Holden Colorado LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab 2018 Review

It goes without saying that utes like the Holden Colorado are immensely practical, though not always for the increasing numbers of family buyers seeking to replace their SUV. As a trade or recreational vehicle, however, the Colorado certainly stacks up, with competitive payload and towing ability, and capable off-road credentials.

Tipping the scales at 2064kg (kerb) the Colorado LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab is rated to carry 1086kg in the tray and is able to tow up to 3500kg (braked) for a GCM of 6000kg. The Colorado’s tray bed features 1122mm of space between the rear wheel arches, 43mm fewer than the standard Australian pallet, only four tie-down points, and a soft tonneau cover. The tray measures 1540mm long by 1534mm wide and is 510mm deep.

Cabin accommodation sees seating for five on flat, broad pews (pictured with accessory neoprene seat covers at $760) with six-way electric adjustment for the driver. The steering column is tilt-adjustable only. Oddment and beverage stowage (pictured with accessory vent position cup-holders at $30) is about as good as it gets, and visibility is on par with most in this class (i.e. not brilliant), the large heated and electric-folding wing mirrors and standard reversing camera helping to reduce the blind-spot created by the tray when backing-up.

Holden’s one-tonne ute features modest underbody protection, hill-descent control, 215mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 600mm. Approach, ramp-over and departure angles are rated at 28, 22 and 22 degrees respectively, while the turning circle is listed at a considerable 12.7m. Unfortunately it lacks a locking rear diff, relying instead on a helical-type limited slip differential (LSD) that fails to perform when push really comes to shove.

Cost of Colorado 

The Colorado range spans $29,490 – $57,190 (plus on-road costs) with the LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab on test retailing for $52,690 or $53,240 (plus ORCs) in Blue Me Away prestige paint. Leather appointed and heated front seats are available for $1500.

Holden backs the Colorado range with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty (capped at 200,000km for non-retail buyers), which includes roadside assistance. Service intervals are set at nine months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) with capped-price servicing running to $2763.00 for the first 63 months.

Holden says the Colorado LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab consumes 8.6L/100km of diesel on the ADR Combined cycle, a fall of 0.5L/100km from the outgoing model's economy figure. The majority of reductions come courtesy of the six-speed automatic transmission’s earlier-locking centrifugal pendulum absorber torque converter. Six-speed manual models received a lower final drive ratio for increased performance (now 4.10:1).

According to redbook.com.au a five-year-old Colorado with up to 150,000km on the odometer will retain 44.8 per cent of its value come trade-in time. A comparable Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Double Cab holds 45.3 per cent of its new price during the same period while a Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 Double Cab maintains an impressive 56.1 per cent.

Mid-cycle updates yielded a five-star ANCAP safety rating for the Colorado when it was last tested in 2016. An improved pedestrian protection score joined an enhanced front crash structure, airbag configuration (front, side, curtain and driver’s knee) and passenger restraint system (three-point seatbelts all round), lifting the rating from four stars.

Trailer sway mitigation, lane departure assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and forward collision warning are all fitted, but not autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – which will be offered on the next Ford Ranger due later in September this year.

In-cabin technology sees an 8.0-inch touch screen power Holden’s MyLink infotainment array, accessing Bluetooth audio streaming and telephony, satellite navigation, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity. AM/FM/DAB+ radio, talk to text and a reversing camera also feature on the LTZ grade. Sound quality via the standard seven-speaker audio system is acceptable rather than brilliant.

Remote start (but a keyed ignition) and power windows, dusk-sensing halogen headlights, LED DRLs, front fog lights and LED tail lights keep things illuminated while single-zone climate control, and USB, 12 and 110-volt power outlets add to the Colorado’s cabin convenience.

Behind the wheel 

Unlike some of the Holden’s competitors, which offer petrol and diesel power, the Thai-built RG-series Colorado is available only with a 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel engine made by Italian manufacturer VM Motori.

Producing 147kW at 3600rpm and 500Nm at 2000rpm when mated to GM’s 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission (and 440Nm at 2000rpm in manual guise) the diesel powerplant received a light makeover in 2016, and remains the strongest four-cylinder engine in its class. Performance is strong right from the get-go, while reduced flare between ratios gives the transmission better shift resolution, especially on extended grades – far better than the transmission experience in the last Colorado I reviewed.

The Holden Colorado offers a convincing ride and handling balance (more in Innovation and design, below), aided in part by model-specific 265/60-aspect Bridgestone Dueler H/T low rolling resistance tyres.

In LTZ trim the Colorado features 18 x 7.5-inch alloy wheels (with matching spare wheel) with built-in tyre pressure monitoring. The braking system comprises discs at the front, rear drums and anti-locking, like the majority of players in this segment.

If there’s a significant downside to the Colorado, it’s the seat’s lack of under-thigh support and lack of steering column reach adjustment that conspire to make the driver restless behind the wheel on longer journeys. Continually slipping forward in the seat is almost as annoying as the Colorado’s climate control system, which in AUTO mode is incredibly reactive, running the blower at higher speeds than necessary and with little modulation in actual air temperature from the vents, in spite of the indicated reading on the display. It’s not the first time we’ve made this observation in a GM product…

While hardly innovative, Holden’s localisation of the current-generation Colorado and Trailblazer is a credit to its Aussie engineering team. Working within a relatively confined set of parameters the crew developed a ride and handling balance well suited to the myriad duties a light commercial utility can be expected to perform.

The electrically-assisted steering is likewise a highlight. The steering’s car-like response and faster rack (falling from 3.90 to 3.29 turns lock-to-lock) suit the iron-flat cornering ability of the Colorado, leaving enough feedback for accurate placement on loose gravel roads.

In spite of the body’s composure in bends, the softer springs and dihedral dampers of this updated model provide a well-mannered ride on even the lumpiest country roads. It’s all about control, and the Colorado has it in spades.

Design wise, the Colorado is familiar to the re-release of 2016, save for a restyled sports bar over the tray and a large, black COLORADO decal across the tailgate. The restyled instrument panel and more durable cloth seats remain a focus of the all-purpose Colorado interior, while the revised door seals and wing mirror scalps and gaskets improve wind acoustics for quieter highway cruising.

Despite its age, the Holden Colorado continues to meet the many and varied expectations of modern light commercial utility buyers.
It might miss out on crucial new safety technologies like autonomous emergency braking – and lack some of the better-finessed comfort and convenience features found in its rivals – but the Colorado performs all of the duties asked of it with little fuss, and drives with a degree of confidence some contemporaries could only hope to approach.

Holden is expected to renew the Colorado again in late 2019 or early 2020 with further exterior and interior styling tweaks, more safety technology, and improved connectivity and equipment levels. The availability of a sunroof, push-button ignition and a 10-speed automatic transmission are expected in the near future, most probably on a higher-grade/higher-powered variant, possibly dubbed Colorado ZR2 or Wildfire.

For the mainstream range it’s also expected there’ll be an increase in the number of engines offered, though not all will make it Down Under. Depending on the market, it’s understood the Colorado will be offered with GM’s new (231kW/471Nm) 2.7-litre four-cylinder L3B turbo-petrol, (230kW/373Nm) 3.6-litre V6 LGY petrol, and the carry-over (147kW/500Nm) 2.8-litre four-cylinder Duramax LWN turbo-diesel. Watch this space for more info soon.

2018 Holden Colorado LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab
Price: $52,690 (plus ORCs); $54,290 (as tested plus ORCs)
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/500Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.6L/100km (ADR Combined); 9.6L/100km (average as tested)
CO2: 228g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (tested 2016)