The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is a major midsize pickup with legit off-street chops. The truck’s spool valve shocks are severe performers, the underside is up-armored to cope with the rough things, and it rocks an all-business glimpse that occurs to also increase functionality. The ZR2 therapy is a pretty productive method on the Colorado, and the available turbodiesel engine is a great contact. Now, it looks, Chevy is looking for to replicate the system with the complete-size 2022 Silverado ZR2, creating a truck to sit higher than the Path Manager in the lineup.
But is the bigger ZR2 heading to be a a lot less pace-addled F-150 Tremor and Ram 1500 Rebel fighter, or will it have more than enough general performance to do battle with the powerful F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX? Until finally Chevy releases engine specs, it’s tough to peg exactly which bogie the Silverado ZR2 is aiming at. But it’s going to very likely have some options and a search that sets it apart, in some respects, from all of them.
For a person, assume the Colorado’s Multimatic-sourced Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve shock absorbers to have a starring position. These let for incredibly exact damping manage, enhanced cooling, and additional vacation. In the Colorado ZR2, you can find an additional spool valve that only arrives into engage in for the duration of extremely large suspension actions. As a bundle, the dampers perform much better about a broader selection of conditions—on- and off-road—than a standard shock.
The Colorado ZR2 also distinguishes itself with an increased carry, improved armor, rock sliders, and re-sculpted bumpers to increase technique and departure angles. You will find also a reinforced, entirely-boxed body, and its conventional entrance and rear locking differentials. The Silverado ZR2 will pretty much definitely get a a bit increased elevate when compared to the Trail Manager, beefier skid plates, and the exact kind of bumper treatment as its very little sibling. The supplemental frame reinforcements could or might not be needed, and we hope the front locker helps make the soar as properly. Based on the teaser movie, it also would seem the Silverado ZR2 will adhere with a rear leaf spring arrangement, like the Colorado ZR2, instead than adopt the coil-spring arrangement of the F-150 Raptor and Ram TRX.
What will be beneath the hood? That’s a very good question. We’d hope that Chevy would go complete-send with the Silverado ZR2 and make it a correct Raptor/TRX-fighter with a supercharged edition of the L87 6.2-liter V-8, but we have a sinking emotion it will not likely materialize. The frequent L87 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft is a really stout motor, and a Silverado ZR2 so outfitted would be additional than a match for a 5.7-liter Ram Rebel and only marginally off the speed of the F-150 Tremor’s twin-turbo V-6 (potentially producing up for the torque deficit with the appeal only a significant V-8 can provide).
Don’t forget, the Colorado ZR2 also presents a Duramax turbodiesel solution, and if Chevy wishes to it could supply the Silverado ZR2 with that engine’s larger sized sibling: the sleek, torquey Duramax I-6 turbodiesel. It gives a mere 277 hp but a stinking 460 lb-ft of torque, and provides great gasoline economic system (and, therefore, variety). It truly is a reliable likelihood.
All this squares with what our pals at Four Wheeler observed on Chevy’s ZRX race truck, which options DSSV shocks with bodies that have been as vast as a can of soda, added armor, and a 6.2. The ZRX failed to function the rock sliders we are hoping Chevy will in good shape to the creation ZR2 (or offer you as an option), and also didn’t element significantly altered bumpers—although fitting ZR2-model bumpers may possibly have tipped Chevy’s hand about an imminent generation version. Possibly way, with the ZRX race truck and now this formal ZR2 teaser, some thing wicked this way wheels—and we will know a lot more about it this fall.
