Chevy Silverado ZR2 Bison: The Ultimate Off-Road Warrior

You will be well served by stopping by Newton Chevrolet GMC, your Chevy truck dealer, to see the latest from Chevy. After the success of the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, this great automaker has decided to take the advances of that midsize truck and bring them to the full-sized pickup world of the Silverado 1500. Just like its animal namesake, the Silverado ZR2 Bison will be the leader of the herd, a truck with the ruggedness to handle the toughest challenges handed down by Mother Nature.

Chevrolet has partnered with American Expedition Vehicles to bring you a pickup truck with all of the features you need for off-roading. This builds on the Silverado ZR2 model that hit the roads with the 2022 Silverado model year. The new 2023 Silverado will feature a ZR2 Bison that truly takes things to the limit, an off-road warrior that would even make Mad Max smile without breaking his face. At Newton Chevrolet GMC, we will be proud to show you all that the Silverado ZR2 Bison has to offer and why you should make it your truck of choice if you are truly serious about taking advantage of the off-road opportunities in our part of Tennessee.

A Teaser Video That Leaves You Wanting More

Chevy recently dropped a new teaser video of the 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison. The words “Get ready to roam” appear, followed by a massive and aggressive truck grille with a black Chevy bowtie logo in the middle. This is offset by a pair of horizontal LED headlights. As the truck moves closer, we pan down to a solid steel front bumper painted black. We then see the undercarriage of the Silverado ZR2 Bison, with strategically placed skid plates and flashes of AEV badges, advertising the fact that American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) played a large role in developing this new Silverado model. We then see the rear payload tailgate with another black Chevy bowtie logo before the taillights fade out. It is clear that Chevy is keeping a great deal about the Silverado ZR2 Bison under wraps for now. However, there are some things we do know, and others we can extrapolate based on the evidence at hand.

Building a Better Beast

When Chevy announced it was going to offer a ZR2 trim on the 2022 Silverado, it picked up the gauntlet thrown down by other truck manufacturers with their factory-built off-road specialists. The Silverado ZR2 features a powerful 6.2-liter V8 engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission that is capable of 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Since there are no new engines announced for the 2023 Silverado, we can surmise that the ZR2 Bison will feature the same powertrain. However, we can only guess as to hp and torque since there is a chance that Chevy may increase the output on the ZR2 Bison.

We can tell from the video that Chevy is being quite generous with the number and location of the ZR2 Bison’s large underbody skid plates, something already featured on the 2022 Silverado ZR2. We still need to find out whether these will be constructed of aluminum like the Silverado ZR2 or steel like on the Colorado ZR2 Bison. In addition, the transmission on the ZR2 Bison will also feature the same Electronic Transmission Range Selector already featured on the ZR2 model of the Silverado.

The 2022 Silverado ZR2 features a factory lift, one of the first full-size trucks built by Chevrolet with this benefit. It also has a set of steel front and rear bumpers to improve durability, which we can see featured in the 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison teaser video. The front bumper on the 2022 Silverado ZR2 has a special cut that gives it an improved 31.8-degree approach angle, something that comes in handy when traversing some of the toughest off-road obstacles. Finally, the 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison will also have locking front and rear differentials like those already featured on the Silverado ZR2.

There are a number of features on the Silverado ZR2 that may be carried over or improved on with the new ZR2 Bison. For example, the 2022 Silverado ZR2 was the first Chevy truck to feature Multimatic DSSV dampers in the suspension system. Chevy may go with these on the ZR2 Bison or opt for an even more advanced suspension. Similarly, the Silverado ZR2 has a two-speed transfer case with Terrain Mode. This may be carried over to the ZR2 Bison, or additional terrain types may be added to it. Finally, the 2022 Silverado ZR2 rides on a set of 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud Terrain tires. These are excellent for off-roading, giving you the grip and traction you need in some of the toughest conditions. We will have to see if Chevy opts for these tires on the ZR2 Bison or tires that are larger, from a different brand, or have certain other specialties.

A Baby Bison That Led the Way

The first Bison in the Chevy truck herd was the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison. This was born in time for the 2019 model year and took the Chevy Colorado’s already rugged and ready design to another level. Created in concert with AEV, just like the Silverado ZR2 Bison, the Colorado ZR2 Bison has a number of off-road features that may be carried over to the design of the new model.

There are an astounding five skid plates on the Colorado ZR2 Bison, each made of hard, durable hot-stamped boron steel. These are strategically positioned to protect the truck undercarriage, including its fuel tank, transfer case, front and rear locking differentials, and the engine oil pan. In addition, there are stamped steel front and rear bumpers, which look a great deal like the ones shown on the Silverado ZR2 Bison in the teaser video. Chevy has added an area on the front bumper of the Colorado ZR2 Bison that can be used for a winch. There are also recovery points in the rear bumper that will come in handy if you need to help pull your truck over an obstacle.

One truly amazing available feature on the Colorado ZR2 Bison is an AEV-designed snorkel. This allows this truck to better ford streams and other bodies of water. Hopefully, this additional equipment will be made available on the 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison. One thing that will definitely be included is the wider stance and factory suspension lift. The Colorado ZR2 Bison has a wider stance than the regular Colorado model, a full additional 3.5 inches. It also rides over 2 inches higher than the standard suspension. These are already featured on the 2022 Silverado ZR2, so the only thing that may happen is that Chevy could decide to give the ZR2 Bison an even higher lift.

Drivers who decide to buy a Colorado ZR2 Bison do have the option of choosing a 2.8-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel instead of the standard 3.6-liter V6. Hopefully, Chevrolet will allow you to choose to equip your Silverado ZR2 Bison with a 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-6 so you can get all of that 460 lb-ft of torque at low speeds, something that will surely come in handy on some of the most challenging off-road trails.

The 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison Is Ready to Buffalo the Off-Road Competition

Being well equipped is the key to any off-road adventure. You need to have the peace of mind that your truck can handle the rigors of the trail before you head out, and having a truck like a 2023 Chevy Silverado ZR2 Bison will give you this. Chevy has made sure to design the Silverado ZR2 Bison in conjunction with AEV so that you will have all the features you need in a truck that is purpose-built for off-roading. Stop by our dealership to see why the 2023 Chevy Silverado ZR2 Bison is the best choice for off-road warriors who want a full-size truck.