The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD: Great for the Zombie Apocalypse... and Work?

Lately, some of you might have caught sight of the single greatest thing to happen to television since the A-Team came off the air: AMC’s The Walking Dead. Based upon the equally awesome comic book series penned by genius Robert Kirkman, the television show takes the zombie apocalypse trope into larger format that it’s always yearned for. Returning week after week, the show finally explores all the questions that a two hour feature film can’t. Like, for example, why don’t the survivors ever hole up somewhere secure, like a military base or a prison? Or, why wasn’t a gun store the first place they raided, instead of the last? Or, if you’re a car buff, why are they cruising around in either a beat up piece of crap or a poorly armoured school bus? |

After all, should the dead someday rise with a hunger for the living, you’re probably not too far away from your local Chevy dealer, and he’ll have one of these sitting there: a 2011 Silverado 2500HD. Much like the undead hordes we all may face one day, this new Silverado might look quite similar to its former self but is dramatically more resilient under the bodywork. Long gone is the older chassis, and with it more than a few weak points. Having had the opportunity to inspect both frames in a side-by-side demonstration prepared by GM, I can say with all certainty that the underpinnings of the 2011 heavy duty trucks from GM make the old ones look about as potent as that guy that you just know is going to be the zombie’s appetizer the moment he steps on screen. The framerails themselves are bigger, and utilize far more high strength steel than previously. The front sections are now hydroformed to remove any potential stress points, and the front suspension has been significantly revised to increase the truck’s front gross axle weight rating to a whopping 6,000 pounds. This, when combined with the ultra-stiff hydroformed frame, gives a better ride and also allows all 4WD heavy duty trucks to carry snow plows, with the available snow prep package. General Motors has clearly been thinking of aftermarket attachments like that, since the rear of the truck’s chassis also includes more access holes to allow the attachment of gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailer hitches. Finally, the engineers have rounded out the new frame with larger engine and transmission mounts make sure that the equally new powertrain stays safely bolted in place.

Now, this is where this truck really starts to step out as a prime contender for Best Anti-Zombie Transport. Although every heavy duty truck on the market now boasts stupefying horsepower and torque figures, General Motors’ products are the only ones boasting Allison transmissions. And as most diesel tuners can now tell you, it’s not the engines that you need to worry about so much anymore. Of course, that doesn’t make the 6.6 litre Duramax any less impressive. Making 397 horsepower and 765 pounds feet of torque, the new motor uses a higher pressure Piezo-actuated fuel system and a new regenerative particulate filter, both of which improve fuel economy. As a result, I had no trouble using just over 14 litres of diesel fuel to cover the average one hundred kilometers’ worth of truckly duties, and that sort of fuel economy would be a real boon when each fuel stop means offering yourself up as an unsuspecting entrée for a slobbering zombie. Of course, you might want to bring a few friends along to fend off the hordes that’d be sure to collect as you fill the truck’s downright massive tank. At least you won’t have to do it too often.

But, of course, in the event of the zombie apocalypse, these are all perks. A vehicle is totally useless if it’s not absolutely, utterly, tank-like in its ruggedness and reliability. And in that regard, the Silverado 2500HD does not fail. Out front, the gigantic chrome grill may be predominantly plastic, but the massive bumper below definitely isn’t. Although I don’t know precisely how much it weighs, suffice it to say that using it as a road-going cow-catcher for any unsuspecting zombies that might stray into your path isn’t a discomforting notion. And when faced with making your way down roads stacked with abandoned vehicles and wandering people-eating monsters, all that torque will undoubtedly come in handy behind those beefy bumpers when you need to clear a path. And when equipped like my crew cab, long box tester, there’s certainly no shortage of space.

It even works well for those less extreme situations, like grocery shopping and parts hauling. Although the crew cab and long box combination did require a bit more steering input than the average pickup truck when it comes to the parking lot, the truck’s turning circle isn’t all that terrible. Furthermore, all that length between the axles makes for a pretty smooth ride at highway speeds, especially with that new suspension up front. Out back, asymmetrical leaf springs (longer in front of the axle than behind) do a great job of quelling the nastily harsh ride big trucks are known for, although speed bumps are still best taken at a crawl. The interior, unchanged from last year, is still a great working interior. Less luxurious than the Dodge and Ford products, what it lacks in luxury it makes up for in practicality. The bench seat gives even more seating capacity, while the storage compartments located absolutely everywhere ensure you’ll be able to keep the majority of your personal effects secure and dry.

And it’s precisely that ability to handle both the mundane and the extreme with equal ease that makes is so impressive. Returning halfway decent fuel economy even by family sedan standards, a truck such as this with so much power, torque, and capacity may seem like overkill for most daily tasks, but when the only downside is having to park a few feet farther away from the mall entrances, it’s hard to find much fault with it. After all, it’s always better, as they say, to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst… whatever that worst may be.