Bison
are definitely at home on the open prairie, running through tall grass and over
hills. Clint Eastwood himself was one of the American icons that showed through
his pictures just how beautiful the High Plains are, and the solitude as well
as the struggle for survival than can encompass existing there. Chevy has
partnered with AEV to create the Colorado
mid-sized pickup truck that has the ability to wander in the same locations
that a bison would, and those on staff at New Atlas were excited
to test the ZR2 packaged AEV Bison in the crew cab with the diesel engine.
The
parts are put on by Chevy, but the experts at AEV add the expertly-placed
off-road gear, and it's now a fierce enough contender to compete against the
likes of vehicles such as the Gladiator. A standard ZR2 is already well-stacked
with off-road gear, but where AEV really shows their full-on expertise is with
the duty of shielding. The Colorado receives boron skid plates that protect
everything vital underneath the truck, including the transfer case,
transmission, both differentials, and fuel tank. There is a more aggressive
grille, new interior stitching and badges, wheel flares, and boron steel AEV bumpers.
This
is the only Chevy truck that has both front and rear locking differentials, and
you are already riding on larger 31-inch tires and a beefier suspension ideal
for 4 x 4 setup. AEV claims that the use of boron steel is what enables the
skid plates and bumpers to take a hefty amount of abuse and still bounce back
relatively unscathed. They have a high amount of resistance for gouging, and
also possess a high yield strength that allows them to return to shape after
bending on top of low mass. The AEV boron plates actually aren't that much
heavier than the aluminum-alloy plates they replace on the standard ZR2.
After
you account for everything, you're adding about 200 pounds more weight to the
vehicle, and the Bison's suspension spring rates are tuned to properly
compensate for the extra weight. The New Atlas testing team chose
a virtually impossible hill in the wilds of Wyoming that requires a lot of raw
power, clearance, and ability to absorb shocks to conquer. The team realized
that they had picked a hill that had a severe lack of breakover clearance, and
although the Bison was able to get down with no problem, getting up was a
different story.
As
was the case with the Gladiator Rubicon, this location was simply so
challenging in regards to wheelbase that “If you're stuck, you're stuck”. Many
who have ran the Bison hard in areas such as Moab and the Sierras have
professed just how capable and trail-dominating it is. It was still decided
upon that this is a truck that lives up to its reputation and looks to the
fullest when put to the test, and we hope you come to see the Bison along with
the rest of our extensive truck lineup right here at West Chevy of Knoxville this back to
school season!
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