Off-Road Special Editions - Part 1

Are all Off-Road Editions created equal?

By Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of Ford, GM, Chrysler, Nissan and Toyota.

These are the glory days of the off-road focused special edition 4WD’s. Yes, we used to get a much more utilitarian flock of off-roaders a couple decades ago, but never have we had such a smorgasbord of options when it came to all-terrain specialists. High performance, high tech, and high comfort are the names of the game today, and it seems that every 4WD maker is putting out for 2017.

Here at 4WDrive Magazine, we love the aftermarket, bolting shiny new bits of metal to our rigs just to be tarnished and destroyed soon after, like a work of art that is never really finished. However, while the vast majority of us will eventually modify our vehicles even just a little bit, with tires that are more aggressive or a slight lift, we asked what is available on the market for the person who just wants an out-of-the-box 4WD?

So, we scoured the web, poured through our massive stacks of press media flash drives and got on the phone with all the manufacturers that offer “off-road specific” packages on their new 4WD’s for 2017. What we found out is that not all packages are created equal, much like no 4WD is created equal. With that, we give you Canada’s guide of Off-Road Special Editions.

FORD

Lets kick things off with Ford, arguably the makers of the most infamous 4WD on the planet – the SVT Raptor. The Raptor gets completely redesigned for 2017 and nothing remains of the outgoing beast. The problem is, as of the time of writing, Ford still has not released the new Raptor to the masses. What we do know is that it will be aluminum, feature even better Fox off-road shocks, and will sport a 10-speed automatic transmission as well as an unconfirmed 450 hp, 510 lb-ft 3.5L EcoBoost V-6 engine (currently rumoured among insiders).

Raptor - What you get:

  • 360-degree camera s
  • Terrain Mode System with Normal, Sport, Weather, Mud/Sand, Baja and Rock Crawl settings
  • 3.0-in Fox Racing shocks offering 13-in of suspension travel on the front, 14-in on the rear.
  • BFGoodrich all-terrain T/A KO2 tires
  • Much more we’ll be happy to tell you when we get behind the wheel
  • Ground Clearance: TBA
  • Clearances: TBA
  • Package Price: TBA
  • Starting Price: TBA

GM

When we last put this guide together back in 2014, GM was the lamest duck of the 4WD makers, only offering the watered down Z71 trim pack on the Silverado, Sierra, Colorado and Canyon. We’re happy to say, GM have gotten their act together in the last couple years. 2016 saw the company take the off-road market much more seriously with the release of the Colorado Z71 Trail Boss. However, after GM teased us with a ZR2 version of the Colorado, the Trail Boss was a bit of a let down. A year down the road, it turns out that the ZR2 didn’t actually get watered down into the Trail Boss, but is actually being built as a second off-road model. While GM are keeping mum on the whole subject, ZR2 test mules are now becoming a regular sight, and a production version should be hitting the trails by mid 2017.

Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Package - What you get:

  • Brushed metal Z71 badged sill plates, gauge cluster, interior trim, and grille design
  • Monotube Rancho brand shocks
  • Hill Descent Control
  • High Capacity Air Cleaner
  • Underbody Shield Package
  • Automatic locking differential
  • Spray-On Bed Liner
  • 265/65R17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac AT tires
  • 3" Round Black Off-Road Step Bars
  • Off-Road Lights
  • Off-Road Sport Bar
  • Wheel Flares
  • Black Bowtie Emblem Package
  • Wheels: 17" Black Painted
  • All-Weather Floor Mats
  • Ground Clearance: 225 mm (8.8-in)
  • Clearances: 17.3 ° approach, 2 2 .1 ° departure, 19.8 ° breakover
  • Package Price: $8,550
  • Starting Price: $ 47,025

Colorado ZR2 - What you get: all to be announced

JEEP

Well, we’re sure we don’t have to tell you much about Jeeps off-road credibility. They are the only brand in North America solely dedicated to building vehicles that are all “Trail Rated,” despite the many different interpretations of that term. From the little Renegade to the plush Grand Cherokee, every Jeep with a seven-slat grille is designed to get off the beaten path, some just go farther than others. Regardless, the vast majority of the Jeeps standard lineup tackles the outdoors better the other manufacturers special off-road editions. Yet, even Jeep has options on many of their vehicles to make them even more astute.

In the case of Jeep’s unibody vehicles - the Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee - these vehicles can be made even more off-road friendly with the addition of the Trailhawk package that gives customers the basics that owners must turn to the aftermarket for, such as more aggressive tires and increasing clearances. Of course, the daddy of Jeep off-road trim packages is the Rubicon designated for the Wrangler. In our testing against the competition, the Rubicon is likely the best out-of-the-box off-road vehicle you can buy today.

Renegade Trailhawk - What you get:

  • Jeep Active Drive Low with 20:1 crawl ratio
  • Selec-Terrain Traction Management system with Rock mode
  • Suspension lift of 20 mm ( 0.8-in )
  • Skid plates, and signature red front and rear tow hooks
  • Unique fascia’s
  • Unique 17-in wheels with Goodyear Wrangler SR-A off-road tires
  • Up to 8.1-in of wheel articulation
  • Hill-Descent Control
  • Up to 19-in of water fording
  • Ground Clearance: 220 mm (8.7-in)
  • Clearances: 30.5 ° approach, 34.3 ° departure, 25.7 ° breakover
  • Package Price: $5,695
  • Starting Price: $ 33,985

Cherokee Trailhawk - What you get:

  • Jeep Active Drive Lock with locking rear differential
  • 4.083 final drive ratio
  • Selec-Terrain Traction Management system with Rock mode
  • Selec-Speed Hill-Descent and Ascent Control
  • Off-Road suspension lift of 20 mm ( 0.8-in )
  • Skid plates, and signature red front and rear tow hooks
  • Unique fascia with black hood decal
  • Unique 17-in wheels with aggressive on-road and off-road tires
  • Up to 8.1-in of wheel articulation
  • Up to 19-in of water fording
  • Ground Clearance: 220 mm (8.7-in)
  • Clearances: 29.8 ° approach, 32.1 ° departure, 23.3 ° breakover
  • Package Price: $1, 00 0
  • Starting Price: $ 36,590

Part 2 of our Off-Road Special Editions coming soon. Watch for it here.