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2022 Chevy Silverado ZR2 vs Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX Spec Comparison

The 2022 Chevy Silverado refresh brings a new top dog off-road Chevy, the Silverado ZR2. It has the biggest V8 available, flashy looks, trick suspension and other off-road goodies. And naturally, that means people will be comparing it with the other top-rung off-road trucks, the Ford F-150 Raptor and the Ram 1500 TRX. As such, we've assembled the specifications available so far to see how the three super trucks compare. Having just been revealed, there are a few things we don't know about the ZR2, such as fuel economy and some other suspension details, but we know quite a lot. And from what we know, the ZR2 has some interesting positives and negatives compared to the other trucks. First, it's pretty clear that the ZR2 isn't as extreme as the Raptor and TRX. We wouldn't be surprised if Chevrolet insists they aren't direct competitors. Specifically it has the least power and torque by a fair margin, the smallest tires and the least ground clearance. Still, it's not completely fighting with an arm tied behind its back. It's the narrowest by a significant margin, which is good for tighter trails. It also has the best towing and payload capacity, and the approach, break-over and departure angles are quite competitive despite the "little" tires. It's also the only one to boast a locking front differential in addition to a rear locker. The Raptor can be had with a limited-slip front differential, and the TRX only gets an open front differential. Check out all the specific numbers in the chart below, as well as additional stories on the trucks featured below. Other reviews and deep dives about the new Silverado, F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 Reveal In addition to the new ZR2, the Silverado line also gets new interiors, an upgraded four-cylinder and other updates.   2021 Ram 1500 TRX First Drive Review Our review of the Raptor's chief competitor, the mighty TRX. That just sounds like we're talking about Jurassic Park.   2021 Ram TRX Suspension Deep Dive and RTI ramp test Follow along with engineer Dan Edmunds as he takes you under the TRX and explains everything there is to know about its suspension -- and how it's able to do what it does.

Stellantis unit FCA reaches plea deal in U.S. emissions probe

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON — The U.S. business of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conduct and pay roughly $300 million in penalties to resolve a multi-year emissions fraud probe surrounding vehicles with diesel engines, people familiar with the matter said. FCA US LLC, now part of Stellantis NV, has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge arising from its efforts to evade emissions requirements for more than 100,000 older Ram pickup trucks and Jeep sport-utility vehicles in its U.S. lineup, the people said. The plea deal, negotiated with U.S. Justice Department officials, is set to be unveiled as soon as next week, though the timing could slip. The company would then enter its guilty plea during a subsequent hearing in a U.S. district court. The affected diesel-powered vehicles span model years 2014 to 2016. FCA merged with French Peugeot maker PSA in 2021 to form Stellantis. Stellantis and the Justice Department declined to comment. The plea deal comes five years after Volkswagen AG pleaded guilty to criminal charges to resolve its own emissions crisis affecting nearly 600,000 vehicles in a scandal that became known as "Dieselgate." Volkswagen's deception precipitated additional scrutiny that resulted in officials on both sides of the Atlantic cracking down on automakers accused of using illegal software known as defeat devices to dupe government emissions tests. European automakers relied on so-called clean diesel technology to make vehicles that could comply with tougher environmental regulations only for officials to find they were polluting more on the road than during the tests that certified them for sale. Automakers are now focusing efforts on battery-powered electric vehicles. Negotiations between FCA lawyers and U.S. officials to resolve the current probe dragged on for years and across presidential administrations as the two sides haggled over whether the company would plead guilty and, if it did, the exact details in any criminal charge, one of the people said. One of FCAÂ’s employees is preparing to face trial on charges he misled regulators about pollution from the vehicles targeted in the investigation. Last year, the Justice Department disclosed charges against two additional FCA employees in the alleged emissions fraud. An indictment alleges the employees conspired to install defeat devices in vehicles so they could dupe government emissions tests and then pollute beyond legal limits on roadways.

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico