The Chevrolet Silverado has officially launched in Australia and New Zealand through the General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) division.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 models sold locally will be remanufactured to right-hand drive by the local Walkinshaw Automotive Group. The Silverado 2500 and C8 Corvette will follow the 1500 to the market in late 2021.
Silverado 1500 models sold in Australia and New Zealand are available solely with a 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 petrol engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This engine features auto Stop/Start technology and Dynamic Fuel Management and the truck has a towing capacity of 4.5 tonnes. It also includes various towing-oriented functions like a Tow/Haul mode, Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist and Auto Grade and Cruise Grade Braking.
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In addition, Silverado 1500s come standard with the Advanced Towing Package that adds Hitch Guidance, Hitch View, Integrated Brake Controller, Trailer Theft Alert and an in-vehicle advanced trailering system. Key safety features of the pickup include Front and Rear Park Assist, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Alert, Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, IntelliBeam automatic headlamp control, Following Distance Indicator and Safety Alert Seat.
While Holden is no more in Australia and New Zealand, GMSV has established over 50 dealerships across the two countries and plans on adding more.
“We have launched with over fifty GM Specialty Vehicles dealers and look forward to adding more,” GMSV director Joanne Stogiannis said in a statement. “Our GMSV dealers are now open for business in Australia and New Zealand. We can’t wait to see the first Silverados being driven out of our GMSV showrooms. We believe there is significant opportunity in Australia and New Zealand for our iconic North American vehicles to compete in niche segments.”
