This is the upcoming ’23 Colorado ZR2 undergoing testing in Metro Detroit. The ’23 model year will see an all-new Colorado, and the ZR2 trim looks more potent than the current truck, ready to take on unpaved surfaces and tackle the all-new Ranger Raptor.
Clad in heavy vinyl camo, the model seen here is the four-door Crew Cab with a short-box setup. It features a high-clearance front bumper treatment, a set of black wheels wearing Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires and what appears to be a suspension lift.
The new ZR2 is said to get a new “Baja Mode” that will be focused on optimized drive characteristics in sand environments, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as nearly all vehicles in the off-road space are getting a similar drive mode these days.
According to sources, the ’23 Colorado will be offered with a single engine—GM’s turbo 2.7L four-cylinder, meaning the 2.5L four and 3.6L six gassers and 2.8L diesel offered on the current Colorado will be going away. The 2.7L Turbo is rated at 310 hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque in the ’19–’21 Silverado. In the ’22 Silverado, GM bumped the torque output to 420 lb.-ft.
Expect an official debut in the fourth quarter of 2022, with production continuing in Wentzville, Missouri, in the first quarter of 2023.
Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde