Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison asks $48,045 for off-road bliss
That's about $6,000 less than a new Ford F-150 Raptor.
Chevrolet teamed up with the off-road specialists at American Expedition Vehicles to create the ZR2 Bison, the most extreme variant of Chevy's midsize pickup to date. And now, we have an idea of how much one will cost.
Chevy and AEV announced that the ZR2 Bison will start at $48,045, which includes $995 for destination. That price will net you the extended-cab variant -- if you want two full rows of seats (otherwise known as a crew cab), the price will rise to $49,645. This represents a premium between $5,000 and $6,000 over the standard ZR2, which is already an expensive proposition.
Make no mistake, this price premium goes toward some proper upgrades. The ZR2 Bison sports five separate steel skid plates to protect the oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case and both locking differentials. The front and rear bumpers have also been swapped out in favor of steel-based replacements, and the front makes space for a winch. The suspension offers 2 inches of additional lift, and thanks in part to 31-inch off-road tires, the front and rear tracks are 3.5 inches wider than on the regular ZR2. There's also an optional snorkel, just in case folks want to ford a river or two.
While $48,000 sounds like a heck of a lot of money for an off-road pickup, it's in line with the competition. It's still $6,000 or so cheaper than a 2019 F-150 Raptor, which is a fair bit larger and more powerful, making it an ideal choice for buyers who want to get dirty, but don't need to do it in a vehicle as large as the Raptor.
The ZR2 Bison doesn't go on sale until January, but it'll be a big task for Chevrolet to keep the attention on its beefy midsize pickup for that long. Fiat Chrysler will throw a wrench into those plans later this month, when it debuts the long-awaited Jeep Wrangler pickup.