General Information
The Chevrolet Colorado and its corporate twin, the GMC Canyon, have tag-teamed the midsize truck market here in the U.S., causing a storm of attention with both consumers and media, while making rivaling automakers reevaluate their existing products.
Toyota, for example, has already debuted a heavily refreshed Tacoma for 2016 and Nissan is rumored to have a new Frontier waiting in the wings. While Toyota still has a slight lead over GM in terms of sales to date, the Colorado and Canyon are picking up speed, selling nearly some 37,000 trucks to Toyota’s 39,000 Tacomas so far this year.
Now I recently got to spend a week with the 2015 Colorado and put it through its paces, doing nearly every conceivable truck-like duty save for towing. My tester came loaded to the gills in the Z71 trim package, the V-6 engine and six-speed transmission, and $1,720 worth of optional extras.
As expected the Colorado held its own, but for the full report and tons of detailed info, keep reading.
Chevrolet designers have certainly done their homework here. The Colorado looks fun and sporty yet stern and serious, all at the same time. Its chiseled, handsome exterior gives plenty to look at while admiring how incredibly purposeful the design is. Frilly stuff is nearly non-existent while every inch is shaped to complete a job. The Colorado has spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel, as evidenced by the large lower air dam and the active grille shutters lurking just behind the bowtie. Even the rear wheels have air deflectors.
The Colorado looks fun and sporty yet stern and serious, all at the same time
The purposeful design carries around to the Colorado’s business end. The five-foot, two-inch bed on my tester came coated with the optional spray-on bed liner. A bevy of tie-down hooks come ready to hold cargo while the bed walls and fenders comes with slots for 2x4s, ready for a two-tier storage system. And in case you drive with the tailgate down, the bulkhead sports a bowtie, showing off its Chevy-ness. Like the Silverado, the Colorado comes with the intuitive CornerStep bumper and stake-pocket hand-grab. The system is by far the easiest to use for getting into and out of the bed.
Down below the bed lies the trailer hitch receiver. It’s accompanied by both a four- and seven-pin wiring connector located just left of the license plate. That location, though a smidge farther away from the trailer, works well at keeping the wiring connectors clear of damage from road hazards or off-road debris. Speaking of towing things, the Colorado Z71 comes standard with front tow hooks. The frame-mounted hooks loop through the bumper, yet are well exposed for access during a recovery event. Off-road adventures are a breeze for the Colorado, not only thanks to its 4WD system and aggressive all-terrain tires, but its high-riding body and admirable ground clearance, too.
The only issue the truck plaguing its capability is its approach angle. Thankfully, Chevy has designed the plastic air dam to be easily removed – or so I read. My tester came with the fasteners screwed down from the top, making it impossible to remove the air dam without first removing the bumper. (See Photo) Even still, the plastic is soft enough to deform when abused off road rather than breaking.
Toyota, for example, has already debuted a heavily refreshed Tacoma for 2016 and Nissan is rumored to have a new Frontier waiting in the wings. While Toyota still has a slight lead over GM in terms of sales to date, the Colorado and Canyon are picking up speed, selling nearly some 37,000 trucks to Toyota’s 39,000 Tacomas so far this year.
Now I recently got to spend a week with the 2015 Colorado and put it through its paces, doing nearly every conceivable truck-like duty save for towing. My tester came loaded to the gills in the Z71 trim package, the V-6 engine and six-speed transmission, and $1,720 worth of optional extras.
As expected the Colorado held its own, but for the full report and tons of detailed info, keep reading.
Chevrolet designers have certainly done their homework here. The Colorado looks fun and sporty yet stern and serious, all at the same time. Its chiseled, handsome exterior gives plenty to look at while admiring how incredibly purposeful the design is. Frilly stuff is nearly non-existent while every inch is shaped to complete a job. The Colorado has spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel, as evidenced by the large lower air dam and the active grille shutters lurking just behind the bowtie. Even the rear wheels have air deflectors.
The Colorado looks fun and sporty yet stern and serious, all at the same time
The purposeful design carries around to the Colorado’s business end. The five-foot, two-inch bed on my tester came coated with the optional spray-on bed liner. A bevy of tie-down hooks come ready to hold cargo while the bed walls and fenders comes with slots for 2x4s, ready for a two-tier storage system. And in case you drive with the tailgate down, the bulkhead sports a bowtie, showing off its Chevy-ness. Like the Silverado, the Colorado comes with the intuitive CornerStep bumper and stake-pocket hand-grab. The system is by far the easiest to use for getting into and out of the bed.
Down below the bed lies the trailer hitch receiver. It’s accompanied by both a four- and seven-pin wiring connector located just left of the license plate. That location, though a smidge farther away from the trailer, works well at keeping the wiring connectors clear of damage from road hazards or off-road debris. Speaking of towing things, the Colorado Z71 comes standard with front tow hooks. The frame-mounted hooks loop through the bumper, yet are well exposed for access during a recovery event. Off-road adventures are a breeze for the Colorado, not only thanks to its 4WD system and aggressive all-terrain tires, but its high-riding body and admirable ground clearance, too.
The only issue the truck plaguing its capability is its approach angle. Thankfully, Chevy has designed the plastic air dam to be easily removed – or so I read. My tester came with the fasteners screwed down from the top, making it impossible to remove the air dam without first removing the bumper. (See Photo) Even still, the plastic is soft enough to deform when abused off road rather than breaking.
