The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has acquired a lift in payload, however in a few added advantages to Basic Motors Specialty Automobiles (GMSV), this replace now makes it exempt from federal emissions laws and sidesteps one other new regulatory requirement.
Priced at $135,990 earlier than on-road prices for the LTZ Premium and $147,490 plus on-roads for the ZR2, the Silverado 1500 is $1000 dearer than earlier than.
“The MY26i updates for Silverado 1500 replicate buyer preferences and suggestions on this market,” stated a GMSV spokesperson, when requested what drove this replace to the full-size pickup.
“The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMSV’s car portfolio supplied on the market in Australia, meet all related native regulatory necessities.”
As a part of the ‘2026i’ replace, as GMSV is asking it, it has increased payload and gross car mass (GVM) figures that push it into the NB1 class for Medium Items Automobiles, additionally residence to light-duty vans utilized by, for instance, shifting firms.
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GVM is up from 3300kg to 3505kg, simply above the 3500kg cutoff for the NVES. Payload is now 942kg for the LTZ Premium and 922kg for the ZR2, up from 748kg and 713kg beforehand.
Whereas the change to the Silverado 1500’s GVM exempts it from being counted underneath the New Automobile Effectivity Customary (NVES), the Australian Authorities is at the moment accepting submissions for touch upon a proposal to incorporate automobiles with a GVM of between 3501kg and 3855kg within the NVES from July 1, 2027.
The transfer from NA (Mild Items Automobile) categorisation to NB1 categorisation – following an identical transfer for the rival Ram 1500 final 12 months – additionally means the Silverado 1500 does not want to satisfy Australian Design Rule 98/01 (Superior Emergency Braking for Passenger Automobiles and Mild Items Automobiles), regardless that it has an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system with pedestrian detection.

All gentle automobiles on sale in Australia after August 1, 2026 should meet this regulation, together with the rival NA-classified Ford F-150, which requires automobiles’ AEB techniques to detect and brake for pedestrians. Below ADR 98/01, all newly launched automobiles since August 1, 2024 have been required to satisfy this commonplace.
There have been different modifications made to the Silverado 1500 for this intermediate model-year improve.
The LTZ Premium options revised suspension. It’s nonetheless branded as ‘off-road suspension’, however has ditched the Z71 nomenclature, whereas the twin-tube dampers are now not Rancho-branded gadgets.

The ZR2 sticks with its suspension {hardware}, which incorporates Multimatic DSSV dampers.
All Silverado 1500s now characteristic black Chevrolet lettering on the tailgate, with the LTZ ditching a lot of its extraneous chrome – its entrance ‘bow tie’ badge and Z71 fender badges at the moment are completed in black.
The Silverado 1500 is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8 engine producing 313kW of energy and 624Nm of torque, mated with a 10-speed automated transmission and four-wheel drive.
The LTZ Premium has an automated locking rear differential, whereas the ZR2 provides a entrance digital diff lock and boasts the next trip peak.
The Silverado 1500 and its bigger Silverado HD sibling are the final full-size pickups in Australia to supply V8 energy, although Ram Vehicles Australia has stated it is eager to reintroduce a V8 choice because the model has within the US.
Pricing
|
Mannequin |
Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
|
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium |
$135,990 (+$1000) |
|
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 |
$147,490 (+$1000) |
