5 Of The Best Chevy Models For Off-Roading

Moving into 2026, Chevrolet offers one of the most in-depth lineups of SUVs and pickup trucks on the market. While its smaller car lineup has dwindled, leaving only the Corvette in production, there shouldn’t be any trouble finding a nameplate within the former two segments to match your needs. For the most part, Chevrolet’s offerings lean towards either affordability or premium quality, remaining comfortable while practical across the board. However, for certain trims, the focus is put on how the respective vehicle handles itself off the tarmac.

Names such as ZR2, Z71, and Trail Boss may spring to mind when thinking of the best off-roaders within the SUV and truck segment, with Chevy spending years establishing itself as a key player in this area, even if most of its models aren’t specifically geared towards it. Whether it’s through revised suspension, transfer cases, huge tires, or protection, the following five models are some of the best off-roaders that Chevrolet currently offers.

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2026 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2

The smallest pickup truck in Chevrolet’s current fleet, the Colorado, is the brand’s way of competing in the lower end of the market without sacrificing on crucial features. With the base trim starting at $31,900, it’s one of the most affordable trucks in the mid-size segment. But if you want to maximize its potential, you have to spend at least $50,700 for the top-spec ZR2 trim (with a $1,695 destination charge).

Under the hood, every trim for the 2025 Colorado has the same 2.7L four-cylinder producing 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, with the ZR2 not getting any special variant. Still, that’s only slightly less than what the Tacoma TRD Pro can manage, which sits at a higher $64,350. The ZR2 trim for the Colorado, however, properly shines elsewhere. For starters, you get Multimatic DSSV dampers with a three-inch lift to help move over trickier terrain. The ZR2 also gets all five drive modes as standard for maximum versatility, including Terrain, Baja, Off-Road, Tow/Haul, and Normal. Features such as the two-speed transfer case and hill descent control come as standard with this trim.

While the base ZR2 is one of the most capable, spend another $11,700, and you can enjoy the Bison package. This adds skid plates throughout the bodywork, larger 35-inch tires, and jounce control dampers instead of the standard DSSV shocks. We got to review the ZR2 Bison last year, and we were impressed with how capable the truck really is.

2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss

Like a handful of U.S. manufacturers moving into 2026, Chevrolet offers an electrified version of its flagship truck nameplate, which in this case is the Silverado. It looks quite different from the standard model, making the Silverado EV its own model, being much sleeker than the combustion-engined truck for those who prefer futurism. But if you’re considering an electric truck, it is what’s under the skin that is the most important.

In recent years, brands have continued to showcase how competent electric power can be off-road. Chevrolet’s case for this comes in the form of the Silverado EV Trail Boss, which isn’t quite on the level of a ZR1 model, but still proves effective thanks to the truck’s inherent capabilities. Using GM’s Ultium platform, the 2026 Silverado EV is motivated by two electric motors (one up front and one at the rear), producing 625 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque in Extended Range trim, and a higher 725 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque in the Max Range model.

As the top-spec version of an already-expensive electric truck, the Silverado EV Trail Boss isn’t cheap. It starts at $72,595 for the Extended Range truck and $89,195 for the Max Range, including destination fees. While the latter version gets you more power and better range, off-road-focused equipment is consistent across both trims, sharing features like the high stance suspension providing a two-inch lift, 18-inch all-terrain tires, and four-wheel steering capabilities.

2026 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71

Unfortunately, Chevrolet’s SUVs don’t get the ZR2 treatment seen in some of the company’s trucks. While we hope that this will change sometime in the near future, models such as the Tahoe still get an off-road trim, namely the Z71 package. Essentially one step down from the ZR2, the 2026 Tahoe still comes with plenty of improvements to enhance its abilities off-road, building on what’s already one of the best platforms in the full-size SUV scene.

Under the hood, the 2026 Tahoe Z71 comes standard with the 5.3L V8 producing 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. The revised turbocharged 3.0L diesel engine is also available, producing 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque, but the 6.2L V8 is still the way to go if you want maximum power at 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. The air ride adaptive suspension and magnetic ride control come as optional features, as part of the Z71 off-road package that adds $8,435 to the price tag, due to the other changes you need to make to unlock it.

As for what’s standard, the Tahoe Z71 gets an Autotrac two-speed transfer case, an aluminum skid plate up front, and 20-inch all-terrain Goodyear tires for optimal grip. While it’s understandably not on the level of the ZR2 models, the Tahoe Z71 adds a solid amount of off-road practicality to a more luxury-focused nameplate, without requiring too many sacrifices. Pricing comes in at $70,700 (with a $2,595 destination charge).

2026 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss

The Silverado has one of the most expansive trim selections from Chevrolet in 2026. Like the Colorado, the ZR2 trim is the top-spec option for the larger truck. While the ZR2 is the best on paper with similar upgrades to the Colorado’s variant, albeit getting the 3.0L turbocharged Duramax engine, you don’t have to spend the $71,800 to get a brand-new Silverado that can handle the trails confidently.

Sitting below the ZR2 in the pecking order is the LT Trail Boss, which comes with the Z71 off-road package as standard, alongside plenty of other convenience features as well. You don’t get the Duramax engine as standard with the LT Trail Boss, instead getting the 2.7L four-cylinder found in the Colorado ZR2, producing 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. You can also go for the 5.3L V8, 6.2L V8, or 3.0L diesel. With the Z71 package comes off-road-tuned suspension, which includes the two-inch suspension lift and Rancho monotube shocks at the front and rear. You also get protective skid plates, as well as the Autotrac two-speed transfer case.

If you’d like to save even more money at the cost of some neat luxury and tech features, the Custom Trail Boss trim comes in at $52,900 and still has the Z71 package included. However, the LT Trail Boss’s price tag of $59,700 gets you the larger 13.4-inch center touchscreen and 20-inch wheels as standard. Both trims come with the same $2,795 destination charge.

2026 Chevrolet Traverse Z71

As is the case with the Tahoe, the 2026 Traverse is another nameplate that Chevrolet leaves out of the ZR2 lineup. Despite the name, the Traverse Z71 isn’t as in-depth as the likes of the Trail Boss trims for the Silverado, instead keeping it closer to the rest of the comfort-focused trims with a few key upgrades. Priced at $48,900, the Z71 trim is actually the second-cheapest in the current lineup for the Traverse.

Starting with the engine, the 2026 Traverse Z71 comes with the same turbocharged 2.5L four-cylinder, producing 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. However, the biggest changes for this trim can be found within the drivetrain. The Z71 trim gets off-road-tuned suspension, as well as twin-clutch all-wheel drive instead of the standard layout you can opt for in other trims. Sending more torque to each of the rear wheels whenever necessary throughout the twin-clutch axle, the Traverse becomes a capable SUV off the tarmac, especially when combined with the standard terrain driving mode. The all-terrain tires further assist with grip off-road, and the metal skid plate under the front bumper provides further protection.

Methodology

To select the models chosen for this list, we looked at the vehicles in Chevrolet’s current lineup and chose the trims that are best suited for off-road conditions. Whether that be improvements to suspension, tires, ride height, or optional packages, these are the trims that cater most to various surfaces. We have reviewed some of the vehicles on this list and found them to be very capable off-road, but every model on the list has received positive coverage by many outlets.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.