Chevrolet introduced an all-new Colorado midsize pickup truck at the 2013 L.A. Auto Show, bringing the first new truck to the segment in some time.
The current king of midsizers, the Toyota Tacoma, is a solid offering in the small truck segment, but it hasn’t received any major improvements for years and is starting to feel dated. Same goes for the Nissan Frontier.
And while the Colorado should be able to outsell both of these trucks on its modern design and interior alone, it remains to be seen whether or not the market place for midsize pickups is big enough to support another player.
Let’s take a look at some of the features that Chevy is banking on to sell the new 2015 Colorado.
Patience is a virtue, and in the case of the Colorado, patience is required for any buyer interested in a diesel powertrain.
A 2.8-liter Duramax diesel will be on offer in the Colorado, but not until one year after the truck launches in the fall of 2014. However, it appears that this engine should be worth wait, as it puts out 180 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque in the global version of the truck. A six-speed automatic transmission is hooked up to the engine and can send power to either a two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive setup.
The North American diesel will be built in Thailand, but the trucks will be assembled in the U.S. at at General Motors’ Wentzville, Mo., assembly plant.
Two gasoline engines will be available at launch: a 2.5-liter inline four cylinder that makes 193 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and a 3.6-liter V6 that puts out 302 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque.
The Colorado is visually smaller than the Silverado, using more slopes and curves contrasting the larger truck’s hard lines, but in reality this midsize pickup isn’t much smaller than its big brother.
The longest Silverado, the crew cab standard box model, is 239.57 inches long in total length, compared to the Colorado’s 224.5 inches in crew cab long-box form. That makes this new truck just about 15 inches shorter in its longest form.
However, on the small end, the Silverado regular cab standard box is 205.57 inches long, while the Colorado crew cab model is 208.2 inches long, though in this case the Colorado offers a small backseat while the Silverado only has space for two captains chairs or a bench.
Height-wise, the new Colorado actually dwarfs the Silverado, with a total height of 78.9 inches (including the antenna) when fitted with four-wheel drive compared to the Silverado’s 73.80 inches in four-wheel drive trim. Though it may be taller, the Colorado is a full 5.7-inches skinnier than the Silverado.
So the new midsize truck is just a touch smaller than its big brother in most areas, though it is slightly larger than both the Tacoma and Frontier in almost all configurations.
While most of these trucks will be fitted with a six-speed automatic, a manual transmission will be offered, with a few caveats.
Only extended cab work trim two-wheel drive trucks fitted with a four-cylinder engine will be available with the stick shift, a bid from GM to make sure that fleet buyers will be satisfied.
Those qualifications will deter most buyers from the manual model, but those looking for a cheap, fuel-efficient, bare bones pickup truck will still have the option to row their own gears.
The Colorado adopts all of the safety and interior tech features that were introduced on the Silverado, showing Chevrolet’s commitment to keeping its trucks connected and up to date.
Standard safety equipment includes six air bags, OnStar with automatic crash notification, a stability control system that includes rollover-mitigation, hill-start assist and trailer sway control. The truck also offers forward-collision warning system and a lane-departure warning system as options.
For connectivity, Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system is standard on LT and Z71-trimmed trucks, and offers features like hands-free text-messaging, internet radio and Siri eyes free technology for iPhone users.
Chevy is making another smart move in the Colorado by offering a rear-seat delete option for the extended cab models, catering the truck further to tradesmen and fleets.
The small back seats in the extended cab models are not meant for adults anyways, and few who purchase one of the shorter cab trucks are looking to haul around their families.
For the plumber or electrician, an extended cab truck with no rear-seats means more room for storage and ultimately makes this truck a more appealing package.