It’s always encouraging to see an off-roading truck like the Chevrolet Colorado Z71 being used the way it was intended to be, and we caught one in the wild out in the state of Colorado that certainly seems to fit the bill. This truck – a current-generation Laser Blue example with an extended cab – is dirty, proudly wearing the remnants of a day on the trails from head-to-toe.
We’re guessing it wasn’t this Chevy Colorado’s first time being off-roaded, either, as it has a number of modifications that suggest the owner is a trail enthusiast. These include a roof-mounted LED bar, a pair of LED spotlights, rock sliders, and beadlock-capable wheels wrapped in nubby off-road tires. It’s also got some pretty nice-looking cargo racks, but those are a tad unrelated.
If sightings of trucks like this one accomplish anything, it’s to prove the existence of a market for hardcore off-roading trucks like the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and the all-new ZR2 Bison – the product of a collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles. There are some who argued that those vehicles would be wasted on city-slicking poseurs who would scarcely take their trucks anywhere near a dusty trail, especially with the MSRP being what it is.
Yet Chevrolet was wise enough not to listen, and now, there’s an entire subculture of ZR2-owning off-road enthusiasts, and the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison is scheduled to start sale in January of next year. The Bison isn’t a tit-for-tat response to Ford’s ultimate off-roader – the Ford F-150 Raptor – but it’s likely to compete for many of the same buyers by tapping into the same primal need some truck owners have to leave the beaten path and tear up some trails.
We wonder: how many of our readers are Chevy Colorado-owning off-road enthusiasts? How many of you opted for the Z71, the ZR2, or plan to put down for a ZR2 Bison this January when that model becomes available? Let us know by dropping us a line in the Comments section below, and of course, stay tuned to GMAuthority for more fresh Chevy Colorado news.
Comments
To be honest that looks like it spent 50 miles on a dirt road
Haters gonna hate.
https://imgur.com/uERIAVW
https://imgur.com/WW5wmCh
https://imgur.com/hnmSsh0
https://imgur.com/oEBBLwi
That’s lovely. I’m saying that the photos above are barely dirty and if anything that truck looks more poser given the setting. My truck gets dirtier just because it’s a regular Tuesday than what is shown above and is near hot-pressure wash proof.
It’s wheeled all over Colorado, Arizona and Moab Utah. Seen thousands of miles of the “dirt roads,” not sure how many trails you can access via hwy. Thanks for the love GM authority. You can follow the adventures @iBeatoffroad on IG.
Add another one to that list of off-road enthusiasts. Got mine before the zr2 was released but that dont stop me! (since i’m the photographer, not too many action shots of my own truck unfortunately. )
Charlie and I hosted a meet from the Colorado & Canyon Enthusiasts FB group. Here’s a few from that meet: https://imgur.com/a/OYMd19N
Here’s a few from other adventures Charlie and I have been on
If you’re familiar with Amsoil’s Expedition Colorado finders keepers scavenger hunt: https://imgur.com/gallery/LduUc53
And a few more random shots of my truck
https://imgur.com/inoE4u7
https://imgur.com/XvHwHIC
Not too hardcore though. Wouldn’t want the side airbags to deploy on a bumpy road. GM owners will forgive every electronic gremlin and three transmissions before 100k miles, but that airbag sure is hard on the ears. And a history of airbag deployment, even if unwarranted, hurts resale even further.
GM lawyers are presently doing the math whether it is cheaper to repair or blame the owners and risk lawsuits. At least they got the ignition key right this time.
I have a 4×4 Z71 diesel. Not an offroad enthusiast but I am offroad a lot as I live in a rural area. I got it because we pull three trailers (utility, boat, and camper). My last truck, a 2wd Ranger, scared me at the boat ramp a few times, slipping up steep boat ramps. I didn’t want a full size truck, a diesel 4×4 midsize seemed perfect. It’s our only vehicle, so it gets a toooon of use. We used it like crazy to build our house, loading trailers of lumber, pulling diesel chippers, trenchers etc, traversing through trenched mud in the construction zone. The gas mileage is insane too, often getting near 30 mpg on a tank. My average for 50k miles is 27 mpg, and that includes lots of trailer pulling.
I love seeing the trucks used as serious off-roaders, but I think that’s just one of many ways to use it. For us, it’s an invaluable utility for our lifestyle of “getting things done”. 🙂