2024 Chevy Colorado ZR2: The Mean & Extreme Machine of the Sands

As we begin the fall season and have our eyes constantly on the coming and feature-rich models of the future, the GM Authority blog has always been excellent at promptly delivering the digital scoop for us here at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis. They were eager to serve up the news that the Chevy Colorado had dropped the Desert Boss Special Edition Package after the 2023 model year, but this savvy editing team assured everyone paying close attention that its replacement was the stuff that boulder-crushing dreams were made of. 

The 2024 ZR2 Bison is moving in at full speed to fully represent the pinnacle of what an off-roading Colorado can offer and comes fully equipped with an assortment of all-terrain tools that are 100% on-point at slaying tough terrain. There are Boron steel skid plates and rocker protectors, segment exclusive Multimatic front and rear Jounce Control Dampers, and DSSV Dampers to skillfully navigate the challenging ruts and ravines that a true adventure offers up. Other vital off-road specs include 12.2 inches of ground clearance, as well as a 38.2-degree approach angle, 26-degree departure angle, and a 26.9-degree breakover angle. 

Under the hood, the Bison features the turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-4 L3B gas engine, which is skillfully tuned to Turbo High-Output mode and cranks out 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. The package is mated with a second-generation GM 8-speed automatic transmission, along with let's see speed transfer case and power locking front and rear differentials. The Chevy Colorado now is situated on an updated variant of the GMT 31XX platform, and production for the 2024 model will soon begin courtesy of the hard-working men and women at the GM Wentzville plant in Missouri this month.

The Car and Driver review team recently claimed that “the pickup truck is as American as apple pie, and there are few sweeter than the mid-size Chevy Colorado.” With up to 7700 pounds of maximum towing capacity, the Colorado can haul campers, boats, and snow machines easily, and this review crew was also quite enamored with the Bison’s beefy 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud Terrain tires with aftermarket support from the experts at American Expedition Vehicles. To accommodate the largest tires available in the segment, Chevy muscled in a bit of extra space in the wheel arches, leaving the ZR2 Bison with a wider rack.

The ’24 Colorado ZR2 Bison still is the eager recipient of exclusive AEV add-ons such as wider fender flares, a full-width steel front bumper with a winch accommodation, and a trusty rear bumper with steel corner plates. The extra protection from the skid plates covers the fuel tank and rear differential, which will provide abundant peace of mind while conquering rocky terrain. The Multimatic spool-valve dampers have also been retuned to provide the A-list-grade support for the truck’s added mass. 

The hydraulic front and rear bump stops were also praised heavily by the Car and Driver troupe for dutifully and skillfully softening hard landings when the driver feels inclined to join the airborne club. There’s a very handy full-size, 35-inch tire spare mounted in the cargo bed, leaving you fully prepared if the unthinkable happens while you are cruising deep in the wild. The Bison has a fully digital gauge cluster along with an 11.3-inch touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Even as the Bison shows up to the table with some of the most extreme off-road-capable gear in the game, it still fares well at delivering everyday “truck stuff” as it should.