Expedition Overland interviews AEV on the new Bison ZR2 Colorado

[great08]

This is a super in depth look at what went into the design of the new Bison that will be coming out in January. (though you can put them on order in a few weeks allegedly)

You can tell by the video that GM and AEV worked very hard and spent probably 15 million to develop this truck. The attention to detail looks like it is going to be epic. So does the toughness.

Is this the first Expedition Ready truck (From the Factory) that is ready for long days dragging over rocks? Are we entering into a new age of awesome competition from manufacturers? I think so. It will be interesting to see how Toyota and Ford (via the upcoming Ranger) responds to this.

I only have a 2018 Z71 for my needs. I am very happy with it. I am likely going to throw on some of those Boron Steel Skids from AEV when the come out though! 2x stronger than regular steel skids and around 1/4 the weight. They even designed them to dump debris out so as to protect from brush fires on a hot exhaust.

 

[Dcwn.45]

that looks like an awesome truck!
Toyota will certainly need to up its game!
I suspect it costs 80k though

 

[great08]

that looks like an awesome truck!
Toyota will certainly need to up its game!
I suspect it costs 80k though

It probably will!

Which, is one of the reasons why I am happy with my Z71. I talked the price down to $32k from the $38k that was on the sticker.

All it really needs is some undercarriage armor for a grand or so(if I decide to do rough stuff)... and I will be ready to go. Both trucks will need some bed/cargo upgrades.

 

[madcratebuilder]

It's just a ZR2 with sh*ty skids and bumpers. 5 boron steel skids and the trans pan is still fully exposed. I do like the fuel and diff skid.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Lot of $$$ for ugly bumpers and a fully exposed trans pan. I do like the diff and fuel skid, maybe the larger fender flares.
The exposed trans pan kills it, a few zr2 owners have taken the trans pan out on rocks. Both Supermod and 589FAB skids cover the pan.

ETA: I bet the price is between 8-10K

 

[Dirty Ape]

And then you have USA Today...my favorite line from this article has to be "...and Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison’s snorkel exhaust..."
"https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/10/22/pickup-truck-ford-chevy-ram-off-road/1728379002/

 

[great08]

Snorkel Exhausts... everybody wants one. Lol

 

[great08]

I can promise you it will not cost 80K. I've ordered a Bison from my dealer and I work for GM in the IT Innovation Center in Austin. As these are being sold and manufactured by GM (not AEV) and is just an option package on a ZR2. The guess (no pricing has been released) is that it will be a 5K - 7.5K option package. My guess is closer to 5K.

That means, you should be able to get one for under 50 for a Gas version and little over 50 for a diesel.

If it is at that price then I am sure there will be a lot of folks out there that go for it. I have been seeing more and more ZR2s on the roads around where I live. Having the level of armor stepped up a few notches from the factory will be worth if for a lot of folks.

My prediction... these will be remembered as the glory days for mid sized trucks!

They are the same size as full sized trucks of old... which are the perfect size... for me and my family of 4 anyways.

 

[Desert Runner]

My 2003 HD just has a minimum of protection offerings. That plastic deflector underneath is gone if it ever tangles with a rock. Newer 2012+ Silverado's offer a few more options, even a snorkel from 1 company. But Chevy overall seems to be the stepchild of offered options. I found 1 company that offered a slew of under truck protection, unfortunately they are Canadian, and do not do any business South of their border. I believe they cater heavily to the oil field industry. I see you mentioned the Boron shields. and it sounded like they might be offering a full size Chevy offering. That would be nice.

 

[Desert Runner]

This truck is awesome. It has every basic component. It has the ability out of the gate, for even the most discriminating off-roader. As they said, tire size upgrade seems to be the only area for up-sizing, and that for only the hard core driver.

Found it interesting about how long the diesel had been out there Internationally. Brings to my mind why Toyota, who has a similar size engine out there, does not get it EPA approved, and into the North American market.

 

[great08]

This truck is awesome. It has every basic component. It has the ability out of the gate, for even the most discriminating off-roader. As they said, tire size upgrade seems to be the only area for up-sizing, and that for only the hard core driver.

Found it interesting about how long the diesel had been out there Internationally. Brings to my mind why Toyota, who has a similar size engine out there, does not get it EPA approved, and into the North American market.

I bet it (Tacoma diesel)will be a surprise entry in the future sometime if there proves to be a market for it.

Most folks don’t know that about that Diesel engine(2.8 Chevy/VM diesel)There are a lot out there with a lot of miles on them. So they are proven. The transmission is used in heavier trucks too I heard... so it should last in a lighter truck that does not tow as much.

I have the gasser and pretty much drive it like a diesel. Get around 25 mpg on my commute of mixed driving... mostly hwy.

Love the 6.1 0-60 time some have gotten at drag strips. Not bad for a stock truck. I will never gun mine like that though.

 

[great08]

My 2003 HD just has a minimum of protection offerings. That plastic deflector underneath is gone if it ever tangles with a rock. Newer 2012+ Silverado's offer a few more options, even a snorkel from 1 company. But Chevy overall seems to be the stepchild of offered options. I found 1 company that offered a slew of under truck protection, unfortunately they are Canadian, and do not do any business South of their border. I believe they cater heavily to the oil field industry. I see you mentioned the Boron shields. and it sounded like they might be offering a full size Chevy offering. That would be nice.

