Sometimes car manufacturers overlook something, which gives us a chance to glimpse behind the curtain. This time around, General Motors has let slip that the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison is definitely a thing. Never mind that MC&T founder and chief Manoli Katakis exclusively reported on it early last month. A screenshot on the ChevyZR2 forum shows GM’s dealer ordering system detailing some of what we can expect on the upcoming model.
The Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison will follow a very similar formula as the Colorado ZR2 Bison, and is being co-developed with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). The Colorado ZR2 Bison features unique front and rear bumpers to improve approach and departure angles and multiple underbody skid plates. The screenshot on the forum highlights that these features will be found on the Silverado ZR2 Bison.
Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison: Rock-Crawling/Overlanding Half-Ton Truck
Ford and Ram are fixated on the Baja off-road truck route with the respective F-150 Raptor and Ram TRX. Meanwhile, Chevrolet is keen on crafting the best rock-crawling family of trucks it can. While the rock-crawling/Overlanding type of vehicle buyer tends to prefer either the smaller midsize truck or, the more imposing HD truck. The half-ton market tends to skew more high-octane and Baja-inspired when it comes to the off-road performance scene. It would put the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison in a white space all on its own. If priced right, the Big Bison could do great.
While the Silverado ZR2 Bison stands to be a powerhouse of an off-road truck, it may soon be challenged by a production version of the Ram Rebel OTG, based on recent patent illustrations. And it could have a factory snorkel and winch to go with it. In that case, American Expedition Vehicles could eventually roll out its own AEV Bison package on the truck a year or so after the rollout of the factory version, which would include some significant upgrades like 35-inch tires, a snorkel, a bumper with an integrated winch, HighMark fenders, upgraded axle ratio, and an off-road lighting kit, which would likely have the final say on the matter.
Image copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks.
