the Silverado is now the class leader.
And it wasn’t just from sprinkling magical fairy dust that truck makers used to do before adopting the SAE J2807 towing standard.
3.0L LM2 Duramax I6 Diesel Engine. Photo via GM.
One major improvement – and one that GM was looking to do for a while now – was improving the thermal performance under the hood. In addition, engineers also upgraded the suspension components; such as increased capacity rear springs, a unique front-and-rear damper tune, and unique steering calibrations for the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax. The rear axle ratio was also increased from a 3.23:1 to a 3.73:1 ratio, with unique engine and transmission calibrations to round things out.
Chevy also noted to us that the 13,300 max tow rating for the 2022 Silverado 1500 Duramax diesel truck does require a 20-inch wheel configuration. And, unfortunately, it’s not available on the mighty Silverado ZR2 at launch.
The refreshed 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will commence production in the first quarter of 2022, with pricing and options to come at a date closer to launch. Stay tuned.
Image via Chevrolet
