Chevy Is Bringing Back A Beloved Off-Road Trim For 2027

The Desert Boss should join the ZR2 and Bison in the Colorado range for 2027.

2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2

Photo by: Chevrolet

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Oct 15, at 9:00am ET

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Chevrolet is reportedly bringing back one of the Colorado's most unique off-road trims: the Desert Boss. Paired with the ZR2, the dealer-installed package should add more trail-ready hardware and even more horsepower when it arrives for the 2027 model year.

The Desert Boss package is expected to include three major pieces of hardware: an off-road front bumper package, an off-road lighting package, and Multimatic Jounce Control Dampers. All three are listed as dealer-installed options under RPO code PDK.

The jounce control dampers are nitrogen-charged hydraulic bump stops designed to work alongside the ZR2's existing Multimatic DSSV dampers. GM already uses a similar setup on the Colorado ZR2 Bison, while related Multimatic jounce components have also been available as a Chevrolet Performance upgrade.

The package doesn't change the ZR2's basic mechanical setup. The truck still uses a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, with the Desert Boss adding hardware on top of what the ZR2 already offers.

2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss

The Desert Boss Package Has Some Limits

The package will reportedly be exclusive to the ZR2 and won't be available with either the ZR2 Bison Edition or Midnight Edition, according to GM Authority. That gives shoppers a fairly straightforward choice between the different off-road-focused versions, particularly those deciding between the Desert Boss' equipment and the Bison's more aggressive hardware.

The Desert Boss isn't the only major change coming to the Colorado for 2027. Chevrolet is also giving the entire lineup a new version of its turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine.

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The 2027 Colorado Gets A Power Boost

GM lists the 2027 Colorado's L4B gasoline engine at 350 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 40 hp and 25 lb-ft over the outgoing L3B engine. Those gains aren't limited to the ZR2, either. They're part of a broader engine update shared across the Colorado and GMC Canyon lineups.

The timing is fairly quick. Regular production of the 2026 Colorado is currently scheduled to end on October 16, 2026, with 2027 model-year production set to begin just three days later on October 19.