Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Off-Road Equipment and Specs Illustrated

Summary

• The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 offers impressive off-road capability at a competitive price of $41,795.
• Equipped with a powerful 2.7-liter TurboMax engine, the Z71 boasts 310 HP and 430 lb-ft of torque.
• Featuring a two-speed transfer case, four-wheel drive, and improved towing technology, the Z71 is a mid-size pickup truck.

In 2024, there aren’t many segments as fiercely competitive as the mid-size cargo truck. While we’ve been treated to a few unique midsize trucks in recent years, manufacturers from around the world have stepped up their game again. Later, the segment has reached new heights, and some models have stood out from the crowd.

The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado is definitely one of these trucks, which comes in a total of five different trims. While the top-of-the-line ZR2 has been very attractive, the next trim, the Z71, shares many similarities with the ZR2, making it a competitive mid-size option if you don’t want to spend. high price. The Chevrolet Colorado Z71 starts at $41,795.

One important area that modern mid-size trucks focus on is off-road, which the Colorado Z71 manages to deliver, along with all the other departments that allow cars to perform well. Coming with a four-door bed and a five-foot bed arrangement, here’s a breakdown of the 2024 Colorado Z71’s off-road equipment and additional features that make it a strong contender in the midsize pickup truck segment.

In order to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to prepare this article was obtained from various manufacturers’ websites and other authoritative sources, including Motor Trend, and Car and Driver.

2024 Colorado Z71 Trim Comes With 2.7 Liter TurboMax Engine

When it comes to pickup trucks, having a powerful engine under the hood capable of handling every job is why you buy these trucks, as it is the most important feature. For 2024, the Chevrolet Colorado comes with two engine options, both of which are variations of the 2.7-liter inline-four. The top three models, including the Z71, get the TurboMax engine installed.

Performance Measurements

(Data collected from Chevrolet)

The TurboMax engine pumps out an impressive 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, and its torque focus makes it more than capable of tackling rough terrain. In Car and Driver’s test with the top-spec ZR2, the 2.7-liter TurboMax engine was able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.1 seconds, which is more than enough for a midsize truck designed to perform in all conditions.

Its Two Speed ​​Transfer Case With Four Wheel Drive

The Chevrolet Colorado Z71 has a temporary four-wheel drive system that delivers power to all four wheels, enhancing the truck’s off-road prowess. This driveline provides the benefits of all-wheel drive off-road, but also enables the use of rear-wheel drive only on-road, which greatly increases the truck’s turning capabilities.

As with the top ZR2 trim, the Chevrolet Colorado Z71 features an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case with high and low range modes. The high-range setting is ideal for higher speeds and driving on heavy terrain, such as mud and snow, while the low-range mode provides higher torque and low-speed grip.

Enhanced Off-Road Eight-Speed ​​Automatic

To go along with the four-wheel drive system, the Chevrolet Colorado Z71 comes with an eight-speed electronic transmission, equipped with many off-road enhancements. One of the transmission’s key features is Powertrain Grade Braking technology, which uses the engine and transmission to automatically slow the truck down to maintain a steady speed when driving downhill.

Working hand-in-hand with Power Grade Braking, the Z71’s eight-speed automatic features Cruise Grade Braking, which automatically slows the truck down when driving downhill if you exceed a set speed by a certain amount.

Focus On Drag And Performance

Along with providing benefits to the Colorado Z71’s off-road performance, the midsize truck’s specifications are also focused on providing the best possible towing capacity. Thanks to the 2.7-liter TurboMax inline-4 that focuses heavily on torque over horsepower, pulling heavy loads becomes easier with instant power delivery.

Also, due to its temporary four-wheel drive system, the Z71 can only receive power from its rear wheels. For towing, a rear-wheel drive is widely considered the best form of towing, and for good reason. Using the rear wheels to put all the necessary power to the ground leaves the front wheels to grip the pavement/gravel as effectively as possible.

