Off-road enthusiasts who were underwhelmed by Chevrolet’s initial offering of the off-road-inclined Colorado ZR2 are going to have their minds blown come January. Chevrolet just announced the 2019 ZR2 Bison which is a collaboration with high-end off-road after-marketer American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). The Bison is slated to be even more extreme, with promises of unprecedented off-road capability on long overland trips.

A ZR2 concept was first introduced in 2017 at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, complete with water storage, a bed rack for mounting gear, and an onboard air compressor. This Bison doesn’t go that far with its features, but it’s still a fantastic truck for off-grid adventures. Beefed up skid plates, made of hot-stamped boron steel, protect the oil pan, fuel tank, transfer case, and front and rear differentials. The hot-stamped boron steel is a significant improvement over the not-so-robust skid plates on the original ZR2, and all necessary parts are expected to have extreme protection this time around. The bumpers are recipients of the stamped steel upgrade as well, helping to protect against unavoidable obstacles. Also standard are the fog lights and rear recovery points, with plenty of available room for a winch.

Chevrolet also took a few styling cues from the latest design choices of other brands like Ford and Ram trucks, adding a rather large Chevrolet lettering badge across the grille. Bison signs and AEV logos are scattered throughout this beast as well. A snorkel accessory is available through AEV and fits on all Colorado trims including the Bison. The snorkel is intended to filter out dirt so the standard 3.6-liter V6 engine or the optional 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine can combust fresh air while churning around in the dustiest of places.

All of this power may seem excessive to a run-of-the-mill truck buyer, but there really is a small class of buyers who truly need these capabilities and then some. Adventurous drivers who go off the grid for extended periods of time need a truck that’s going to be able to handle all sorts of challenges, whether they’re crawling over rocks, driving across rocky river beds, through heavily-wooded forests or across an arid desert. Chevrolet is exclusively catering to these types of consumers, those who are looking for a truck to survive the apocalypse, or just those who want to go off the grid knowing their truck will hold up no matter how rough the terrain.

While General Motors declined the media’s request for pricing, it’s good to know that a standard 2018 ZR2 model has a starting MSRP of $43,495. The AEV components featured on the Bison will add quite a sum to the base MSRP, but the availability of a durable and somewhat customized vehicle straight out of the dealer is an unmatched convenience. The Chevrolet ZR2 Bison is slated to launch in January 2019.

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