The Colorado ZR2 Bison is the toughest mid-size truck in the segment

Off-road pickup trucks are selling faster than automakers can build them, and they now come in all shapes and sizes. General Motors may have arrived late to the extreme side of this segment, but it’s now making up for lost time with new vehicles like the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Originally offered back in 1994 as a suspension package for the S10 pickup truck, the ZR2 name returns to the third-generation Colorado, aiming to take on the new-for-the-US Ford Ranger Raptor and the segment-dominating Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.

Chevy knows it needs to bring the big guns to take on iconic nameplates like Raptor and TRD Pro, which is why the ZR2 can be equipped with an extreme Bison Edition package, built in conjunction with legendary off-road and overland outfitter, American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). The Colorado ZR2 outperforms most other mid-size trucks with class-exclusive 35-inch tires, excellent ground clearance, and highly advanced Multimatic dynamic spool valve DSSV dampers.

GM built this truck with one goal: create the ultimate off-road performance truck. This is not a truck that will appeal to a wide audience, but is targeted towards the diehard off-road thrill seekers. After spending a week driving the 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison, it’s hard to picture how much more capable a mid-size truck could, or should, be.

Exterior: Big ‘Ole Bison

You can spot a Colorado ZR2 Bison from a mile away, especially when it’s painted Nitro Yellow like our tester. In addition to black, white, and gray, it’s nice to see Chevy deliver a range of exciting color choices, such as Glacier Blue, Radiant Red Tintcoat, Sand Dune, and Harvest Bronze. Color aside, the Bison makes its presence known thanks to 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud-terrain tires. Only the mighty Jeep Gladiator matches the Bison on such massive tires, and that’s thanks upfit packages from AEV.

• 
  2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 (Bison)
  

  Engine

  2.7L Turbo Inline-4 Gas

  Horsepower

  310 hp

  Torque

  430 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

  Ground Clearance

  10.73 inches (ZR2) | 12.3 inches (Bison)

  Maximum Towing Capacity

  6,000 lbs

  Approach|Ramp|Departure Angle

  38.2 | 26.9 | 26 degrees (Bison)

• 

  
  2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon X
  

  Engine

  3.6L V6 Gas

  Horsepower

  285 hp

  Torque

  260 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm

  Ground Clearance

  11.6 inches

  Maximum Towing Capacity

  4,500 lbs

  Approach|Ramp|Departure Angle

  44.7 | 20.9 | 26 degrees

• 

  
  2024 Ford Ranger Raptor
  

  Engine

  3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 Gas

  Horsepower

  405 hp

  Torque

  430 lb-ft @ 3250 rpm

  Ground Clearance

  10.7 inches

  Maximum Towing Capacity

  5,510 lbs

  Approach|Ramp|Departure Angle

  33 | 24.2 | 26.4 degrees

Other noticeable exterior upgrades with the Bison Edition package include boron steel skid plates and rocker protectors, AEV front and rear bumpers, wider fender flares, Bison badges, and Chevy’s clever ‘Flowtie’ badge that lets in more air to the cool the engine. The ZR2 Bison also gets a full-size spare tire mounted in the bed, positioned against the window to save space. It’s worth noting that this results in poor visibility because the Colorado is not available with a digital rearview mirror.

The Colorado competes in the mid-size truck segment, meaning its proportions aren’t too overwhelming to fit comfortably in a driveway. Chevy only sells the Colorado with one configuration: a Crew Cab with a five-foot (61.7-inch) bed. Opting for the ZR2 increases the Colorado’s height, and adding the Bison Edition package further brings the truck skyward thanks to those monster tires.

Those tall proportions yield truly exceptional clearances for off-roading. Chevy quotes 12.2 inches of ground clearance (up by almost 1.5 inches from the standard ZR2), besting all but the Gladiator when equipped with its available AEV upfit. A 38.2-degree approach angle is outmatched by the Jeep, but Chevy strikes back with 26-degree departure and 26.9-degree breakover angles, beating the Gladiator Rubicon and Mojave without their AEV suspension and tires.

Interior: Simple To Sumptuous

Sitting at the apex of the Colorado lineup, the ZR2 comes well-equipped as-standard, but there are still some optional extras to make it more premium and luxurious. A cloth/Evotex interior is standard finished in Jet Black/Artemis (gray), but customers can add perforated leather as part of a ZR2 Convenience Package III, which also automatically adds the Safety Package, so the upgrade comes at the cost of $1,490. That rolls in a rear arm rest, driver seat memory, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless charger along with rear cross-traffic braking, blind zone steering assist, and rear park assist on the safety front.

Our tester featured the leather interior, making the cabin feel more worthy of its substantial price tag. AEV logos with the Bison mascot are stitched into the headrest to remind occupants that this isn’t an ordinary Colorado, and optional yellow seat belts for $50 add a splash of color, pairing nicely with the yellow seat stitching.

