Shocks, armor, and Baja mode make our yearlong review truck untouchable when the dirt gets fast.
Our yearlong review 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 has domineered all sorts of tasks and conquered terrain across the United States. From rock crawling and cross-country road trips to hauling cargo, pulling a trailer, and slashing through the snow, this truck has done it all with aplomb. What follows is a closer look at one of the Colorado ZR2's special talents, a skill that makes it one of the most valuable midsize trucks in the game today -- its go-fast-in-the-dirt chops.
In addition to the features that help the truck tiptoe over rocks like a mountain goat and haul trailers with ease, the Colorado ZR2 has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it almost untouchable when chasing speed in the dirt. Let's start with Baja mode, a ZR2-specific drive mode our Colorado has that's accessed with one counterclockwise turn of the drive mode dial.
This system was developed with input from off-road racing legend Chad Hall, and it elevates the ZR2's potential for speed over loose surfaces in two-, four-, and automatic four-wheel drive. Twisting the dial into Baja mode will prompt the driver with a screen confirming that interventions from ESC and traction control will be diminished. This prompt takes a few moments to load, so give yourself time to make this selection before hitting the dirt. After that, the fun begins.
No matter how many wheels are receiving power, Baja mode increases the sensitivity of the throttle. It also engages "Performance Shift," which allows the transmission to hold gears briefly upon lifting the pedal for compression braking so the truck remains in its power band when you need to muscle out of that corner. The ABS is more sensitive to loose surfaces in Baja mode, permitting some dirt to pile up in front of the tires, which helps to shorten stopping distances in the dirt. Finally, the ESC and traction control nannies remain mostly inactive, at least until you've exceeded the forbidden mixture of steering angle, brake input, and speed.
While the presence of rocker armor is appreciated in the rock gardens, the ZR2's front bash plate is focused on protecting the truck's vitals when navigating whoops, jumps, and G-out events. If an irregular dune feature places itself ahead of the ZR2, the bash plate is there to help smooth it over. Should you apply too much sauce on the approach to a jump or series of whoops, the bash plate's angle is designed to skim over the dirt (and not dig in like a lawn dart) to keep the truck moving safely forward.
Ah yes, the gilded jewelry at each corner of the Colorado ZR2 -- the spool-valve shocks from Multimatic. These unique shocks use spool valves instead of the traditional pistons and shim stacks to create a damping response that's based on piston velocity. In short, the shock remains compliant on the road and over smaller irregularities, which are called slow-speed events. Here, "speed" refers to piston velocity within the shock, not the speed of the vehicle. High-speed events (again, referring to the speed of the piston) such as G-outs and landing jumps prompt a stiffer response from the shocks, mitigating harsh bottom-outs and maintaining chassis control on the rebound. For a deeper dive into this seriously cool suspension tech, check out our story here.
Multimatic DSSV shocks deliver a remarkably composed ride on- and off-road using an entirely mechanical system. High-performance shocks from Fox and Bilstein require a host of electronics to produce this sort of suspension response, and other truck manufacturers even require the driver to shimmy beneath the vehicle to dial in the suspension by handfor each change in terrain.
As I believe it is sinful to have the keys to a ZR2 and not play in the dirt, I have logged innumerable hours exploring the truck's skills when cruising quickly off-road. Let's start with the easy stuff.
There's no wrong way to drive on a gravel two-track with the Colorado ZR2. The truck is actually the happiest when galloping down a washed-out dirt track that's just a bit too rugged for trucks with standard off-road shocks. From a gentle 20 mph to highway speeds, the ZR2 will maintain composure for as long as you're willing to give it throttle.
Turning up the spice level, Baja mode loosens the reins and really allows you to lock the truck into a drift. The caveat here is steering angle because hitting full lock pulls power from beneath your foot. This only encourages tidier slides where the driver steers more with the truck's tail than with the wheel.
The Colorado ZR2 does have a weak spot in spirited off-road driving, though: whoops. When traversing the sine waves of the desert, the Colorado ZR2 can handle gentle whoops at appreciable speed, but it quickly hits its limit. Too much amplitude or too short a period between whoops, and the shocks become overtaxed as the truck seesaws on its axles.
That's a silly question because all cars can jump -- it's the landing that counts. And the spool-valve shocks are extraordinarily good at cushioning harsh landings. Assuming that you've satisfied a few reasonable criteria for jumping (traveling straight on takeoff is one of them), the shocks' bottom-out resistance and rebound control truly make going airborne a non-event. It's likely you won't even notice your tires leaving the ground, and that's a sign of a competent suspension design.