The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison makes a persuasive argument for buying the difficult off-road hardware already installed. Developed with American Expedition Vehicles, it combines substantial underbody protection with specialized suspension equipment, as detailed in Chevrolet’s launch announcement. But being equipped to cross a demanding trail and being prepared to live beyond pavement are different accomplishments.
That distinction makes the Bison more interesting than an uncomplicated claim of overlanding supremacy. Its appeal is not that Chevrolet has anticipated every expedition requirement. It is that the company and AEV have addressed several difficult vehicle-engineering problems before the owner begins packing. Whether that creates the right travel truck depends on what needs to come along—and how much of the journey actually demands this equipment.
A Factory Partnership, Not a Complete Expedition Build
The collaboration predates this truck. In its September 2018 introduction of the original Colorado Bison, AEV described a jointly developed production vehicle with steel bumpers and boron-steel protection. Rock crawling and overlanding were both part of the brief. The idea was to integrate specialist equipment into a factory offering, rather than leave every buyer to assemble a collection of unrelated parts.
Chevrolet announced the 2024 iteration on May 31, 2023. It is therefore an established model-year subject, not a fresh unveiling. Viewed as an overlanding platform, its promise is narrower—and more credible—than eliminating modifications altogether. A factory package can provide the foundation; it cannot decide whether its owner needs a tent, sleeping platform, refrigerator or simply space for a weekend’s camping bags.
Torque Is Only Part of the Trail Equation
Chevrolet’s 2024 specifications identify a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder producing 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic. A two-speed transfer case and power-locking front and rear differentials complete the basic traction hardware. These are manufacturer specifications, not measurements from a Vicrez Driver test.
For an expedition buyer, the useful takeaway is the combination, not merely the output. The Bison’s equipment list addresses propulsion and traction alongside protection. Judging it solely by horsepower would be as incomplete as judging a camping setup by tent size: the individual number says little about how well the entire arrangement suits the job. Nor does a substantial torque rating establish that a truck can cross every obstacle.
Two Different Jobs for the Dampers
The suspension deserves a more precise explanation than “heavy-duty shocks.” Multimatic’s technical overview identifies the Colorado ZR2’s DSSV units as position-sensitive spool-valve dampers. It separately describes its jounce-control dampers as an additional means of absorbing severe impacts and resisting bottoming. They are complementary components, not interchangeable names for the same device.
The design objectives are useful context. In Chevrolet’s December 19, 2023 technical feature, Multimatic engineers explain how multiple spool valves let them tune everyday ride control separately from the high damping forces needed for severe off-road impacts. That is the supplier’s explanation of the engineering approach, not proof that every compromise disappears. The Bison’s additional jounce-control hardware addresses particularly severe compression events.
That distinction matters when deciding what to pay for. An owner planning demanding terrain may value specialized impact management enormously. Someone whose travel consists mainly of maintained gravel roads should question how often that capability will be used. Sophisticated hardware is most valuable when its particular strengths match the route, rather than merely the desired appearance.
Protection Comes With Packaging Consequences
The 2024 Colorado product literature lists five boron-steel skid plates, heavy-duty AEV bumpers, nominal 35-inch mud-terrain tires and a bed-mounted spare carrier. Those are tangible differences, not simply badges. The same literature specifies 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels; “capable” should not be confused with a statement that functioning beadlocks are installed.
Still, protection is not invulnerability. In MotorTrend’s June 2024 test, Scott Evans reported that a demanding off-road outing left marks on protective components without body damage or mechanical failures. That is evidence from one reviewer’s experience, not a guarantee. Evans also found the Bison stiffer-riding than the standard ZR2 and criticized the spare tire’s obstruction of rearward visibility.
The spare illustrates the expedition tradeoff particularly well. A useful piece of trail equipment also occupies a location that a traveler might otherwise reserve for luggage or living arrangements. Before choosing a bed-based sleeping system, the sensible question is not how dramatic the truck looks fully outfitted, but whether the proposed layout actually works around its existing hardware.
Payload Is the Overlanding Reality Check
Chevrolet listed a maximum payload of 1,050 pounds and maximum trailering capacity of 5,500 pounds for the 2024 Bison. Its capacity notes direct owners to the vehicle’s door-jamb label and manual for the specific truck’s limits. A headline maximum is not permission to load every example identically.
Consider a hypothetical truck whose label allows the full 1,050 pounds. Two occupants totaling 350 pounds and 150 pounds of added accessories would leave 550 pounds for everything else. That arithmetic is not a measured Bison camping build; it shows why equipment choices deserve a weight budget before they become purchases. Water, luggage and camping equipment must fit within the remaining allowance.
The strongest case for the Bison is therefore a relatively restrained travel build that genuinely needs its trail hardware. It reduces the number of foundational changes an owner may want to make; it does not establish universal savings over an aftermarket build or remove the need to prepare for a particular trip.
America’s ultimate overlander is not a title that skid plates alone can settle. The Bison offers a focused starting point, but the final result depends on disciplined packing and realistic expectations. Its best expedition feature may be the opportunity to stop modifying the chassis and start deciding what is genuinely necessary to carry.
Cover: 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison with visible modifications, including auxiliary lighting and a roof rack, photographed in Gilbert, Arizona, on April 11, 2025. Photo: HJUdall / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Photographer: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:HJUdall ; license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ · Photo source · CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Original photograph; WordPress may create display-size derivatives.
Sources
- Chevrolet Introduces 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison
- Chevy and AEV Unveil the All New Colorado ZR2 Bison
- Multimatic: DSSV Damping Technology
- Multimatic DSSV Technology is in the Desert and on the Road
- Chevrolet Colorado 2024 Product Literature
- When It Comes to Testing the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, Protection Has Its Price
