2023 Chevy Silverado Police Truck Is Good for On- And Off-Road Pursuit (2024)

• For the first time, the Chevy Silverado 1500 is available as a pursuit-rated pickup truck for police departments.
• Known as the Silverado PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle), it has huge 16.0-inch front rotors, a rear locker, and a 2.0-inch-lift option.
• Chevy's police truck features a 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Johnny Law is getting a new chase vehicle courtesy of Chevrolet that's capable of pursuit on public roads, through the back woods, and everywhere in between. Enter the 2023 Silverado PPV. It's the first time Chevy has built a pursuit-rated pickup truck, and it joins the Tahoe PPV that's been a trusty steed to police departments since it debuted in 1997.

PPV versions of the Tahoe and the Silverado share a lot of components, including a powertrain and other equipment. Both use a 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. They also share black 20-inch rims mounted on Goodyear all-terrain tires and massive 16.0-inch iron front rotors clamped by Brembo six-piston calipers. For comparison, the Silverado's standard front discs are three inches smaller, measuring 13.0 inches in diameter.

Every 2023 Chevy Silverado PPV is configured with a crew cab and the short five-foot-eight-inch cargo box. The truck's tow rating maxes out at 9300 pounds, and that's 1100 pounds more than the Tahoe PPV can pull. Unlike its SUV counterpart, the Silverado is available with a 2.0-inch suspension lift. This raises its ground clearance and approach angle to 11.4 inches and 25.9 degrees, respectively, so lawbreakers will have a harder time using treacherous terrain to hide.

Even without the lifted ride height, the Silverado PPV comes equipped with some notable off-road hardware. There's a skid plate for extra underbody protection, a set of Rancho shocks from the regular truck's Z71 package, and a locking rear differential. The cops can also opt for a hard tri-folding tonneau cover for the bed or Chevy's multifunctional tailgate.

The Silverado PPV's interior takes a no-nonsense approach that we dig. From its tried-and-true column shifter to its power-adjustable cloth seats and vinyl flooring options, there are few creature comforts. The front jump seat can even be removed by request, freeing up space for whatever else cops might want to put there.

While we certainly don't want to see a Silverado PPV in our rearview mirror, we'd love to see one in our driveway. In fact, the more we thought about the truck's off-road chops, bare-bones interior, and all the other neat features, it made us wish the bow-tie brand would offer one to regular law-abiding citizens. After all, it'd be a fitting rival to the recently revealed Ford F-150 Rattler, which exists as an entry-level off-roader.

Chevy hasn't said how much the 2023 Silverado PPV will cost, but the company did say it'll be available in the U.S. and Canada sometime later this summer.