Angry new Chevrolet Colorado revealed
But will Chevy’s answer to the new Ford Ranger make an Australian comeback?The all-new 2023 Chevrolet Colorado has been revealed in the US and its headline specs suggest it could cause quite a headache for the new Ford Ranger in Australia – if it was ever sold here.
Looking far more like something out of a Toyota catalogue than a Chevrolet, the new Colorado is an angry looking unit and even more aggressive in Trail Boss and ZR2 forms with their widened tracks, raised suspension and bespoke front bumpers.
“We set out to design the Colorado as a tough, muscular and capable mid-size truck, which we think especially came through in the wide ZR2 trim with the aggressive grille shield,” Colorado executive design director Phil Zak said.
“Across all trims, the exterior’s presence and attitude is reflected in the interior, which is designed around the large centre stack screen.”
That multimedia screen is a new 11.3-inch touch display complemented by a customisable 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster.
All new Colorado variants rides on a longer 3338mm wheelbase and overall lengths hover round the 5410mm mark, but track widths and ground clearance figures vary from grade to grade.
The spiteful new exterior look is backed up by an equally aggro new engine line-up comprising a new 2.7-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit in three states of tune, ranging between 177kW/350Nm and 231kW/583Nm (the latter only for the top-spec ZR2 off-road monster).
That torque figure is enough to match the upcoming Ford Ranger Raptor’s peak figure of 583Nm, but the Colorado’s kiloWatt count is still well down on the V6 Ford’s 292kW.
Transmission duties in the Colorado will come exclusively from a new eight-speed torque converter automatic.
Would-be Aussie buyers are probably wondering why the new model isn’t being offered with a diesel engine, and the answer according to Chevrolet is that the force-fed 2.7-litre petrol unit develops more power and torque in its ‘high-output’ state of tune (231kW/529Nm) than the outgoing 2.8-litre turbo-diesel (147kW/500Nm), as well as the 3.6-litre petrol V6 currently available in North America.
Up to five driving modes will be on offer – Normal, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, Terrain and Baja – and braked towing capacities vary depending on the powertrain with the base engine only rated to 1588kg and the two more powerful units good for 3493kg.
“The new Colorado is a lifestyle enabler,” chief engineer Nicholas Katcherian said.
“Because outdoor activities are a big part of our Colorado customers’ lifestyles, we’ve made the truck even more capable to support them – from increased bed functionality to comprehensive performance enhancements that help take them farther.”
The new Chevrolet Colorado enters production early next year in the US, where it will take on the new Australian-developed Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma – the US sister model to the HiLux.
However, it’s unlikely to be sold in Australia, where General Motors axed the Holden brand and our previous Colorado in 2020, because it won’t be produced in right-hand drive and the business case for a local ‘remanufacturing’ arrangement – like the one that sees Walkinshaw Group convert Silverado and RAM pick-ups – is unlikely to ever stack up.
Stranger things have happened though and Australia’s ute market is among the biggest in the world, so we’ve asked General Motors for comment and will update this report accordingly.
Related: Holden Colorado: FAQs
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