I remember the day well. Cool weather, cool offroad trails, cool truck.
It was December 2018 and Chevy had invited media out to test drive the new 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona.
Built in partnership with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), the 2.8-liter Duramax turbo diesel instilled absolute confidence while powering the truck up and down challenging terrain, which included a memorable, tailpipe bending rock trail.
The 2023 Chevy Silverado ZR2 Bison gets 18-inch AEV wheels paired with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tiresChevroletBut this was a midsize beast. What about a full-size ZR2 Bison? We watched, waited, made some videos hoping for its debut and then boom! Chevy finally intro’d the 2023 Silverado ZR2 Bison last week – and yes...it can be spec’d with a diesel…a specially tuned 3.0-liter Duramax that delivers 305 horsepower and 495 lpound-feet of torque.
The AEV-equipped truck comes standard with a 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 paired up with a 10-speed tranny that delivers 460 pound-feet of torque – so yes, the diesel beats it.
Chevy reports that the inline-six, turbocharged 2023 Silverado 3.0-liter Duramax diesel has gotten a 10% increase in horsepower (277 hp in the 2022 model) and a 7.6% uptick in torque (460 lb.-ft. in the prior model). Chevy attributes the performance boost to new steel pistons with a revised combustion bowl; a retuned turbo compressor; new fuel injectors; and improved temperature control features.
“These improvements to the popular 3.0L Diesel Duramax build on the already advanced design of the first-generation engine,” said John Barta, assistant chief engineer of diesels engines. “We often hear customers express their satisfaction with the outstanding fuel economy and smooth, quiet power of the current diesel engine, so we can’t wait for them to experience this advanced engine made possible by the continued design evolution and advances in engine technologies.”
