Last year, Chevrolet introduced the 2022 Silverado ZR2. It's a toughened-up truck with a host of off-road goodies, but Chevrolet is ready to take it a step further. The automaker dropped a teaser for the upcoming 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison, which will add even more rugged upgrades to the pickup.
The teaser doesn't reveal much, but Chevrolet is partnering again with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). The pair worked together on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison that launched for 2019. We expect the Silverado ZR2 Bison to receive many of the same upgrades as its Colorado sibling.
Gallery: Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison Spy Shots
The teaser shows off some of the goodies, but they're shrouded in shadows, making them hard to discern. We expect AEV to add a lot of underbody protection, just like it did on the Colorado, which relieved five Boron-steel underbody skid plates. The Colorado's other upgrades included a new front bumper with a winch, a new rear bumper with tow hooks, a 2.0-inch suspension lift, and unique wheels.
The Silverado ZR2 already arrives with a lot of off-road goodies, like a lifted suspension from the 40-millimeter Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers. Chevrolet also gave the truck revised bumpers that improved its approach angle to 31.8 degrees. The Silverado ZR2 gets its power from the 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 horsepower (313 kilowatts) and 460 pound-feet (624 Newton-meters) of torque, and we expect the same from the ZR2 Bison.
The teaser video appears to show off extra underbody protection, a beefed-up differential, and a revised front bumper. The video shows off a pair of fog lights that look different than those on the ZR2; however, it's unclear how different the new bumper will look.
Thankfully, we don't have to wait long. The 2023 Chevrolet ZR2 Bison debuts sometime this summer, and we expect it will go on sale before the end of the year. It'll give Chevrolet another rugged pickup in its portfolio that's better suited to fight the lights of the Ford F-150 Raptor, even if Chevrolet's example is a tad milder than Ford. Ram is in a different league with its 702-hp (523-kW) TRX.
