Chevrolet has announced a new Colorado ZR2 Bison, a collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) that makes the truck much more suited for overlanding and extreme off-roading.
Overlanding is having a moment and is increasingly trendy right now, and this turn-key solution should be popular with both veterans and people new to overlanding alike.
With factory steel bumpers and five hot-stamped Boron steel skid plates (covering the oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and front and rear locking diffs), the ZR2 Bison gets the right protection for driving over rugged terrain. The front bumper has winch provisions and integrated fog lights while the rear bumper has recovery points built right in. A snorkel is also available.
The Bison builds on the already capable ZR2 but gets a few extras. Unique to the Bison are the grille, which does away with the Chevy bowtie and instead uses a flow-through lettered grille that spells Chevrolet, and large fender flares. Chunky 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs come standard and the 17 x 8-inch aluminum wheels are also unique to this hardcore model.
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The Bison comes standard with the same 3.6L gas V6 (308 hp and 275 lb-ft) found in the ZR2, but buyers can option up to the 2.8L Duramax diesel (186 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque) with a six-speed auto or eight-speed auto. A crew or extended cab is also available along with long or short beds.
Off-Road.com first uncovered the ZR2 Bison trademark earlier this year, confirming the existence of a new model after a concept build at SEMA got such a good response. The 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison will be available in January 2019 and pricing will be announced closer to that date. The Bison is also backed by a full manufacturer limited warranty.