SPY PICS: Holden Colorado 7 testing in Melbourne

Is there a major upgrade of the Holden Colorado 7 in the works?

That would explain these heavily disguised SUVs on Melbourne's Monash Freeway... not too distant from Holden's corporate HQ at Fishermens Bend and on the way to the company's proving ground at Lang Lang.

So much cladding points to far more significant sheet metal changes than the average midlife facelift. Whether we'll see the same extent of changes as in the North American Chevy Colorado remains to be seen – in more than one sense.

The two vehicles were snapped by eagle-eyed motoring.com.au reader Jesse Christie last week. Both vehicles are believed to be heavily updated versions of the Colorado 7. The live axle suspending the rear wheels of each remains – but there's no sign of leaf springs back there, indicating both are the coil-sprung SUV models rather than ute mules.

Holden is understood to have been testing an updated Colorado ute at Lang Lang, and that is anticipated to incorporate some of the technology and features of the North American Colorado . Given the Colorado 7 is essentially an SUV derivative of the Colorado, it will likely gain any new features for the Colorado, along with others perhaps.

Both vehicles pictured were right-hand drive and one bore the same pattern of dazzle camouflage seen adorning a Colorado ute spied overseas, so we're confident they're Holdens rather than Isuzus.

From what we can see, the Colorado 7 will remain true to the look of the current model around the flanks and the rear. But what's the bet there'll be some major changes around the front-end to justify all that cladding?