Chevy 'Trail Boss' pickup lives up to its rugged name

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- So, when Chevrolet produces a pickup truck with "Trail Boss" in the model name, you have to believe it's a rugged off-road brute of a vehicle.

The tested 2022 Chevy Silverado Crew LT Trail Boss 4WD certainly lives up to all that.  I didn't put it through the kind of paces that you see in the TV commercials -- crushing giant trees or blazing over stacked boulders like a cannonball through whipped cream -- but I was impressed with its juggernaut-like qualities.

My ride looked imposing with a cattle-crushing grille and (wait for it) "Red Hot" exterior paint.  Those monster 18-inch Goodyear tires looked like rock smashers from a mile away.

Power was provided by a 3-liter, six-cylinder Duramax turbo-diesel rated at 277 horsepower.  That power plant was able and remarkably smooth on the paved surfaces.  For the off-road enthusiast, they key statistic is 460 foot-pounds of torque coming in at a mere 1,500 rpm.  That will take you places.

There's much more for the off-pavement trail adventurer.  The special off-road package on the tester included a two-inch lift, monotube shocks, skid plates, hill descent control and a heavy-duty air filter.

Yeah, you can pretty much go anywhere in this Trail Boss.  And you can do it in luxurious comfort, at least with the perks that came in my tester.

That lineup included Google "built-in," offering access to Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play on the infotainment screen. You have to have a power sunroof of course.  Rear sliding power window -- check. LEDs all around. And the power/heated exterior mirrors naturally.

With the Trail Boss Premium Package of extras thrown in, the bottom line on the tested model came in at $62,570 ... or just about what you expect to pay for a loaded full-size pickup in this day and age.

Fuel mileage was so-so for this segment at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

In the competitive pickup segment, this Trail Boss has enough going for it to be a player, especially among those motorists who like their meat dark red and their pickups capable of tackling the Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Nevada.

If that sounds like you, saddle up and check it out.