Chevy has rolled out the latest midsize pickup that is ready to hit the trails: the Colorado ZR2.
Power will be available from both the 3.6-liter V6 gas engine with 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft along with the Duramax diesel that makes 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Towing capacity for the ZR2 is stuck at 5000 pounds, while payload is rated at 1,100 pounds.
The suspension gets a two-inch lift while the ZR2 also uses the first off-road application of the Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) damper technology, the same units used on the 2014 Camaro Z/28. Chevy says these shocks will help the ZR2 be a well rounded off-roader, capable of tight rock crawling and desert running.
SEE ALSO: 2017 Chevy Colorado Gets Eight-Speed Automatic, Tiny Power Bump
The truck also has a three-and-a-half-inch wider track, functional rockers and revised bumpers for better approach and departure angles. Not surprisingly, beefy aluminum skid plates are found underneath the truck to protect the radiator, engine oil pan and transfer case.
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Underneath the truck are 17-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in 31-inch Goodyear Duratrac tires, while a full-size spare tire holder will be available in the bed as an option.
Chevy also claims that the truck has the most “sophisticated four-wheel drive system” in its class, thanks mostly to electronic locking differentials in the front and back. This allows the ZR2 to have nine different drive configurations, from two-wheel drive, to four-wheel drive hi, four-wheel drive lo and more.
A new off-road mode has also been devised which optimizes the ABS, traction control and stability control to offer more control to the driver.
