Where’s the Beef? Chevy Introduces Silverado ZR2 Bison

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy


General Motors has no shortage of off-road trims in its truck lineup, ranging from Z71 to ZR2 on the Chevy side and all the way up to AT4X over at GMC. Now, the bowtie brigade is borrowing the Bison suffix from its Colorado midsizer and applying it to big-bro Silverado.


Oh – and this tidbit before the jump: Its silky inline-six diesel is set to make more power in 2023.




That development was clear to anyone paying attention when Chevrolet changed the RPO code on its 3.0L Duramax diesel for the upcoming model year. Thanks to a raft of new components – new pistons, retuned turbo compressor, and new injectors to name a few – power output climbs to 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque, up from 277hp/460tq in the old engine. It’ll pop up in dealers by the end of this year. If you’re reading this post in 2030, look for the LZ0 code instead of the old LM2 to make sure that the used Chevy pickup has the engine you expect.


Back on the off-road trails, this new Silverado 1500 ZR2 Bison builds on the brand’s collab with American Expedition Vehicles, a company that builds accessories for owners who like to keep on truckin’ when the pavement ends. This time around, AEV is once again lending its expertise in the areas of skid plating, rocker panel protection, and custom bumpers. The latter are stamped by AEV and feature heavy-duty recovery points with integrated step pads out back. The front bumper is a three-piece unit compatible with an available winch accessory which should be standard but isn’t, while a quintet of skid plates protects expensive bits like the transfer case and fuel tank. If you’re wondering, those are 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler muds on 18-inch wheels of an AEV design.


Under the hood is a hand-of-god 6.2L V8 engine, one which still makes 420 horses and 460 lb-ft just like it has since the dawn of time. A 10-speed automatic is its latest dance partner. Underneath are some of the same goodies which make the ZR2 and AT4X capable, such as the Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers and front/rear e-lockers. The suspension is said to have a “specific” off-road calibration, but details are scant beyond that marketing fluff. A smattering of design tweaks advertises your Bison Lifestyle, including some matte black trim and a hollowed-out ‘flow-tie’ logo on the grille.


The Silverado ZR2 Bison is scheduled to start production in early 2023 bearing an MRSP of $78,490 including freight.

[Images: Chevrolet]

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Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

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 5 comments
  • Redapple2 Redapple2 on Aug 17, 2022

    Guys. 80 K? Who buys these? I mean professionals- Doctors Lawyers, Engineers, Coder beta boy whatever, have the money but dont buy the cave man, bro dozer. The red necks that want them make peanuts. So>? Redneck contractors buy them? Those that can write it off thru the business (and burn company gas)

    • See 1 previous
    • Ou865688420 Ou865688420 on Aug 17, 2022

      @ MaintenanceCosts - this is the full sized ZR2 Bison not the Colorado. Chevy should have avoided using the ZR2 name with the full-sized truck. The full-sized truck would suffer a considerable amount of damage trying to go where a Colorado ZR2 can go.

  • Kosmo Kosmo on Aug 17, 2022

    The power figures for the 3.0 diesel are impressive, especially compared to the 3.0 diesel in our 2007 Sprinter.


    (Ralph Nader enters room) How do those STEEL bumpers affect crash safety?

    • Ou865688420 Ou865688420 on Aug 17, 2022

      I don't know how heavy the 3.0 is but it would have been an interesting addition to the ZR2 Colorado.


  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
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