Colorado Canyon, USA - MT's TOTY Back-to-Back

[YSSMAN]

Well, Chevrolet has gone and done it again. Although the rest of the world has had to deal with the Malibu-styled Colorado up until now, GM made sure to "do it right" when they introduced the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado to our shores...

It's the small(er) sized pickup that you didn't know you need, but suddenly now want! Traditional options are a plenty... Corporate 2.5L I4 and 3.6L V6, and HO-LEE-COW, a 2.8L DIESEL coming in the near-future! What is this, YUROPE?

It's a real truck! For real Americans! Who don't want a big Silverado!

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE


Long story short... I really dig this truck.

 

[Zenith]

Looks pretty good. They seem to be taking some styling cues from their Japanese competitors.

 

[BKGlover]

That'd be Tacoma and Frontier territory, more former than latter, so while it does look great, much better than the Silverado IMO, good luck with that.

 

[Tornado]

So is it actually notably different in size and efficiency from the full sizers like the Ranger was, or will it immediately descend into the same "why didn't I just get a real truck" mediocrity like everything in that segment that isn't the Tacoma for the past 10 years has suffered from?

 

[RocZX]

It looks all right.

The only thing that bothers me is the Grand Cherokee style head lights....

 

[BKGlover]

The fluff says it's based on the Silverado, but simply smaller. My guess best guess would be "Why didn't I get the normal truck?" I get the appeal of a smaller truck, but this market doesn't want any part of it, especially when those who buy them as status symbols, or are compensating for something, take it from stock to...

...and this is the minimum that they do. The market they want is dead. Until yesterday, the only new Frontiers I saw were being used by O'reilly's. Tacomas get bought a bit, but neither has any standing around here.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Frontiers are all over the place here. Not sure how well they sell, but I do see them all over. And occasionally I'll mumble to myself about wanting a NISMO version...

 

[Tornado]

The fluff says it's based on the Silverado, but simply smaller. My guess best guess would be "Why didn't I get the normal truck?" I get the appeal of a smaller truck, but this market doesn't want any part of it, especially when those who buy them as status symbols, or are compensating for something, take it from stock to.

Well, the appeal has to be there in the product delivered. When you're smaller truck gets the same mileage, costs about the same, is smaller and isn't really as useful because it was clearly developed as an afterthought than the equivalent full size truck, what's the point (see: last generation Dakota). A lot of that is status symbol stuff, but a lot is "practical" concerns as well.

Businesses loved the Ranger because it was the last truly compact pickup on the market, but it could still do most of the work as the big trucks in light applications (like landscaping). But Ford obviously wasn't making much money on selling the things to Napa, and with no one else making anything that competed with it anymore, why bother updating it when by discontinuing it you can probably sell them on an entry level F150 instead?

 

[Adamgp]

I'm liking it.

Is that the official engine lineup? I wish the would have used the new 4.3 V6 from the Silverado instead.

 

[DeathSmiles]

That's a pretty attractive truck, and I don't say that often.

 

[acascianelli]

GM needs to drop the twin turbo 3.6L from the VSport in this and call it a Syclone. It would have been nice to see the new 4.3L under the hood too, but I'd rather have a diesel.

 

[Keef]

Small trucks are a good idea. Our big pickups are getting retarded big now, to the point where most people have difficulty navigating in parking lots. Hopefully the diesel does come to our shores because I think it would be a good selling point.

 

[YSSMAN]

So is it actually notably different in size and efficiency from the full sizers like the Ranger was, or will it immediately descend into the same "why didn't I just get a real truck" mediocrity like everything in that segment that isn't the Tacoma for the past 10 years has suffered from?

My understanding is that it's small enough to be smaller, but not so small that you're thinking you should have bought something bigger. So, Tacoma sized, probably. Based on things that I've read everywhere, it sounds like GM wants to make it the most fuel-friendly, capable, everyman truck on the market... Maybe even more acceptable than the Silverado. "Properly equipped," apparently it'll tow 6,700 lbs, which I assume is using the 3.6L V6 with some kind of tow package on the 4X4. Not bad, for a "little" truck.

[EDIT: Car and Driver says the thing is five inches narrower, three inches lower, and 900 lbs lighter than the Silverado. So, "smaller."]

