The mid-size Colorado started the move toward increasingly serious off-roaders at Chevrolet and recently the full-size Silverado 1500 lineup has got in on the act.
The Bowtie brand on Tuesday revealed the 2023 Silverado 1500 ZR2 Bison, a more capable, better equipped off-roader than the already impressive Silverado 1500 ZR2 that was added for 2022.
Like the Bison version of the Colorado, the Silverado ZR2 Bison has been developed in partnership with off-road outfitter American Expedition Vehicles and features upgrades designed to improve off-road capability primarily though added protective elements.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 Bison
The list include steel bumpers at both ends featuring integrated recovery points and step pads, as well as steel rock rails, and five underbody skid plates for the front and rear differentials, transfer case, and fuel tank. There’s also a set of 18-inch wheels finished in gloss black and wrapped with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires.
These upgrades are in addition to all the goodies of the ZR2, which include Multimatic’s 40-mm DSSV spool-valve dampers, custom tuning for the springs, and a Terrain driving mode that enables one-pedal driving for situations like rock crawling.
Chevy quotes a ground clearance of 11.2 inches and approach and departure angles of 32.5 and 23.4 degrees, respectively. Those figures are slightly better than the ZR2’s approach and departure angles of 31.8 and 23.3 degrees, though the ground clearance is the same for both trucks.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 Bison
Under the hood of the Bison is the Silverado’s familiar 6.2-liter V-8 rated at 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic and powers all four wheels.
The Silverado ZR2 Bison is slated to enter production in early 2023 and pricing has been confirmed to start at $78,490, including destination.
Chevy has also confirmed the 2023 Silverado 1500 will be available with a more powerful version of the popular Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel. The engine is estimated to deliver 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque, up from the current ratings of 277 hp and 460 lb-ft. The extra performance is courtesy of new designs for the pistons, turbo compressor wheel, and fuel injectors, as well as improved temperature control features.