2019 Colorado Bison vs. Ranger Raptor: Which Truck Will Be Better?
New Chevy truck finally could take on the Raptor, albeit in a smaller size.
While the Ford Ranger Raptor hasn’t been officially announced for the U.S. market, and the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison isn’t even in production yet, this doesn’t mean we can’t daydream about how a head-to-head comparison would turn out. Will the Bison send the Ranger Raptor out to pasture? We think so. Here’s why…
The recent announcement of a new Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison coming in January sent shockwaves throughout the mid-size market. Building on the stock ZR2’s off-road prowess, the Bison has supplanted it as the new, must-have, off-road mid-size pickup. Now, equipped with a host of American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) upgrades and a snorkel-looking air intake, the Bison lives up to its name — and it certainly got our attention.
Across the Pacific Ocean, the Ranger Raptor has been snagging its share of attention and headlines with being the right-size Raptor for tight trails and daily use. It addresses the two obvious downsides of the full-size Raptor and seems to be getting high marks from journalists over there. However, those are high marks against a competitive field lacking the Bison.
The fact is, the Bison presents the Ranger Raptor with quite a challenge if Ford decides to bring it over to the U.S. There are several reasons why. First, the Bison will stand toe-to-toe with the Raptor in terms of off-road prowess and equipment for hitting the trails.
Second, it offers similar approach and departure angles and has about the same ground clearance. This means, unlike the competitive advantage Ford has with the Raptor compared to other full-size pickups, the Bison will hold its own in a comparison test and, more importantly, after a long day on the trail.
The Ranger Raptor will look pretty dull next to a Bison. With its badass lettering on the front grille and AEV bodywork, the Bison takes the ZR2 to a whole new level.
Third, Chevy has a proven mid-size diesel already on the market with the baby Duramax. Ford recently built a smaller version of the Power Stroke diesel for their half-ton, yet it hasn’t really been proven. The Colorado diesel has been out for a while and already is building a following.
Also, the Colorado ZR2 Bison’s clean-air intake will make sure Chevy’s engine doesn’t suck in as much dirty air as the Ranger Raptor does and is an obvious, long-term reliability improvement.
2019 Colorado Bison vs. Ranger Raptor: Which Truck Will Be Better? continued…