JULIAN, Calif. – The all-new, 2023 Chevrolet Colorado would possibly seem to be it’s following on the heels of its huge brother, the Silverado, however don’t be so positive. You see, whereas it’s true that the current-generation Silverado was the primary Chevy truck to get GM’s 2.7-liter turbo engine three years in the past, the large 4 was truly developed with the next-generation Colorado in thoughts. It was additionally the Colorado’s new inside that influenced the design route of the Silverado’s quasi-emergency redo a yr in the past – not the opposite manner round. Mainly, we’ve been getting a gradual preview of this midsize pickup with out even understanding it.
That is essential as a result of it illustrates that Chevy meant for the Colorado to be a extra distinctive, much less Mini Me sort of midsize truck. Not less than the Silverado didn’t steal its exterior styling cues, that are younger, athletic and harder with out going excessive with machismo (see Silverado HD). You’ll be able to see the affect of the Toyota Tacoma right here, or no less than the affect of how way more profitable it’s regardless of not being significantly good. Individuals who purchase these accomplish that partly as a result of it’s smaller than a full-sizer, appreciating the superior maneuverability and off-road functionality. Additionally they dig the accompanying look that undoubtedly isn’t only a miniaturized Tundra.
This new Colorado is way extra Tacoma-like in that regard, whereas being lots higher on the form of staple items Toyota’s wildly standard little pickup isn’t. The driving place isn’t glued to the ground just like the Tacoma’s, the backseat legroom is enough, inside know-how is state-of-the-art courtesy of Google, the trip is smoother, and the engine is quieter and extra environment friendly. Its hill-descent management additionally doesn’t sound like small weapons fireplace is emanating from below the entrance bumper when in operation. Which is all to say that the Colorado is attempting to steal a number of the Tacoma’s lunch cash, and if there’s any justice on the earth, it completely ought to. It’s a greater truck.
With that apparent comparability out of the way in which, although, let’s dig deeper into this all-new Colorado’s particulars. That 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four is now the one engine accessible, changing the previous truck’s naturally aspirated inline-four and V6, and turbodiesel. “Solely engine” isn’t precisely correct, although, as there are three states of tune. The bottom model, commonplace on the Work Truck and LT trim ranges, produces 237 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. Whereas clearly superior to the previous unhappy sack NA 4 banger (200 hp, 191 lb-ft), it nonetheless feels on the gutless aspect and suffers from excessive throttle delay accompanied by an awfully mushy pedal. Perhaps it was simply our explicit take a look at truck, however this model of the engine might have some tweaking.
The mid-level model or “2.7 Turbo Plus” isn’t only a software program flash – there are certainly further elements concerned, together with a piston-cooling squirter that’s not wanted within the decrease output model, and a number of other noise-quelling bits of froth. There are nonetheless totally different 1s and 0s concerned, too, and all of it quantities to an engine that produces 310 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. That may be extra energy than the outgoing V6 and extra torque than the previous turbodiesel. That positive appears like mission achieved, no less than on paper.
Out on the highway, this 2.7 responds significantly better to throttle inputs and is suitably gutsy for a truck. Chevy estimates that the majority trim ranges and drivetrain combos ought to hit 60 mph in lower than 7 seconds. The eight-speed automated does are inclined to upshift too rapidly when momentarily lifting off the throttle whereas touring on a grade (a sport mode could be good, although there’s a Tow/Haul mode that ought to in concept deal with that whereas towing and/or hauling).
Chevy says Silverado clients complained that the two.7-liter didn’t sound sufficient like a truck engine, so engineers tried to deal with that within the Colorado (by 2024, the two.7-liter can be an identical in each vehicles). For those who suppose a truck engine ought to sound like a diesel, nicely, mission achieved there too, because you get a really turbodiesel-like wastegate whistle adopted by the growl of the engine kicking it. All that untimely upshifting could make this noise a bit annoying in sure steady-state cruising conditions as each throttle tip-in is accompanied by the whistle-growl. With a heavier foot, although, the two.7 nonetheless completely appears like a direct-injected four-cylinder engine. A duck is a duck is a duck. Not less than it’s a extremely highly effective duck.
And it may possibly get much more highly effective with the two.7 Turbo Excessive Output, this time 100% the results of a software program flash you could truly get from a supplier after your preliminary buy. It produces the identical 310 hp, however torque will get kicked as much as 430 lb-ft. That is the setup that may come commonplace on the range-topping, desert-storming ZR2, which we didn’t get to drive this go-around, however all different trims might be optioned with it. Sure, even the Work Truck.
