Off-Road in the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison

2026 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison

Let’s get the obvious confession out of the way. There is nowhere near Washington, D.C., to truly experience the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison’s off-road capabilities and 35-inch tires. I didn’t crawl over boulders in the George Washington National Forest, ford a stream in the Rausch Creek Off-Road Park, or traverse the Cove Campground, which is 90 miles from D.C. I ran errands, drove it on the Beltway, and parked it in a cramped city garage.

And that is probably where most of these trucks spend 99 percent of the time. The question is not whether the Bison is capable of extreme off-roading, but whether you can live with it when you aren’t pretending to be in the Baja 1000.

Sitting inside the ZR2 Bison doesn’t feel like the inside of a truck but more like looking at the road from a skyscraper. The ride height is staggering. Chevy quotes 12.2 inches of ground clearance, but the psychological clearance is closer to 20. You are high, wide, and on top of the world.

However, the presence comes at a cost. The massive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires are ideal for mud and rock crawling but noisy on paved roads. The tires also hunt for grooves in the pavement, requiring constant control of the steering wheel. You must drive this truck, not just aim it.

Getting in is the hardest part of the ownership experience. No step panel lowers for you to get in. Chevy doesn't offer one because it would hang down and ruin the approach angle. The result is a 24-inch step-in height that requires either a running jump, a grabbing of the handle with both hands, or a knee-first crawl across the seat. If you are shorter than 5'8" or if you are wearing a skirt or dress, consider this an access issue.

Once you’ve hauled yourself up and caught your breath, the interior is a modern high-tech highlight. Chevy has nailed the balance between wipeable materials and premium convenience. The 11.3-inch infotainment screen is crisp, and the built-in Google integration loads quickly. The materials feel thick and resistant to muddy gear. It’s a pleasant place to sit, provided you don’t look too hard for cheap plastics near your knees.

Power/Performance: The sole engine is a 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder engine that produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. Despite its extreme off-road ability, it cruises effortlessly on the highway, and the transmission rarely hunts for gears.

Models/Price: The 2026 Colorado lineup starts at $34,495 for a base work truck. The MSRP goes up to $52,595 for the standard ZR2 and $62,795 for the ZR2 Bison.

If you truly need a solid axle, 35-inch tires, and enough skid plating to tackle the countryside, the Bison is the most cleverly engineered truck in the midsize segment. But if you just like the way it looks, you can save yourself $10,000 by getting the standard ZR2. It still sits tall, but you won’t need a step stool to get in it.

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