Holden Colorado LTZ 2019 Review

Very little about the Holden Colorado LTZ has changed in 2019, but the volume-selling trim level was the variant – in dual-cab 4x4 guise – that Holden supplied for our road test.

If you want to know how it tows, or how effective it is off-road, there are links here and here for that information.

But this seven-day test was simply to be an assessment of the Colorado's competence in the urban jungle – although the Colorado did go off-road briefly.

What impressed over the course of the week was the Colorado's unlikely ability to negotiate tight spaces. Its turning circle, at 12.7m, is no better than that of Ford's Ranger or the Toyota HiLux – and it's actually worse than the 11.6m measurement for the Mitsubishi Triton – yet the Colorado squeezed through and into places that left drivers in smaller vehicles gasping.

Put that down to its big friendly mirrors, acoustic guidance, the reversing camera and generally good field of vision all round. Backing the Colorado down the narrow, challenging driveway at home was accomplished with relatively little fuss. When called upon to thread its way between a parked car on the left and another car making a right turn, the Colorado did so without risk to its panels or those of the third-party vehicles.

About the only niggle was the tendency for the reversing camera display to be obscured by rain droplets on the camera lens.

Quite simply, the Colorado in this specification is a vehicle you could live with every day, whether going bush or picking up the kids from school during the week. Its length – exacerbated by the tow bar fitted – is likely to pose problems when parallel parking, but otherwise the Holden is not a vehicle you would hesitate to drive down the cobblestone laneways in the vicinity of the carsales HQ. Nor is it so tall that you'll take out a sprinkler head in an underground car park. Granted, these attributes are also true of the Colorado's many competitors...

Ride comfort falls somewhere between the supple settings of the Ford Ranger Wildtrack and the firmer calibration of the Volkswagen Amarok TDI 580 compared late last year. Holden has achieved real balance with its suspension tuning for the Colorado, which will soak up hefty thumps – like speed humps, for instance – without crashing through.

Yet there's also enough compliance to cope well with secondary-level bumps and potholes. The damper rates are well chosen too, with the Colorado resisting pitch and roll until it's being punted pretty hard into a bend, and the Bridgestone Dueller 265/60 R18 tyres deliver reasonably quiet and comfortable ride properties – and still change direction. They also offered decent traction for forging ahead on a stretch of rocky four-wheel drive track.

The Colorado's steering and brakes both inspire confidence, even though the braking system is a disc/drum combination. There's enough feedback from the steering to hold the Colorado at the straight ahead without constantly micro-managing its course.

Holden has also fettled traction and stability control systems to keep the Colorado safely on track, even in the wet, and with zero payload in the back. In fact, traction on wet bitumen is much better than that of a Mazda BT-50 tested three years ago. It reflects Holden’s involvement with developing the locally-delivered Colorado. If there's any concern at all with the Colorado's active safety kit, it's the lack of autonomous emergency braking – a feature the Triton offers.

The Colorado's auto wipers worked well, but the one-tonner's headlights are not what buyers want in a vehicle costing over $50,000. High-beam did little to pick out the wildlife (kangaroos) by the side of the road until the critters were well within the Colorado's wet-weather emergency braking distance. On low beam the halogen lights were passable in the suburbs, but would be better producing more candlepower where it counts – down a country road.

The 2.8-litre diesel powering the Holden Colorado in 2019 is not as refined as Ford's 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder in the Ranger, but nor is it short of output. It's a grumbly old thing, however, and rattly at times, even when warmed up. At 100km/h it remains audible as a low droning noise, running at around 1600rpm. And joining the powertrain at that speed is the significant wind noise, along with some tyre roar.

Under full load the engine is loud, but no worse than the 3.2-litre five-cylinder in the Ranger. And it's more responsive than the five-pot Ranger, faster to spool up the turbo for the appropriate power delivery.

The test vehicle's diesel engine drove through a six-speed automatic transmission that was not the smoothest example of its kind. At times it would shift clumsily, accompanied by a sharp shunt. Those who have driven the Triton say that the Mitsubishi's new six-speed auto is a significantly better box – and then there's the 10-speed unit in the 2.0-litre Ranger. But the Colorado's slushbox basically gets the job done.

The healthy performance of the Colorado's powertrain comes at a slight cost. Around town, fuel consumption was over 11L/100km (11.2) and the trip computer posted a figure of 9.7L/100km on the same test loop that saw the flagship Amarok V6 from our comparison finish at 8.9L/100km.

Side steps fitted to the Holden Colorado LTZ make climbing in easier for passengers who fall short of the average height. And the rear doors are large enough for adults to take their seats quickly and efficiently.

Recalling once more our recent comparison of the better equipped Ranger and Amarok, the Colorado comes up short for driver's seat comfort. Initially, the seat seems to measure up, but it quickly becomes apparent that the seat base could use more support under the thighs at the front of the cushion. Furthermore, there's no adjustment for lumbar support, so there's a good chance the driver will start to fidget and shift in the seat after an hour or so on the road.

There's no reach adjustment for the steering column, but nor is this offered in the Ranger or Mazda BT-50. Nevertheless, it is sorely missed in the Colorado, with the wheel at arms' length, even up close and personal with the pedals.

The other controls and instrumentation work better; the infotainment system requires little explanation and can be used immediately without recourse to the owners' manual. All controls are located correctly and buttons are labelled in a large font that's easy to read. A button in the end of the indicator stalk scrolls through trip computer functions (including a digital speedo readout) and resets data to zero when held down.

Among its major competitors the Colorado offers seven airbags, placing the Holden on equal footing with the Triton and Navara. That extra bag is one to protect the driver's knee in the event of a crash.

Satellite navigation is standard for the Colorado at this level. Seat warmers for the two front seats are nice to have in the midst of a Melbourne winter. There's a USB port in the centre console bin, under the armrest and a 12-Volt power outlet at the rear of the console, to serve rear-seat passengers.

There are no adjustable vents in the rear, however, and the bottle-holders in the doors are unsuitable for cups or larger bottles. There's a fold-down armrest back there, but no integrated cupholders.

The rear-seat accommodation is roomy enough for adults and there's plenty of kneeroom, but the seat is set relatively low, which results in those with longer legs seated with their thighs slightly raised, even with toes poked under the front seats. Access to the rear seat is straightforward and accommodation is certainly an improvement on the Toyota HiLux, but the Colorado lacks the Amarok's grab handles on the B pillars.

On one cold evening the Colorado's windscreen began fogging up – despite the heating on and fresh air flowing in from outside. It was necessary to switch on the air conditioning for the glass to clear.

At the very rear, the Colorado has a full-size spare underneath, and a soft tonneau over the load tub, which is protected by a durable spackle-style lining. The tailgate is light enough to lift and lower with ease, and there is a tie-down shackle in each corner of the tub.

Holden's five-year warranty is at best level-pegging with most of the competitors in the Colorado's market segment, but can't match its brother under the skin, the Isuzu D-MAX. Nor does it measure up against Triton and SsangYong Musso.

But at the right price the Colorado LTZ is a decent package that is leaving its mark in the segment. And in Holden's current situation the Colorado certainly does need to take the battle back to the competitive brands in its segment.

How much does the 2019 Holden Colorado LTZ dual-cab 4WD cost?
Price: $52,690 (plus on-road costs), $54,450 (as tested)
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/500Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.0L/100km (ADR Combined), 9.7L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 230g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five star (ANCAP, 2016)

>> Holden Colorado ute range updated – Australian pricing
>> Holden Colorado LSX 2019 Review - Australia
>> Holden Colorado LSX 2019 Video Review
>> 2019 Best Dual-Cab 4WD Ute: The Verdict