When Chevy built the Colorado for the current generation, we pretty much knew they'd have a winner on their hands. When we test drove it, we found it well-built, handsome from every angle, and very easy to use and drive. Ever since its release, the Colorado has been a hot-seller. 134,842 Colorados were sold just last year. Well, turns out the most specialized version, the Colorado ZR2 Bison, is now sold out for 2019 (and it's only February). That's big news for the brand and for the model. It just sucks for those who were putting off buying one.
The ZR2 Bison does more than the regular Colorado ZR2, and that's saying a lot.
It turns out that even though not all of them may actually have been sold, all 2,000 units for the 2019 model year have been spoken for. Now, 2,000 units isn't exactly a huge number, but considering the fact that the ZR2 Bison is specifically focused on off-roading, that's pretty significant this early in the year.
With off-road components galore, this pickup can take more than you can dish out.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison isn't just a tough sounding name. It actually takes a "regular" ZR2, which is already quite the backwoods beast, and makes it even more willing and able to take on the rough stuff that few pickup owners actually put their trucks through. Chevy partnered with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) to add new punishment-ready Boron steel skid plates that are harder than regular steel. AEV also provided stamped steel bumpers, and an optional water fording snorkel so the Bison can go deeper in the drink.
This Bison looks way too clean. Time to get filthy. The snorkel will help.
But it's not all AEV components that make the Bison tougher. Chevrolet provided a flow-through grille, 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires, and black 17" alloy wheels. ZR2 components are there, too, including Multimatic DSSV dampers, as well as electronic-locking differentials to get out of bad situations effectively.
Chevy made the Bison seriously good. AEV made it great.
Were it not for the great base vehicle (the Colorado ZR2, that is), there would be no over-the-top Bison. Thanks to what amounts to a great off-road recipe, these suckers flew off the showroom floors. The price for a Colorado ZR2 Bison is $48,045 for an extended cab and $49,645 for the bigger crew cab version. That's a $5,750 increase over the standard Colorado ZR2. Nevertheless, customers were willing to pay for it thanks to the attractive capability set.
Now, the Colorado has some new challengers entering the fray this year. Jeep will bring the much-anticipated Gladiator pickup, and Ford is bringing the famous Ranger back. We'll see what that does to Colorado sales (as well as the Toyota Tacoma). Regardless of what transpires, the pickup truck segment will continue to go gangbusters in terms of sales.
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