2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison 2.7L Turbo 8AT AWD (314 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The new 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison represents the most off-road enhanced version of the truck in the Colorado model’s 20 years of existence, as it is made in partnership with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) and is meant to conquer any terrain.

The vehicle is propelled by a standard 2.7-liter Turbo DOHC engine with a maximum output of 310 hp and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain must be well-optimized to ensure enough power to the wheels when encountering an obstacle on the off-road path.

To use the most out of the engine’s capabilities, the truck has a 2-speed transfer case and all-wheel drive provided by power-locking front and rear differentials. With help from all these features, the truck has a payload of 1050 lbs and a maximum towing capacity of 5500 lbs.

The collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles imposes a few features that elevate the Chevrolet to new heights in off-roading. The AEV heavy-duty winch-capable front bumper allows the vehicle to unlock itself from situations where the wheels don’t provide any movement at all through the winch capability of adding another traction point.

The AEV 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels offer the best possible support for the structure of the 35-inch mud/terrain tires when deflated to help with the crossing of a significant obstacle.

The best-in-class approach, departure, and breakover angles, alongside the 12.2-inch ground clearance, are enhanced by the boron steel skid plates and rocker underbody protection that offer the driver enough courage to adventure even in the most hostile wilderness, knowing that the truck cannot be damaged from underneath.

To quickly navigate through different terrains and help maintain the wheels in contact with the ground for as long as possible to offer a better grip, the Colorado ZR2 Bison is equipped with segment-exclusive Multimatic front and rear Jounce Control Dampers. Other than increased stability, the suspension has an extensive range of motion that helps with keeping the truck level even on the most deformed surfaces.

From a visual perspective, the truck has AEV rear bumper, fender flares, and badged headrests that underline the truck’s unicity and distinctive features. Combining the good looks with practicability, the Chevy has a racing-inspired tire carrier and spray-on bedliner, as every pickup truck should. The specific Chevrolet “flowtie” crowns the front part of the car and highlights its Bison exterior identification.

In terms of technology, the truck comes standard with the Chevy Safety Assist, a suite of all the essential safety technologies implemented on modern vehicles, such as Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Following Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert and IntelliBeam auto high beam control. It also provides an interesting user experience through its 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen system with built-in Google.