Lately
here at the Powerhouse, many of us have been jostling each other at the power
and prowess of one of our greatest competitors in the truck realm, the Ford Raptor.
We merely scoff at the premise of losing the battle in the long run, as many
additives have been tacked on to our Colorado ZR2 Bison for 2019, the current
champion of everything off-road related. Based on the AEV concept presented
during last year's SEMA show, the new ZR2 Bison features very wicked custom
gear from the tried-and-true professionals at American Expedition Vehicles. One
of the differences is a winch mounting plate underneath with “Chevrolet”
spelled out across its width, in addition to a custom AEV steel bumper with fog
lights.
Larger
fender flares are now also positioned over very cool customer 17-inch black
wheels, 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires, an AEV steel rear bumper with
integrated tow books, and Bison decals on the bed. When you are setting out to
master the art of rock climbing, skid plate protection is one of the most
important elements of the game there is. Aluminum skid plates are now traded
for a total of five new steel units ideal for the covering of the transfer case,
both differentials, engine oil pan, and the fuel tank. We love the cool new
logos of a charging bison, and the prominent AEV name now making its appearance
on the headrests and tailgate.
The
Bison has predominantly shared many of the same traits with the standard ZR2's
equipment, sporting the usual Multimatic remote-control reservoir dampers,
cast-iron control arms, front and rear electronic locking diffs, a two-winch
lift, and a 3.5-inch wider front and rear track then is found on the
lower-model Colorado Z71. The engine selections don't favor anything on the
weak side: you have your pick of the turbo-diesel 2.8-liter inline-four with a
six-speed automatic transmission, or the 3.6-liter gasoline V-6 with the
8-speed automatic, in crew cab or extended cab body types. This is the truck
that the folks at Jalopnik raved about as “a plated pickup to
power through anything”, and were also in high praise of the protective
plating's amazing strength.
These
hard-working and very talented folks from AEV are the ones who take credit for
turning the Jeep Wrangler into the fully-fledged and fiercely off-road ready
AEV Brute, and are currently taking the time to modify the Dodge Ram pickup
line to boot. Since the skid plates are part of the main ingredient, it's hard
not to notice that they have been constructed of very durable and able
hot-stamped Boron steel. It is on deck to make an enormous difference for
anyone who plans to take a truck off-road: differentials, as well as oil pans,
can be some of the very first items to crack hard under pressure, and this new
additive to protect the underbelly is part of a sensible plan to detract from
severe damage during off-road endeavors. Activities such as crawling rocks and
racing through raging rivers always score high points here in West Lynn, and
you're going to be more than excited to embark on your own adventure with the
trusty and wilderness-ready 2019 ZR2 Bison!
