2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison First Drive Review: Everything Off-Roaders Want

The High Output version of Chevy's turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder makes a useful 310 horsepower and an even more useful 430 lb-ft of torque in ZR2 form. It's not just a powerful little lump, but one built to last with a forged bottom end and a stiffened crankshaft. The power is controlled by a smooth and stout Hydra-Matic eight-speed transmission and front and rear locking differentials. On the road, it's a perfectly nice and brisk powertrain to cruise around in and can haul up to 6,000 pounds (5,500 for the Bison trim), but things get interesting when you step off the asphalt.

Unlike some other off-roaders we've driven recently, it is refreshingly free of a huge selection of off-road modes. There's a standard off-road mode, and for when things get a little crazy, there's Baja mode. From there, there's a neat row of switches to control things like which diff(s) are locked.

Talking with Chevy's engineers, they revealed that on their race trucks, the number of changes made can be counted on two hands and includes safety equipment. It's clear that it's not just off-road performance that the engineers have been focusing on, but reliability and resilience in order to gain the kind of long-term reputation as Toyota's TRD trucks. That also goes for the new position-sensitive Multimatic DSSV dampers, which now have three seals instead of two and have been stress-tested to hell and back.

Essentially, the special dampers regulate oil flow using precisely shaped ports to control the damper's force-velocity curve. In other words, over high-frequency bumps, the piston inside is allowed to move freely so the wheels can move up and down quickly and keep the tires on the road, but if you, say, send the truck over a big bump and into the air, the piston finds enough resistance to ensure the vehicle doesn't land with a smash.

The other big change in the suspension is the move from inboard to outboard-mounted shocks, which makes a huge difference to the suspension's geometry. Outboard-mounted shocks are generally better for stability and will give better body and off-camber control. Inboard-mounted shocks help the body flex, which is good when you need that flexion for off-roading activities like rock crawling.

The ZR2 Bison gets extra badging and hardware that off-road enthusiasts would typically source from the aftermarket, like steel bumpers that can mount a winch and extra underbody armor. Chevrolet has partnered with AEV to blend the aftermarket company's knowledge and know-how and build the equipment to OEM specs for durability and things like corrosion resistance. Other AEV parts include fender flares, boron steel skid plates and rocker protectors, and an AEV logo stamped into the front headrests on the seat.

From driving the new Colorado previously, we know it's a comfortable truck to spend time in. There's a lot of plastic, but that's to be expected, and in the ZR2, it's mostly textured and the soft-touch materials are in the right place. There is some piano black plastic slipped in there that will become ugly the moment it is touched. Chevy says it was a deliberate decision rather than using something like chrome, but materials with the same texture as used elsewhere would have done the trick. It's a small niggle in an otherwise ideal cockpit for an affordable yet exemplary performing off-road truck. Ergonomically, everything lines up well - until you look for the exterior light controls because they are now accessed from the 11.3-inch touchscreen.

We had a chance to take the regular ZR2 out for a 45-minute loop, and it felt a little peppier than its siblings and a smoother ride, which is down to those Multimatic DSSV dampers and the new suspension geometry. It's tough to call if the Bison version is any better on the road without driving them back to back on the same loop, but neither will disappoint. In both cases, they are nimble and eat up rough tracks with no fuss.

Off-road, we only got to challenge the Bison trim and were glad of it because Chevy didn't give the trucks an easy task when it came to the rock crawling section. Dropping tire pressures was absolutely necessary when working through the steep sections full of big and often loose and sharp rocks. There was a reason we were carrying spares and running rails.

岩石部分显示,新的悬挂etup is even better than the last generation's ZR2, while on loose ground that encourages higher speeds, the ZR2 is stable, predictable, and agile. There's also plenty of steering lock on offer for threading through tight canyons and plenty of articulation for crossing rocks and deep ruts.

Frankly, we were impressed with just how good the Colorado ZR2 Bison is off-road in any desert situation. It appears to be a consummate all-rounder, and we haven't been so impressed with a suspension setup since we ventured into the same area of Johnson Valley (home of King Of The Hammers) with theFord Bronco Raptor.

我们提到了野马猛禽,但科罗拉多ZR2 is not aimed at the same customer or even in the same price range. It's safe to say that Chevy has set its sights on theToyota TacomaTRD for capability and reliability. The previous generation Colorado ZR2 was a great off-road truck but not an excellent one. From our time in the desert, it appears the new version has crossed that line, and we wouldn't be surprised if it encroaches upon Toyota's sales.

In its own right, Chevrolet has delivered something special and with excellent discipline, leaving the dinosaur names and performance focus to the other guys in the name of creating a dominant everyman's off-roader.