LOS ANGELES – The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, a diesel-powered off-road concept, would add more muscle to General Motors' new line of midsize pickups, but the automaker will leave the truck's future in the hands of consumers.
“When we unveiled the Colorado, people wondered what an off-road version would look like,” Mark Reuss, executive vice president-global product development, says at the auto show here in pulling the cover off the concept. “So did we.”
GM plans to study public reaction before deciding whether to add the Colorado ZR2 to the Chevy stable, but the concept would appear a likely candidate to expand the midsize pickup line down the road. For now, GM appears to have its hands full meeting demand for the current model, which Reuss says is averaging just nine days in dealer inventory prior to sale.
The concept pickup features bold styling with a more aggressive stance. It is 4 ins. (100 mm) wider than the Colorado Z71 production model and has exclusive front and rear fascias and slightly higher ground clearance for better off-roading. Skid plates and tow hooks are standard.
The ZR2 also gets an exclusive grille and headlamp housings, with a power-dome style hood.
The concept casts more light on the Colorado’s upcoming Duramax diesel engine, which will be offered in the midsize truck next year.
The 2.8L 4-cyl. is rated at 181 hp at 3,400 rpm and 369 lb.-ft. (670 Nm) of torque at 2,000 rpm and is mated to a 6-speed automatic in the concept truck.
