When Chevrolet brought us the off-road ready version of the Chevrolet Colorado, called the Colorado ZR2, the thought, and feeling that begin initially was awe and amazement because this truck is ready to get out on the road and offer the fun and active driving experience that we’ve wanted in the midsize truck market. For several years, this area of the market was mostly forgotten because of what appeared to be stagnant and uninterested brands that were churning out these trucks without much competition. Chevrolet and GMC changed that by bringing back the Colorado and Canyon models.
Since the return of the GM pair of midsize performers, we’ve seen upgraded models offered every year to handle some of the added conditions and terms we run into on the road and trails we drive. This year, the Chevrolet Colorado was chosen as the truck that was built to pack in the qualities and show off the centennial celebration of building trucks for the brand. Now that we have the SEMA show upon us, we see a new ZR2 that appears to be packed with even more stuff for the fun on the trails that you can enjoy if this version comes to the market.
the AEV Colorado ZR2
The team at American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) teamed up with Chevy to make an overland model off of Colorado. This truck uses the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine, has front and rear jounce shocks, plunging front half-shafts, a high-angle upper ball joint, and stiff high-angle tie rods. This truck still has DSSV shocks from Multimatic. However, they have been upgraded to be shocks that have long travel and have been tuned just for this truck. These upgrades and parts make this a truck you’re sure to love and want to drive.
AEV added some items to make sure this version of the Colorado ZR2 would be able to drive over anything. They did this by adding new bumpers, full skid plates, an expedition bed rack, high clearance fender flares, a high rise snorkel kit, DualSport beadlock wheels, 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain tires, front and rear high-output LED lights, an ARB refrigerator, NATO style fuel cans, and an awning for the bed. These additions make it easy for this truck to be a lot of fun on the trails and if you get stuck, this truck has recovery shackles, a hi-lift jack, and a Warn 9.5xp-s winch to get you out of trouble.
Next time you’re thinking of going for a new Chevrolet Silverado 1500, you might want to consider if this ‘roided out Colorado might be your better bet or at least more fun to drive. This is the truck that’s on steroids for the drive on the trails, but the Chevy team also brought a concept ZR2 that is built for racing. This racing version will wear the long-travel shocks, offer a 1.5-inch body lift, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires, rear shock skidplates, rear differential skid plates, a steel driveshaft, wheel spacers with extended length wheel studs, and an off-road air intake and performance exhaust. This racing version of the truck uses the 3.6-liter V6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission similar to what’s found in the standard Colorado for you to admire what it can offer on the trail riding tracks.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.