photos by: Chevrolet
The current generation Chevy Colorado has been such a popular truck, that General Motors can’t seem to produce enough of them. Filled with comfort and convince options, as well as plenty of ruggedness and utility needed by modern truck owners, the Colorado has it all. However, in the last two years Chevrolet has stepped it up with different trim models, including the ZR2.
Harkening back to the off-road package of the S10, the ZR2 takes it to the next level with additional hardware, and a new for 2019 ZR2 Boson Edition is just more of something awesome. Read more in the realize below.
Official Release:
The Colorado ZR2 Bison is Coming
The Colorado ZR2 Bison joins Chevrolet’s midsize truck lineup as an all-new performance variant. Bison is Chevy’s first collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), a premium off-road aftermarket manufacturer.
Through constant innovation, Chevy has gained more than a quarter of all midsize truck sales in less than four years in the marketplace. In consecutive years, Colorado introduced the segment’s first diesel engine (excludes other GM vehicles), an all-new V-6 gas engine/eight-speed transmission combo, the ZR2 “segment of one” off-roader and now the Bison.
For maximum protection of key undercarriage elements while driving over rocky, jagged terrain, Bison features five skid plates covering the engine oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and front and rear locking differentials. Designed by AEV, these skid plates are constructed of hard, durable hot-stamped Boron steel.
AEV-designed stamped steel front and rear bumpers further shield the truck from obstacles. The front bumper contains winch provisions and standard fog lights, with recovery points integrated into the rear bumper.
“More and more enthusiasts are discovering that Colorado is ideal for off-roading, especially overland travel,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Marketing, Chevrolet Truck.
“The Colorado Z71 offers a full suite of off-road equipment, the maneuverability of a midsize truck and the driving range of a class-exclusive diesel engine. The Colorado ZR2 offers even greater off-road capability with class-exclusive front and rear locking differentials and Multimatic DSSVTM dampers. And now, Bison offers customers an even more extreme turnkey off-road truck ready to tackle your next adventure.”
An exclusive, flow-through “CHEVROLET” lettered grille replaces the traditional bowtie on Bison’s front end. The 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires sit beneath larger fender flares and wrap all-new, ZR2 Bison-specific 17 x 8-inch aluminum wheels.
The track, lying in one of the nation’s motorsports hotbeds, was built on a 227-acre farm in the town of Brownsburg in the late 1950s. It lies approximately seven miles from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The NHRA-sanctioned U.S. Nationals features 14 categories ranging from Stock and Super Stock to nitro-powered Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars topping 330 miles per hour. This year, the event is slated to begin on Wednesday, August 29, and wraps up with final eliminations on Monday, September 3. In between, hundreds of racers will make passes in an attempt to collect the Wally trophy in both category and class.
This new Colorado variant also features “Bison” decals on the bed sides, an “AEV Bison” logo on the tailgate and embroidered AEV logo floor liners and front head restraints.
“We’ve been following Colorado since its introduction, and the ZR2 really captured our attention,” said Dave Harriton, founder and president of AEV. “As this is the first Chevrolet vehicle we’ve given the AEV treatment to, we wanted to do something special with the industry’s first use of hot-stamped Boron steel. We also expect that Colorado drivers will love the added ruggedness of our front and rear bumpers on ZR2 Bison.”
The ZR2 Bison also duplicates the full equipment list of the Colorado ZR2, including, but not limited to:
- Class-exclusive front and rear locking electronic differentials.
- Revolutionary, segment-exclusive Multimatic DSSVTM dampers.
- Off-road rocker protection.
- Cast-iron control arms.
- Autotrac transfer case.
Like ZR2, Bison also features a modified rear axle with a 3.42 ratio, front and rear tracks widened by 3.5 inches and a factory suspension lifted 2 inches over a Colorado Z71.
Available options on Bison include:
- 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, capable of 186 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.
- Choice of crew- or extended cab configurations (including short and long beds, respectively).
Customers will also be able to purchase an available third-party accessory snorkel for ZR2 Bison from AEV, ideal for air filtration while driving on dusty trails. This feature is compatible with all Colorado pickup variants.
The 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison goes on sale in January 2019, modified for extreme off-road use and backed by a full factory limited warranty.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of AutoCentric Media, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles; GM, Ford, Dodge, imports, trucks — you name it! When he isn’t clacking away on his keyboard, he’s building, tuning, driving or testing his current crop of personal projects!