Maximum Towing Capacity 7,700 lbs

Overall, the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 offers an impressive towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, a figure shared with the Trail Boss trim below the Z71. Compared to other Colorado trims, the Z71 has a higher towing capacity than the top ZR2 trim, which drops to 6,000 pounds due to performance considerations.

Hitch Guide and Hitch View

To make the towing process as smooth and efficient as possible, the Chevrolet Colorado Z71 comes with many technologies to make towing easier. The first is by using Hitch View in the center display, which provides a clear close-up view of the trailer hitch.

In addition to Hitch View, the Hitch Guidance system displays guidance based on the view of the rear camera. While driving, you can also use the rear camera to check if all the systems are working as expected. To make things even easier, the Colorado Z71 comes with an in-car trailer app, which gives you a comprehensive checklist as well as reminders and diagnostics to ease any worries when towing heavy loads. It should be noted that the software only comes with the optional Advanced Monitoring package, which costs $620 more.

Additional Off-Road Features for the Z71

Returning to the off-road specifications for the 2024 Colorado Z71, the mid-size truck examines all the key features needed to provide more performance on the trails and fine-tunes them to do exactly that. While not as nimble as the top ZR2, the Z71 trim is all about holding its own through its suspension, tires, and mode-selective technology.

Off-Road Focused Suspension and All-Terrain Tires

As for the suspension, the Z71 trim doesn’t have the same high-spec dynamic valve shocks that come with the ZR2. However, the second top trim is still fully equipped to handle the same tough conditions, being equipped with a front suspension setup with leaf springs on the rear axle.

The Colorado Z71’s off-road performance is aided by the truck’s tires, which are fitted with 31-inch all-wall tires. These tires come standard on the Z71, but are sized to fit the 20-inch rim options if you choose them when building your truck.

Four Selectable Drive Modes With Automatic Locking Rear Differential

As with most modern off-road trucks, the 2024 Colorado comes with four drive modes to improve performance on different terrains. The first mode is Off-Road, which provides better grip on surfaces such as grass, mud, gravel and deep snow. Terrain is the next mode available on the Z71, designed to take on steep hills and overcome obstacles.

To further enhance the Z71’s towing capabilities, the truck also features a Tow/Haul drive mode. The fourth and final mode Normal Mode improves comfort and performance for everyday driving on pavement. Baja mode will be available in 2024, but this is reserved for the ZR2 spec only.

The 2024 Colorado Z71 Compared to Its Rivals

As mentioned earlier, the mid-size segment is as competitive as you’d want it to be, with many manufacturers introducing new models and develop existing brands to stay ahead of the competition. While it will be difficult to beat the Chevrolet Colorado after winning Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year award for 2024, there are several important rivals that should be considered alongside the Chevy.

2024 Ford Ranger Lariat

The Colorado Z71’s first mid-size rival is the 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat, which is the second most expensive trim for the Ranger name behind the Raptor. As for pricing, the Ford Ranger Lariat starts at $43,630, slightly more than the Colorado Z71.

Despite being less expensive, the 2.7-liter TurboMax engine in the Colorado Z71 beats the Ranger Lariat’s smaller 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-4 engine, which produces 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. However, with the optional 2.7 liter EcoBoost, power output is more competitive at 315 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The Ford Ranger Lariat also comes with the same suspension setup as the Colorado Z71, with independent front suspension and leaf springs in the rear.

2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport

Another name within the midsize truck segment is the Toyota Tacoma, which is being redesigned in 2024 to be highly competitive once again. In terms of price, the TRD Sport trim is the closest to the Chevrolet Colorado Z71, starting at $43,100.

The Tacoma TRD Sport is also more expensive but still can’t match the base power of the Colorado Z71. Overall, the Tacoma TRD Pro produces 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque from its 2.4-liter i-FORCE inline-four. The TRD Sport also comes with all-wheel-drive but has a lower towing capacity of 6,400 pounds. Despite being cheaper than its main rivals, the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 manages to come out on top in terms of basic performance, making it, without a doubt, one of the best new trucks you can buy in 2024.