For the First Time, Chevrolet Bestows Bison Nameplate on Silverado

Before only reserved for the most-armored variant of the mid-size Colorado, the Bison nameplate has been shared for the first time with the half-ton Silverado. In addition to extra AEV armor, Chevy is now offering the Silverado Bison with an uprated diesel engine, too.

Back in July, General Motors revealed its latest AEV mashup, the 2023 Sierra AT4X 1500 AEV Edition, at the first-ever Overland Expo Pacific Northwest in Bend, Oregon. Now the General is sharing some of those same off-road goodies with the Sierra’s full-size stablemate, the Chevrolet Silverado.

Front view of Silverado ZR2 Bison driving on a wooded trail featuring the black matte finish on the standard Multi-Flex tailgate, which is unique to the Bison Design.

Rear view of Silverado ZR2 Bison driving on a wooded trail featuring the black matte finish on the standard Multi-Flex tailgate, which is unique to the Bison Design.

Angled view of the Silverado ZR2 Bison to show off the front skid plate, AEV front bumper and ZR2 signature Chevrolet “flow-tie.”

Profile view of Silverado ZR2 Bison in wooded area.

Front of Silverado ZR2 Bison featuring unique body-color grille bar and Chevy “flow tie.”

Called the Silverado Bison, the new half-ton marks the new peak of full-size Chevy performance. Building on the already capable, and triple-locked Silverado ZR2, the Bison trim adds AEV stamped steel front and rear bumpers with heavy duty recovery points and integrated step pads; a front bumper that is compatible with an available winch accessory; five unique hot-stamped boron steel skid plates providing protection for the front, rear differential, transfer case and fuel tank; steel rocker panel protection; a three-piece durable steel front bumper with integrated black, vertical front tow hooks and exclusive gloss black 18-inch AEV wheels paired with 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory M/T tires.

If the adventures we’ve had this year with our Ultimate Overland Vehicle 2022, based upon the 2022 GMC Sierra AT4X (the GMC version of the ZR2), are any indication of the Bison’s prowess, owners are in for an absolute treat of a truck.

But if the standard — and frankly tremendous — standard 6.2-liter gasoline V8 isn’t interesting enough for Bison buyers, Chevrolet has a new power plant for them to pick from: an improved 3.0L inline-six turbo-diesel Duramax engine.

Photo by Chevrolet

Photo by Chevrolet

Photo by Chevrolet

Photo by Chevrolet

Underbody shot of the Silverado ZR2 Bison showing off five-skid plate package.

Detailed shot of fuel tank skid plate.

View of Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Bison truck interior from driver’s perspective.

Full interior shot featuring driver and passenger seats with accent stitching and large center console.

AEV badge embroidered on headrest.

This retuned oil-burning engine is primed to deliver a sizable increase in power and torque for diesel customers. The max power is 305 hp, a 10% increase (277 hp in 22MY), and max torque 495 lb-ft, a 7.6% increase (460 lb-ft in MY22), thanks to several key component upgrades for optimum performance, including: new steel pistons with a revised combustion bowl; retuned turbo compressor; new fuel injectors; and improved temperature control features.

Now I am not a proponent of modern diesel engines because of their initial cost and upkeep. Nevertheless, it’s exciting to see Chevy offer another powerful engine option — especially for the diesel nerds out there.

Regardless of what engine you pick, I think the new Silverado Bison would make for an awesome platform for a full-size overlanding rig. That said, we don’t know pricing yet, but expect it to be eye-wateringly steep.