Colorado ZR2 Bison Earns ‘Overland Truck of the Year’ Honors

GM’s most capable off-roader ever, its Colorado ZR2 Bison, earns glowing reviews and an impressive new award.

Introduced just last year, Chevy’s Colorado ZR2 Bison is quite the revelation. Easily GM’s most capable off-road machine ever, the Bison takes what is already an excellent expedition-ready truck and takes it to the next level. But that’s what happens when you team up with renowned off-road accessory and turnkey truck builder American Expedition Vehicles (AEV).

The result of that partnership is one seriously impressive vehicle. One that’s good enough to now claim the honors of a brand new award called “Overland Truck of the Year,” bestowed upon it by the Overland Journal. As the rag points out, the competition in this hardcore, factory-built, off-roader segment is currently at an all-time high. Everyone from Toyota to Nissan, Ford, Chevrolet, and Jeep are throwing their proverbial hats in the ring.

And that just makes this award even more notable. Overland Journal tested each one of those offerings, racking up thousands of miles and roughly 100 hours of wheel time. They tested not just mid-size trucks, but also full-size rigs, SUVs, and even motorcycles. They considered a wide range of categories during the scoring process as well. That includes payload, durability, reliability, range/economy, and capability. They also looked at J.D. Power’s Dependability Rankings as an indicator of long-term reliability.

Much of this testing took place not just on paved roads, but also Overland Journal‘s off-road test course. That track features pretty much every kind of surface you can think of, from rocks to high-speed bumpy stretches. And once the proverbial dust settled, they declared the Colorado ZR2 Bison their overall winner. Among the Bison’s many positive attributes, they singled out its available diesel, ideal balance, and class-leading off-road performance as the truck’s biggest strengths.

Overland Journal was so impressed with the Bison, in fact, that they invited former Toyota off-road test driver and multi-time Baja winner Joe Bacal to check it out. His assessment? The Colorado ZR2 Bison proved “effortless on the trail and confidence-inspiring at high speeds in the dirt.” Throw in a slew of standard equipment and Multimatic dampers, and you’ve got a winner. One that Overland Journal summarizes as “one of the most exceptional overland trucks ever sold in North America.” And if that isn’t a glowing endorsement, we don’t know what is.

Photos: Chevrolet

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.