This is one brawny little truck, with chubby chunks of deeply treaded rubber at all four corners, only partially shaded by aggressive matte-black flares. It's meant to look like a custom off-road conversion, with big tires stuffed under a raised suspension, all of it too much to fit under the standard bodywork. If you've seen monster trucks, you get the idea, though only on a smaller scale.The S-10 ZR-2 is no poser, however. Although the body appears standard issue, it actually has unique front and rear outer fenders. The ZR-2 suspension package is more than just a different set of shocks and springs for the independent front/live axle rear suspension. Chevy starts with a frame not only more rugged than the standard frame, but also broader for a 100-millimeter (nearly 4 inches) wider track. That wider look isn't just from wheels with big tires and greater offset. The suspension raises the truck 75 mm (nearly 3 inches) higher and, if you crawl underneath, you'll see 46-mm Bilstein high-pressure gas shock absorbers, a 28-mm front anti-roll bar, and a rear-axle track bar. Chevy adds an underbody guard-a skid pan-to protect the tender bits underneath. Drive train components are tougher than standard and feature a lower 3.73:1 final-drive ratio for quicker acceleration and improved pulling power off road. The ZR-2 boasts the most powerful version of Chevy's 4.3-liter Vortec V6, rated at 190 horsepower and a stump-pulling 250 foot-pounds of torque. Our test truck was equipped with the 4-speed overdrive electronically controlled automatic transmission, a $1,070 option. Those who prefer to use their left foot may prefer the standard 5-speed overdrive manual gearbox. (Also available on S-10 pickups is a 2.2-liter inline-4 cylinder engine that produces 120 horsepower and 140 foot-pounds of torque. Chevrolet includes a special spare tire winch (for the underbed spare) and taller jack to accommodate the added height. Our test vehicle came with the optional 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels. The ZR-2 is available only in LS trim and ours was an extended cab model.
Open the door of the ZR-2 and climb on in, the operative word being climb. The floor is a full 2 feet from the ground, a rather healthy step up. Grab the wheel and hoist yourself in. The front seat passenger gets a grab rail on the dash and over the door, and can slide easily into the bucket. A bulge in the floor, apparently for the catalytic converter, robs a bit of foot room, however. Anyone so unlucky as to draw the jump seat in the extended cab will find it's not as easy to get in and it's snug once you get there. The extended cab has a third door opening on the driver's side and the jump seat mounts sideways on the side panel behind the passenger's seat. Having the third door on the driver's side is more convenient for the driver to toss stuff behind the seats. But children and other jump seat passengers should take care when getting out on the traffic side of the truck. The front buckets are covered in velour with patterned inserts. The center console is tall, with a covered storage bin, CD/tape case rack, well-designed dual cupholders, and an open tray. The optional cassette player is mounted under the dashboard, while the optional CD player is integrated into the AM/FM radio. Buttons controlling the 4x4 transfer case are located on the dash close to the steering wheel. Our ZR-2 was well equipped, with power remote locks, power windows, and heated power mirrors. The seat adjusted manually. Our truck came equipped with a sliding rear window, floor mats, and air conditioning. The instrument panel, radio controls and heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls should look familiar to anyone who has been in any GM truck or sport-utility. They all appear plucked from the same bin. That's not bad, however, as General Motors qualifies for the most improved truck ergonomics during the past decade. The steering wheel comes with the new minipack air bag and has a delightfully small hub. Leather wrapped, it feels good to hold, and the tilt wheel offers a generous range of adjustment. |
