Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept: Go And Play Outside

Chevrolet showed a more aggressive version of its midsize pickup truck at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Dubbed the ZR2 Concept, the pickup looks ready to run the Baja 1000, even while sitting pretty on the show’s floor.

It’s not hard to tell this ZR2 Concept from a run-of-the-mill Colorado: painted Forest Green, the truck is two inch higher, and sits on knobby off-road tires. It features an all-new front fascia, giving it a Trophy truck look. To make sure the 18-inch wheels won’t rub the fenders, flares are bolted to the bodywork.

• Also: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon: Being Young Has Its Advantages
• Also: More Info on the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon

To help the ZR2 Concept navigate over harsh terrain, Chevrolet equipped it with off-road mono-tube coil-over shocks, skid plates and electronic locking differentials on each axle. In the bed, there is a full-size spare tire and a hi-lift jack to change a flat in the middle of nowhere.

There is a concession to luxury, though: the Colorado’s interior is adorned with leather bucket seats featuring orange stitching. The dashboard features an inclinometer, useful to determine if the next hill is actually safe to drive on.

Under the hood, Chevy installed a 2.8-litre Duramax diesel engine producing 181 horsepower and an impressive 369 pound-feet of torque. If I had to guess, I’d say that it’s this part of the ZR2 Concept that has the most chance of ending up in a dealership.

However, let’s not rule out the possibility that GM may decide to build a production version of this truck…