Chevrolet Colorado
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Full-size pickups are great and all, but mid-size trucks generally prevail when it comes to true rock crawling and trail running. Ford and Chevy have always duked it out in this arena – Ford with their Ranger, Chevy with the awesome Colorado. We say awesome because this relatively recent replacement to the aging Chevy S-10 has made for one of the smallest and most fun off-road trucks ever made.
The Colorado is one of few American 4×4 pickups jointly designed with a firm outside the U.S. Specifically, the Colorado was birthed in partial thanks to Brazil’s GM operations and Isuzu. Without too much backstory, GM Brazil and Isuzu are responsible for crafting some of the most capable and cool off-road machines ever, including the Tracker and the Trooper.
So, why is the Colorado one of the best off-road vehicles? We classify 4×4 vehicles as nimble or brutish, but the Colorado. The first-generation Colorado’s small wheelbase and quaint cab rested upon the overbuilt GMT355 chassis – the same chassis used for the obnoxiously extra Hummer H3. While a 2.8L motor came standard, the optional 3.5L inline-5 that came with the first Z71 package offered plenty of power, managing 220 horses and 225 torques at just 2,800 RPM.
The Z71 off-road package really made the Colorado shine on fire trails. An Eaton G80 automatic-locking rear diff with 4.10 gears kept the truck stable and confident in poor conditions and on unpredictable terrain. Ground clearance at the rear’s pumpkin was an impressive 7.5”, and skid plates came standard. The first-gen Colorado’s 4×4 and gearbox were favored highly, with critics commenting on the truck’s surprising comfort and smooth shifting in Hi and Lo gears.
If this all sounds impressive for a compact pickup, look at the new Colorado. The 2018 ZR2 looks like its ready to rip along sand dunes and traipse over boulders just as well and initial reviews support these wild ambitions. A direct competitor to the new Tacoma TRD Pro, the ’19 ZR2 could very well be labeled a factory-ready Baja runner – a mini Raptor if you will.
The ZR2 boasts an impressive 308 horses and 275 torques from its conventional 3.6L V6, while the optional Duramax diesel thumps out 369 torques. Enthusiast-level shocks – Multimatic’s famed Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve dampers – come paired with a 2” suspension lift and 3.5” wider track. A locking rear, segment-exclusive locking front diff, beefier axles, bigger control arms, body armor and rock sliders, skid plates from front to rear, and acutely angled front bumpers allow the ZR2 to articulate over extreme terrain with seriously impressive approach angles.
