Chevrolet Unveils the Colorado ZR2 Bison

Factory steel bumpers, Boron-steel skid plates make Bison ready for off-the-grid adventures

2018-09-06

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DETROIT (Thursday, September 6, 2018) — The Colorado ZR2 Bison joins Chevrolet’s midsize truck lineup as an all-new performance variant. Bison is Chevy’s first collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), a premium off-road aftermarket manufacturer.

Through constant innovation, Chevrolet Canada has grown sales by over 28 percent in 2018 and has allowed Chevy to carve out a quarter of the midsize truck segment in less than four years in the marketplace. In consecutive years, Colorado introduced the segment’s first diesel engine (excludes other GM vehicles), an all-new V-6 gas engine/eight-speed transmission combo, the ZR2 “segment of one” off-roader and now the Bison.

For maximum protection of key undercarriage elements while driving over rocky, jagged terrain, Bison features five skid plates covering the engine oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and front and rear locking differentials. Designed by AEV, these skid plates are constructed of hard, durable hot-stamped Boron steel.

AEV-designed stamped steel front and rear bumpers further shield the truck from obstacles. The front bumper contains winch provisions and standard fog lights, with recovery points integrated into the rear bumper.

“Half of Canada’s Colorado buyers are choosing Z71 or ZR2 models that provide incredible off-road capability without sacrificing on-road drivability,” said Doug Kenzie, national marketing manager for Chevrolet trucks in Canada.

“The Colorado ZR2 offers incredible levels of off-road capability with a two-inch suspension lift, class-exclusive front and rear locking differentials and Multimatic DSSV™ dampers. With Bison, we now offer customers an even more extreme turn-key off-road truck that is ready to help you find new roads.”

An exclusive, flow-through “CHEVROLET” lettered grille replaces the traditional bowtie on Bison’s front end. The 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires sit beneath larger fender flares and wrap all-new, ZR2 Bison-specific 17 x 8-inch aluminum wheels.

This new Colorado variant also features “Bison” decals on the bed sides, an “AEV Bison” logo on the tailgate and embroidered AEV logo floor liners and front head restraints.

“We’ve been following Colorado since its introduction, and the ZR2 really captured our attention,” said Dave Harriton, founder and president of AEV. “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.”

The ZR2 Bison also duplicates the full equipment list of the Colorado ZR2, including, but not limited to:

Class-exclusive front and rear locking electronic differentials.
Revolutionary, segment-exclusive Multimatic DSSV^TM dampers.
Off-road rocker protection.
Cast-iron control arms.
Autotrac transfer case.

Like ZR2, Bison also features a modified rear axle with a 3.42 ratio, front and rear tracks widened by 3.5 inches and a factory suspension lifted 2 inches over a Colorado Z71.

Available options on Bison include:

2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, capable of 186 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.
Choice of crew- or extended cab configurations (including short and long beds, respectively).

Customers will also be able to purchase an available third-party accessory snorkel for ZR2 Bison from AEV, ideal for air filtration while driving on dusty trails. This feature is compatible with all Colorado pickup variants.

The 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison goes on sale in January 2019, modified for extreme off-road use and backed by a full factory limited warranty.

ABOUT CHEVROLET IN CANADA

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.ca, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chevroletcanada or by following @ChevroletCanada on Instagram and Twitter.

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