Chevy’s truck technology is top-notch with an 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard across the range, powered by Google. It may not be the largest screen in the class, but it’s intuitive and can include a fantastic HD Surround Vision camera system as part of the $950 Technology Package which was included on our tester. The camera system is one of the best we’ve tested, with crystal clear image resolution from a camera underneath the truck with a built-in washer to eliminate any mud you’ll more than likely pick up when you’re out in the rough stuff playing around. Chevy even allows the cameras to stay on while driving to aid with towing, a useful feature since the Bison’s rearview mirror is mostly blocked by the spare tire. We can’t recommend this package enough, as it also adds adaptive cruise control and rear pedestrian alert.

Practicality: Midsize Limitations

When buying a mid-size truck, there will be some sacrifices in terms of interior space compared to a larger full-size pickup. All Colorado trims come as a four-door Crew Cab body style, but the rear seats are cramped with only 34.7 inches of legroom. The Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma are similarly tight inside, but the Colorado at least comes with rear air vents, unlike the Ford.

As for storage, the Colorado’s 61.7-inch bed is comparable to other mid-size trucks with the ability to accommodate 41.9 cubic feet, but remember, the Bison loses some of that storage capacity thanks to the bed-mounted spare tire. In ZR2 form, the Colorado’s towing capacity drops from a max of 7,700 pounds down to 6,000 lbs. That number still exceeds the off-road-focused trims of rivals such as the Gladiator Rubicon and Ranger Raptor. The payload for the ZR2 trim is 1,423 pounds, somewhat below the 1,720-lbs max of the Trail Boss trim.

Performance: Achiles Heel

Thus far, the Colorado ZR2 Bison has stacked up favorably against most of its off-road rivals, but it has a weakness that could deter some potential buyers; we found it a bit lacking under the hood. The 2.7-liter TurboMax turbocharged four-cylinder punches well above its weight class with 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. In our opinion, the available power is adequate to tackle almost any terrain, but on-road acceleration isn’t quick. In our tests, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison needed 7.69 seconds to dispatch the 0-60 sprint.

The Ford Ranger Raptor impressed us on our First Drive review. It comes with 405 hp from a twin-turbo V6, but it’s got the same amount of torque on tap as the Colorado ZR2 Bison. As for the Tacoma, a turbocharged hybrid setup delivers an impressive 326 hp and a class-leading 465 lb-ft of torque on the TRD Pro. Chevy is clearly bringing a bison to cheetah race here, but 0-60 times aren’t why people buy off-road trucks – capability is.

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Torque from the four-pot engine comes on early and often, meaning it doesn’t take much planning to make an overtaking maneuver. The engine emits a throaty growl that’s impressive for a four-cylinder, and the eight-speed automatic works wonderfully both on-road and off-road. Fuel economy is poor thanks to the giant tires, though, as you can see in comparison with regular 4WD trims:

Driving Impressions: Big Game Truck

When we first hopped in the ZR2 Bison, we were not impressed by its road manners. Those Multimatic DSSV dampers are built for off-roading, but they transmit a lot of imperfections from the road to the Colorado’s occupants. As we later learned, the truck gets smoother the faster you go. On the highway, it was remarkably comfortable, never feeling floaty or annoying the driver with abundant road noise.

We couldn’t fully report on a truck like this without getting it dirty, which is why we drove out to the Ocala National Forest. Here, the DSSV dampers made their purpose known. As it did on the road, the Colorado transmitted small vibrations back from the trails, but larger dips in the road were virtually eliminated. The suspension loves speed, doing its best work going over huge impacts rather than smaller ones. The Bison Edition adds Multimatic jounce control dampers, which are essential bump stops, that cushion the truck if it happens to get airborne. We can report that they really work.

Front and rear locking differentials aid in slow-speed off-roading if you manage to get the ZR2 Bison stuck despite its impressive clearances. We misjudged a narrow trail that was covered in mud from a recent rainstorm, and the Colorado ZR2 Bison pulled itself out with ease.

Chevy includes a handful of driving modes: Normal, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, Terrain, and Baja. The Baja mode specifically tunes the throttle and transmission for high-speed desert running, the type of off-roading we like to do in Ocala. This mode helped us blast through some sand that was anything but flat; it also includes launch control that can detect the terrain, so if you’re on dirt, it’ll behave differently when you flatten your foot.

Pricing & Verdict: A Great Spread

Aside from wanting a little more horsepower, which is technically a non-issue for off-road enthusiasts, the 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison stands out as one of the best all-around off-road trucks you can buy in the mid-size class. $46,800 gets you a Colorado ZR2 (destination excluded), heavily undercutting the Ranger Raptor which has a $55,470 MSRP. Even if you add the $11,700 Bison Edition package, the total price comes to $60,540, which barely exceeds the price of a similarly-equipped Raptor (beadlock capable wheels add $1,495). Optioned comparably, there’s less than $2k difference.

Other options in this segment include the Gladiator, which already exceeds the Chevy’s price at $62,995 for the Mojave X or Rubicon X. Those prices don’t even include the AEV upfit. As for the Tacoma TRD Pro, we don’t know how much it will cost as of this writing, but we doubt it will undercut the ZR2 Bison. There’s also the GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition that is mechanically identical to the ZR2 Bison, but it’s pricier at over $65k. So long as you can put aside not having the most powerful truck in its class, the Colorado ZR2 Bison is a superb buy – it’s everything you could want in an off-road truck.