Is the 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison the most off-road capable midsize truck available in the United States (starting in January 2019)? We take it for a drive on a rocky Arizona trail, and speak to the people who designed and built it to learn everything we can about the latest Colorado model.
The Bison is a collaboration between General Motors (GM – Chevrolet) and American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). It starts out as a ZR2, and then AEV adds specially designed steel front and rear bumpers, boron steel skid plates, wider fender flares, unique rims, and a couple interior updates. The Bison package costs $5,750 and includes all of the mentioned hardware. The front bumper is ready to accept a winch.
There are also a couple of additional accessories you can buy for the Colorado (or the Bison). They are the snorkel, a winch, or additional off-road lights.
All of the tough Bison parts add about 200 lbs to the curb weight of a ZR2. The front bumper is a little lower, but it has a mounting place for the winch right behind the license plate frame. GM engineers say that the front bumper also makes the Bison a little more aerodynamic than the ZR2, although the fuel economy ratings are the same.
The Bison package is available for both extended or crew cab versions of the ZR2.
Join the off-road fun with new ZR2 Bison in the video below.