Chevrolet Reveals Two Radical Versions Of Colorado At SEMA 2017

Chevrolet has partnered with popular American  off-road outfitter ‘American Expedition Vehicles’ (AEV) and built two concepts based on the Colorado pickup truck for the ongoing 2017 SEMA Auto Show in the US.

Called the Colorado ZR2 AEV and the Colorado ZR2 Race Development Truck, the former was built for some serious off-roading while the latter as its name suggests, is made for high-speed desert racing.

The different characteristics explain why the Colorado ZR2 AEV is powered by a 2.8-litre Duramax turbo diesel engine while the ZR2 Race Development truck gets a 3.5-litre V6 engine.

While common components on both models include:

• Specially tuned Multimatic DSSV Suspensions
• Long-travel rear leaf springs
• Electric locking differentials
• Anti-wrap link
• Rear differential cover
• Front and rear jounce shocks
• High-angle upper ball joint
• High-angle tie rods

Exclusive to the ZR2 AEV are features like:

• AEV front and rear off-road bumpers
• Underbody skid protection
• Expedition bed rack
• High clearance fender flares and high-rise snorkel
• AEV DualSport beadlock wheels
• 35-inch BF Goodrich KM2 Mud-Terrain tires
• Front and rear high output LED auxiliary lighting
• ARB refrigerator/freezer,
• Equipt aluminum storage cases
• NATO-style fuel cans
• James Baroud USA awning in the bed
• Recovery shackles

Validated by Chevy Performance Engineering and legendary off-road racer Chad Hall, the ZR2 Race Development Truck on the other hand, gets:

• 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires
• Rear shock skidplates
• Rear differential skidplate
• Steel driveshaft
• Wheel spacers with extended-length wheel studs
• Off-road air intake and performance exhaust

The Colorado also boasts the segment’s first applications of 4G LTE Wi-Fi and Apple CarPlay, along with safety features such as Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning.

“The ZR2 AEV concept and ZR2 Race Development Truck do not only prove that the Colorado can play any way you want, but also showcase the efforts we’ve made to explore how owners can get even more from their trucks,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president for Truck Strategy, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.

“The work with AEV acknowledges the strengths of our midsize platform, with both SEMA entries showcasing the versatility that’s already made Colorado a resounding success.”

The Colorado ZR2 AEV concept and ZR2 Race Development Truck join approximately 20 additional Chevrolet models at the SEMA Show which will take place until 3 November 2017.