Looking on the trim lineup, it’s clear simply how standard off-roading is to midsize truck consumers (or no less than the looks of having the ability to off-road). Of the six Colorado trim ranges, 4 are of the extra rugged selection. The Path Boss, a brand new trim that truly was inherited from Silverado, builds off the Work Truck’s surprisingly first rate function content material with a 2-inch manufacturing facility carry, a 3-inch-wider monitor, commonplace four-wheel drive, off-road drive modes (Off-Street for slick surfaces and Terrain for rougher ones), an automated locking rear diff, hill-descent management, restoration hooks, and distinctive styling components together with greater fender flares, a number of gloss black trim and 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain rubber. We drove a Path Boss with the non-obligatory mud terrain tires, which didn’t add as a lot further noise as we have been anticipating, however you do discover the firmer reactions to pavement imperfections that in flip ship extra vibrations via the truck’s body. Apart from that, this body-on-frame pickup with rear leaf springs comports itself nicely when it comes to each trip and dealing with. It’s moderately composed, snug and civilized.
Its midsize dimensions additionally make it much more maneuverable than a full-sizer, a indisputable fact that we in all probability appreciated most whereas traversing a rutted path east of San Diego. We didn’t have to fret about scraping the paint on shrubs, and it was a lot simpler to keep away from huge rocks or ruts. There’s completely no comparability whereas parking.
Then again, you’re clearly giving up a ton of house by going with the Colorado versus a Silverado. The Colorado additionally solely presents one physique mixture now: crew cab and what beforehand would’ve been generally known as a brief mattress. Its 61.7-inch size is best-in-class for a brief mattress, however if you need an extended mattress with a crew cab, you’ll must go together with a Tacoma or Nissan Frontier.
Inside, it’s an excellent factor that the Silverado acquired its model of this design motif first, as a result of all of us would’ve been writing “the Colorado now has a greater inside than the pricier Silverado.” As it’s, they’re actually associated aesthetically, however the cheaper Colorado has much more exhausting plastic all through, most notably on the doorways and middle console. The proper aspect of the sprint has it, too, within the Work Truck and Path Boss (pictured above), however it will get changed by good, padded pleather within the LT and Z71 with color-accent stitching.
Each Colorado does, nevertheless, function the identical 11.3-inch touchscreen as higher trim stage Silverados, together with its working system by Google. Navigation is due to this fact the Google Maps interface you’re used to, pure voice instructions come courtesy of Google Assistant, and the general person interface is simple sufficient to determine. We respect, although, that GM has stored its identical common radio structure that includes digital preset buttons below track/station data. As a refresher, the working system could also be a standard Android Automotive one shared by a number of manufacturers, however it’s reskinned so {that a} Chevrolet and Volvo don’t look and even operate completely the identical.
It additionally will get distinctive function content material, together with off-road-specific car data pages and a large number of accessible digital camera angles. The Colorado Z71, which is principally a ritzier Path Boss, can add a novel under-body digital camera and a low-mounted ahead digital camera to go together with the common ahead and rear cameras accessible on the Path Boss. You’ll be able to cut up these numerous feeds (the 2 ahead feeds would’ve been significantly useful when inching as much as a blind drop-off if the decrease digital camera hadn’t been caked in mud), or go together with side-by-side views of the entrance or rear wheels.
Different highlights embody a damped tailgate with an accessible storage compartment and the flexibility to cease half-way in its journey to prop up an extended surfboard, plywood, and so forth. The entrance overhang can also be shorter now and the spare tire lifted greater off the bottom, enhancing strategy and departure angles, respectively. It additionally as soon as once more has a detachable entrance air dam for improved clearance, however it’ll undoubtedly be much less needed now because it doesn’t dangle as perilously near the bottom. The creatively scalloped hood doesn’t simply look attention-grabbing, however it’s a compromise between the aesthetic preferences for a tough-guy, high-hood look and visibility advantages of a decrease hood.
Again in 2019, we positioned the outgoing Colorado third out of 4 in a midsize truck comparability take a look at. We appreciated its trip, dealing with and utility, however discovered its engine to be simply OK and its inside in severe want of a modernization and high quality enchancment. Effectively, these positives have been maintained and people negatives have been addressed. Would it not be sufficient to topple that take a look at’s winner, the then-new (for the U.S., anyway) Ford Ranger? We are able to’t know for positive, however the odds could be in its favor contemplating its comparable pricing. On the very least, we might’ve vastly most popular the Colorado’s look. Oh, and by the way in which: The truck that got here in final in that comparability practically 4 years in the past? That may be the Tacoma. It actually shouldn’t stand an opportunity now … so long as clients are keen to offer this Colorado an opportunity.
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