Following the introduction of the 2017 Colorado ZR2 AEV concept, Chevrolet has decided to give the concept the greenlight for production, something we suspected earlier this year after seeing Colorado ZR2 prototypes with snorkels. And on Thursday, the 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison debuted with a host of American Expedition Vehicles off-road equipment with unique looks.
The 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison marks the first time Chevy has collaborated with AEV, with the company bringing its overlanding expertise to the table. The off-road pickup sports five skid plates made of Boron steel to cover engine oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case as well as the front and rear locking differentials for the toughest terrains. Additionally, AEV steel bumpers provide further protection from whatever the not-so-beaten path throws at the 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison. The front bumper also contains winch provisions and fog lights, while the rear bumper includes built-in recovery points. Hopefully, those won’t be used, but they sure will be handy if or when they are needed.
“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,” Dave Harriton, founder and president of AEV, said.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison won’t be confused for a standard 2019 Colorado ZR2, either. Like the Colorado AEV concept, the production truck wears a “flow-through” grille that spells out “Chevrolet.” ZR2 Bison-specific graphics and badging are present to mark the model further and 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires reside under even larger fender flares. The 17 x 8-inch aluminum wheels are specific to the Colorado ZR2 Bison as well.
And of course, the Colorado ZR2 Bison features all of the regular ZR2’s equipment, including front and rear locking electronic differentials, a two-inch factory lift, modified 3.42-ratio rear axle and Multimatic DSSV dampers.
Chevrolet will offer the Colorado ZR2 Bison with the 3.6-liter LGZ V6 engine as standard; the 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel four-cyldiner engine will be optional. Buyers will also have the choice of crew and extended cab trucks. Look for the overlanding-focused truck to reach Chevy dealers in January 2019.
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Comments
Well this is the GM version of the TRD Pro.
Not much added but it should keep the price down. It is about what I expected.
No GM is not going to add a V8.
Wish they’d add that 2.7L Turbo 4 though!
In time but it may cost you the V6 that is what most people buy and want.
I understand Turbo 4 cylinders but many don’t yet.
AEV offered a Hemi conversion for Jeep Wranglers. It would be interesting if they offered a small block Chevy conversion for this.
GM could bring back the Cyclone, then all the parts will be there. A (Chevy) Typhoon with the Blazer would be sweet also.
Pretty sweet truck!
You realize that they sold very few Syclones and Typhoons. Neat vehicle but no real money made.
It would be nice if they just got us a ZQ8 package on the Colorado with the V6. We would have a sweet truck and they actually would make money on it.
Yes I am looking at you. What about it! LOL!
You look’in at me? ; )
add the Camaro V6 and good exhaust, should put out 350HP
saw new 2018 ZR2s at local Chevy dealer for $29,999
Link?
Coggin Chevy Jacksonville, Florida
Bull. They maybe put a general “Colorado Crew Cabs starting at $29,999” and plastered it on the side of a ZR2 to be more eye catching
It’s probably a made up price, with the dealer stacking incentives and deals that no one will be able to actually get in the real world.
For instance, they definitely have all of the incentives in there that are mutually exclusive, plus college grad and military discounts (also mutually exclusive)… its a dealer marketing tactic that is very real but also very unfortunate. They get away with it short of being accused of bait and switch.
I use to work at a bar. We would order cases of Crown liquor. After buying so many cases they would give us a case FREE. 9 fifths of Crown, that sell for around $55 a bottle. What would you do with a free case of Crown Royal, bags included..They put them in the bar and sold them by the shot. They tripled their free investment. They also could sell them cheap or give them away to friends. I was a friend..I got one free. Big Chevy dealers do the same…
I see your analogy, but you’re describing GM sales operations from the pre bankruptcy era.
Nowadays, GM almost doesn’t let a dealer “give away” a new car nowadays. Once the new management came in post-bankruptcy, they have instituted various measures to prevent stuff like that, which saps resale and kills the consistent expectation experience.
One of those things is running all incentives exclusively through the GM Financial captive finance arm, which ultimately can say “no” to a vehicle it deems is being sold for “too little”.
Alex, what exactly does “modified 3.42-ratio rear axle” mean?
saw 2018 Camaro SS for $29,875 at dealership had several models to chose from, ZL1s $59,999
I don’t get the snorkel air intake. Can this truck really be taken under water deep enough to where it’s useful? If not, I think it looks horrible. The rest of truck truck is flat out awesome.. I like the front bumper and grill better than the ZR2 myself.
It makes money from the Mall Rated drivers.
GM does not care where they use it as long as it makes money.
“Snorkels” are more about getting clean air and ram-air-injection effect – not about deep water.
This needed longer travel DSSV and a small lift for factory 33s with room to do 35s. It’s what most people wanted from the AEV truck and what they were using on all the mules. Bumpers and plates are frankly underwhelming as anyone can do these easy adds.
It makes me think GM is worried about front axle strength running bigger than 31s with that front locker.
TRD Pro already couldn’t hang on vanilla ZR2. The Bison had potential to do Rubicon-y stuff. Bumpers and plates ain’t gonna do it. This truck needs more tire.
Nice snorkel. This is a truck to compensate for small balls, not to traverse bodies of water.
When you take your Colorado in for the obligatory repairs (you know when your fuel pump stops pumping, and the tranny stops shifting etc) and recalls (WTF is that noise, hey why is there a GMC symbol on the display and I bought a Colorado?), maybe your friend with the Tacoma give you a ride home.
200k miles on just oil changes is a real thing, just not in GM land. But you do have that snorkel.
Not that it bothers me, but are you not the one who complained months back about someone else’s use of descriptive genitals?
Your obviously not a GM fan as most of your comments are negative, if not, then why do you visit this site?
Wasn’t me, and genitals are mentioned nowhere in my remark.
True, I’m not a fan of junk cars, I’m here because I am an involuntary investor in the company by way of being an honest tax payer and I don’t like how my money is being used. No they didn’t repay it.
So do you troll FCA, Ford (yes they took money also), they just slithered their way through it, liers. How about Tesla (how many tax dollars have they sucked up), Fisker (now Chinese) even Nissan (with Japan’s closed market) received money (just yours huh?) from YOU/the government!
You must be busy trolling all those websites, especially those foreign ones. How do you find time to sleep?
Let’s not forget, the government sold it’s GM stock knowingly at a loss, who’s to blame there?
What the heck is that big stalk in the front? Flood light?