Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 gets tough

With Toyota giving grown ups a chance to relive their childhood with the tough new Hilux Tonka and the Ford Ranger getting the conquer anything ‘Baby Raptor’ treatment, General Motors is answering the challenge call with a pumped up Colorado ute.

The Chevrolet Colorado, or Holden Colorado in Australia, has been given a high-performance, off road makeover in the form of the ZR2 trim level. The new flagship variant is only available in North America at this stage and comes equipped with a host of off road goodies including front and rear locking electronic differentials, Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve dampers, widened front and rear tracks, raised suspension and 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tyres.

Befitting its king of the jungle status are modified front and rear bumpers, aggressive grille and bonnet combo, off road rocker protection and bespoke ZR2 vinyls.

While the standard Colorado gets its power exclusively from a 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine, the Colorado ZR2 can also be had with a 3.6-litre V6 producing 230kW and 373Nm of torque. Four-wheel drive is standard, along with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

There’s no news if the Colorado ZR2 will make it Down Under but if you want one make it known in the comments section below.

Colorado ZR2 specification:

• Front and rear locking electronic differentials
• Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV^TM) dampers
• Off-road rocker protection
• Modified front and rear bumpers for better off-road obstacle clearance
• ZR2 17 x 8-inch aluminum alloy wheels
• 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac off-road tires
• New cast-iron control arms
• An aluminum skidplate that protects the radiator and engine oil pan
• Autotrac transfer case
• Transfer case shield
• Aggressive grille and hood combo unique to ZR2
• Modified rear axle with a 3.42 ratio
• Front and rear tracks widened 3.5 inches over a standard Colorado
• Suspension lifted 2 inches over a standard Colorado
• Off-Road Mode Technology

Other standard features include:

• Tow/haul mode
• Trailering Package, including trailer hitch and 7-pin connector
• Integrated trailer brake controller
• Spray-on bedliner
• Heated driver and passenger front seats
• Wireless phone charging
• Rear sliding window
• EZ Lift and Lower tailgate
• Locking tailgate
• Recovery hooks
• A six-speaker audio system with Chevrolet MyLink Radio with Navigation and an 8-inch diagonal color touchscreen, AM/FM stereo with seek-and-scan and a digital clock, Bluetooth streaming audio for music and select phones, voice-activated technology for radio and phone featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability as well as an auxiliary jack
• All-terrain spare tire with unique ZR2 wheel
• Four USB ports: one on the instrument panel, one in the center console and two in the rear of the center console
• Electronic automatic cruise control
• Rear window electric defogger
• OnStar 4G LTE with built-in Wi-Fi
• Rear Vision Camera
• Remote keyless entry
• Remote vehicle starter system
• 4-way power front driver and passenger seat adjuster with power driver lumbar control
• Rear seats with underseat storage