Chevrolet and American Expedition Vehicles joined forces to create the Colorado ZR2 AEV concept for SEMA last year and it appears the truck could soon be going into production.
Off-Road.com reports the production model will be called the Colorado ZR2 Bison and it was recently shown to dealers at the Find New Roads Experience in Las Vegas. According to one dealer who spoke with the publication, the truck will be “nearly identical to the concept vehicle with some minor differences.”
Chevrolet declined to confirm the report but the concept was equipped with off-road bumpers, extended fender flares and AEV beadlock wheels with 35-inch BF Goodrich KM2 Mud-Terrain tires. The truck also sported LED auxiliary lights, underbody skid plates, a bed rack and a snorkel. Rounding out the highlights were an ARB refrigerator, a Warn winch and a built-in air compressor.
While the Colorado ZR2 isn’t a slouch off-road, the company installed a revised suspension which included specially tuned Multimatic DSSV shocks and long-travel rear leaf springs. The suspension also had high-angle tie rods, plunging front half-shafts and a high-angle upper ball joint.
Unsurprisingly, all of these components won’t carry over to the production model as the report suggests the Colorado ZR2 Bison will eschew the snorkel, bed rack and air compressor. It’s probably safe to assume the Warn winch and refrigerator are also a no-go.
While the concept was powered by a 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine, the production model should also be available with a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 308 hp (230 kW) and 275 lb-ft (373 Nm) of torque. It has significantly more horsepower than the diesel which develops 186 hp (135 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison is expected to arrive in showrooms shortly but it will likely be expensive as the standard truck starts at $40,995.