Off-road-capable vehicles have never been more popular in the enthusiast world, with basically every new truck and SUV being marketed using its ability to hit the trails. But while most automakers are mostly sticking to “rugged” looks and maybe one specific off-road trim, Chevrolet is going all in with its ZR2 and ZR2 Bison family. As it currently stands, you can choose from three different ZR2 trucks – the Colorado, the Silverado 1500, and the Silverado HD – two of which also come with an even more intense Bison designation. Let’s talk about what makes them special.
Full Disclosure: Chevy invited me out to Palm Springs, California to get my hands on every member of the ZR2 off-roading family, including the Bison trims.
What Differences Are There Between Chevy’s ZR2 and ZR2 Bison Trims?
The short answer is: One is a little beefier than the other.
What sets the ZR2 trim apart from other off-road-focused trims are primarily in the mechanicals, with the biggest upgrade being Multimatic DSSV (Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve) dampers that are used exclusively on GM’s high-performance vehicles. The DSSV setup replaces the conventional damper with a spool valve, the latter of which is a spring-loaded cylindrical sleeve. In plain English, that means you can run a ZR2 truck through its paces and feel confident that the suspension will respond the same way every single time – even after a long day of lurching over rocks. These dampers can also be tuned independently, giving you greater precision when it comes to tackling various off-road obstacles.
Further, the ZR2 trims of all three trucks feature revised steering knuckles and front control arms that are specific to off-road applications, in addition to larger skid plates and different off-road modes that adjust the throttle, transmission, stability control, and anti-lock brakes.
The Bison trims are beefed up with more off-road armor like steel skid plates and bespoke steel bumpers with integrated winches and recovery points, plus other changes designed to enhance the standard off-road experience. Plenty of people outfit their trucks with aftermarket parts that are designed exclusively for off-roading, so Chevy decided to team up with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) to introduce the Bison line; basically, giving you the ultra off-road experience you get from aftermarket parts, but ones that are actually included under a Chevy warranty.
Let’s Go Racing
Part of what makes Chevy’s ZR2 packages so impressive is their racing pedigree. Both the Colorado ZR2 and the Silverado 1500 ZR2 have been used by the Chad Hall Racing team, which competes in events like the Mint 400, the Baja 1000, and more.
The race trucks are about as close to stock as you can get with a competition vehicle; the primary differences come in the form of mandatory safety equipment, a racing seat, and a fuel cell. The Colorado ZR2, for example, has been racing since 2017, and with 12,000 miles of competition and a perfect finish record under its belt, you can feel comfortable hitting the trail. If it can withstand the brutal conditions of motorsport, then you’re probably not going to do too much damage during a weekend rock crawl.
What About The Competition?
I asked a handful of Chevy representatives about where, exactly, they see the ZR2 and ZR2 Bison trims within the larger sphere of specially made off-road trucks — this is the era of Ram’s Power Wagon and TRX, Ford’s F-150 Raptor, and Toyota’s TRD Pro, after all. What are you going to get from a ZR2 or ZR2 Bison that you’re not going to get from the competitors?
The answer was the same every time: Chevy is making a variety of trucks that are intended, primarily, to go off road. The Raptor, for example, prioritizes speed and power in sandy desert conditions – get it out on the rocks, and it’s not quite as capable. The Power Wagon is capable, but because it’s based on the heavy duty 2500, it just feels huge.
What makes the ZR2 and Bison family thrive are its sheer number of options. If you want something nimble, you can nab the Colorado. For a little more luxury and heft, there’s the Silverado 1500. If you want a truck that can tow a house as comfortably as it can scale a mountain, there’s the Silverado 2500. It’s a little bit of a choose-your-own-adventure scenario, and for off-road enthusiasts, that’s a welcome proposition.
The Verdict
Right now, it seems like every automaker is jumping on the off-road trend. You can’t debut a new crossover, SUV, or truck these days without the press release praising its rugged looks and do-everything-go-everywhere capabilities. Buyers eat up that kind of rhetoric because it helps justify investing in increasingly expensive new vehicles — maybe my SUV will only ever take the kids to school, but it’s comforting to know I could haul something or competently maneuver a craggy dirt road. Most of these vehicles will never see a trail, but if a new car is going to cost $50,000 or more, then it damn well better be able to navigate a sticky situation.
With the ZR2 and ZR2 Bison trims, though, Chevy is hedging its bets on the buyers that want more than just rugged looks and a halfway decent ride height. Chevy believes its buyers really will seek out a truck with myriad off-road features because they’re actually hitting the trail — and it’s also providing plenty of options. It’s one thing to offer one off-road package, it’s another to kit out multiple trucks in your lineup under the expectation that buyers are dedicated enough to make it worth your while.
And to Chevy’s credit, it seems to be working out. Chevy representatives told us that one in three ZR2 buyers are coming from a competitor; for the Colorado ZR2 specifically, that number increases to one in two. Only time will tell if off-road truck capability is a lasting consumer desire or if it’s just a passing market trend, but for now, Chevy has the segment on lock.