I spent a little time (Several Weeks) in the modern day gold rush (Oil) town up on the North Slope in northern Alaska. It was all a 50/50 mix of Chevy and Ford trucks up there. Saw one Dodge truck the whole time I was there. I was driving it and it was a Govt. truck. lol

I have seen so many lifted full size trucks in my area. I am surprised they don't have an aftermarket. Is it just the HD trucks? That would make sense since the owners use them for work(usually)... not enjoying the harsher ride the HD suspension provides for rough trails.

 

[JCWages]

Man, if I ever hit the lottery.....

 

[T.Shack]

This is a super in depth look at what went into the design of the new Bison that will be coming out in January. (though you can put them on order in a few weeks allegedly)

You can tell by the video that GM and AEV worked very hard and spent probably 15 million to develop this truck. The attention to detail looks like it is going to be epic. So does the toughness.

Is this the first Expedition Ready truck (From the Factory) that is ready for long days dragging over rocks? Are we entering into a new age of awesome competition from manufacturers? I think so. It will be interesting to see how Toyota and Ford (via the upcoming Ranger) responds to this.

I only have a 2018 Z71 for my needs. I am very happy with it. I am likely going to throw on some of those Boron Steel Skids from AEV when the come out though! 2x stronger than regular steel skids and around 1/4 the weight. They even designed them to dump debris out so as to protect from brush fires on a hot exhaust.

Whoe that is sweet!

 

[madcratebuilder]

After watching this vid my opinion has changed on the Bison. It's better than I thought. Still don't like the front bumper but that's just personal preference.

 

[redneckcrawler]

I'm not in the market for a truck, but if I were I would be worried about the side air bag deployments that have been happening. I know that it is rare but knowing that it has happened and to someone local to me would give me reservations about the chev.

 

[great08]

That is fair.

GM does not make their airbags I am sure. So they likely already switched to a different mfr by now. I have heard about that too. I wonder if it was a sensor or the airbags themselves. I will do a little looking around in internet land to see what I can learn about this.

EDIT:

I just found a thread on coloradofans.com about the subject. Around 10 ZR2s a Z71 and a LT had this happen. Always when off road. Usually when on a bumpy slope/or bumpy and steep incline. I subscribed to the thread since it is active to see how it ends up. There was talk of Tacoma guys having a switch to disable the airbags when off road because they were having issues as well (on some trucks at some point anyways). So some Colorado guys are getting switches installed just in case. Others are pulling the curtain airbag fuse when off road.

Most owners have been putting their ZR2s through the ringer and not having any issue. Some guys were chiming in and saying that out of very large groups going through crazy stuff nobody had an issue. It may end up being only on some trucks through a certain build date range. So everyone is coming together to figure it out. Gotta love the internet for things like this!

For now they suspect it has something to do with a rollover protection mode/sensor. Apparently there is two types of sensors in the system that can set them off. When their bags deploy(saw some pics and the bags were massive)... their seatbelts also permanently lockup... and ONSTAR calls their vehicle thinking they were in a wreck. Suggesting it is not the bags but the truck thinking it is rolling over. They typically get ringing ears from the impact, sore shoulders, and it takes a minute to get around the massive airbags.

GM has been pulling their crash data to try and figure it out. It is crazy how much the trucks actually record. Things like %throttle, rpms, speed, %torque, was cruise control on?, was the brake applied?, etc. Saw some pics of that data as well.

Not surprised about the data record keeping really. I get a report card/email every week telling me how good my driving is and things I can do to get better fuel economy or be safer. lol

 

[Boostpowered]

I like my zr1 duramax just fine, has the snorkel, homemade aluminum skids, i built mine originally for river running so no lift yet , i havent gotten stuck yet in the gumbo mud we have.

 

[great08]

I like my zr1 duramax just fine, has the snorkel, homemade aluminum skids, i built mine originally for river running so no lift yet , i havent gotten stuck yet in the gumbo mud we have.

Back when I was shopping for a Colorado I found some 2015-2016 WT versions in crew cab 4WD with over 100k mi on them for around $20k dollars. They were the cheapest I had seen so I went a took a look at them.

Turned out all 3 trucks had been Texas Oil Rig worker trucks for several years. There was a solid inch of mud caked over every square inch of the floorboard in those trucks. They were beaten bad... really bad. No signs of an airbag deployment either. Lots of holes drilled in the sheet metal for things that were mounted. One of the tailgates was crushed and would not close. Lots of holes were drilled in the dash/interior as well as lots of wire hanging out everywhere. Apparently they had many cameras to keep an eye on the employees as they drove. lol

Long story short... for $12k more I got a brand new Z71 loaded with 2mi on the odo. With the new Camaro V6, 8spd auto(instead of 6), and transfer case with Auto mode so I can drive around on dry pavement without binding the drivetrain. That was the day I realized I was going to buy new. lol

 

[Arailt]

Brings to my mind why Toyota, who has a similar size engine out there, does not get it EPA approved, and into the North American market.

Toyota has had the best selling mid-sized truck in NA for the last hundred years. That's not going to change anytime soon. They'd only be lowering their margins by R&Ding a NA compliant diesel.

As for the Bison, I really like it. The bumper and grille look way better than the plastic "high clearance" bumper on the ZR2. The 34"s on the truck in the video certainly help the look though. I'm sure they aren't a factory option.