I think the bigger question has to be price compared to the Silverado. The big brother starts around $23,500 in WT trim with the V6. Other trucks in the market start right around $18k, I wouldn't expect this to be any more or any less. If you could get a moderately equipped LT with the 2.5L and 4X4 for less than $22k, well, that'd be an outright steal.

Is that the official engine lineup? I wish the would have used the new 4.3 V6 from the Silverado instead.

- 2.5L I4 - 193 BHP
- 3.6L V6 - 302 BHP
- 2.8L Diesel I4 - Unannounced power, but in international markets makes 186 BHP and nearly 350 lb/ft of torque.

That's the official lineup.

The diesel doesn't become available until a bit after the other two, so, it'll probably end up being a 2016 model by then. Interestingly enough, I had been under the impression that the Silverado was getting lower end diesel power as well, but, I'm guessing GM will test the waters with this instead.

The biggest misstep might be that they're only offering it with a six-speed automatic. Not that the unit is bad, but, some of us like to row it ourselves. *sigh*

GM needs to drop the twin turbo 3.6L from the VSport in this and call it a Syclone. It would have been nice to see the new 4.3L under the hood too, but I'd rather have a diesel.

I'm not entirely sure if they're doing a GMC version of the Colorado (I assume that they will), but I don't think you're far off from GM doing it again. They got such a positive response from that sport truck concept this year, I think they'd be dumb not to at least show off a concept. At the very least, someone will be doing it at SEMA next year. I guarantee it.

 

[MoLiEG]

It's been ages since Chevrolet made a great looking pick-up truck... I approve 👍

 

[Joey D]

I like it, although I think it's still too big.

Now we just need one about 6" lower with full time AWD and a turbo 6 so we can have a modern Syclone. Now that's something I'd spend money on.

 

[YSSMAN]

Now we just need one about 6" lower with full time AWD and a turbo 6 so we can have a modern Syclone. Now that's something I'd spend money on.

How long did we go before we got the sporty Colorado last time? They'll do something... This one is almost too obvious for them not to do.

Still, wait for the Canyon. We know it's coming:

 

[Slash]

I slightly like that interior.

 

[YSSMAN]

Minus the shifter from the 2005 GMC Envoy, it's damn-near perfect for what it needs to be.

 

[Nicksfix]

Pretty good looking truck. Styling / interior are very nice. I think GM might do fairly well with this one.

Now comes a question. For the mid size pick-up truck market, what will Dodge and Ford counter with ? Dodge may counter with a revised Dakota. By this, I mean offering up a smaller Cummins turbo for the diesel fans. Ford is pretty much left out there in no mans land with nothing. Ford engineers to the drawing board ... needing a mid size truck for the market. Will Ford and Dodge bite on this one, or will they sit back and see what occurs with the sales of GM's new mid size offering ?

 

[Joey D]

Ford is pretty much left out there in no mans land with nothing. Ford engineers to the drawing board ... needing a mid size truck for the market.

Ford has a truck:

They'd just need to build it in the US because of the Chicken Tax law thing or whatever it's called.

 

[Nicksfix]

Ford has a truck:

They'd just need to build it in the US because of the Chicken Tax law thing or whatever it's called.

Agreed, but will they use this a counter measure ? I personally think they should. Especially if the GM takes off.

 

[niky]

Ford will never bring in the Ranger. It's too big. They'd only be cannibalizing F150 sales.

The 2.8 diesel no longer makes 186 hp. It now makes two hundred horsepower and five hundred fig newtons of torque. With an automatic, the 4x2 Colorado 2.8 can hit 60 mph in under nine seconds. It's a very satisfying motor and a whole lot better than the 3.2 in the Ranger.

 

[Keef]

Ford has a truck:

Question: Why do the Chevy and Ford look exactly the same? Every detail from the minivan-like softy fascia to the little kink in the rear side windows. It's weird how much they look alike. What up with that?

 

[Joey D]

Question: Why do the Chevy and Ford look exactly the same? Every detail from the minivan-like softy fascia to the little kink in the rear side windows. It's weird how much they look alike. What up with that?

Aerodynamics I'd would guess. It's why all those hybrid things like the Prius all look the same too.

 

[RocZX]

Still, wait for the Canyon. We know it's coming:

Why didn't they unveil it in LA?
They also unveiled Chevy and GMC cars together.
The next auto show is in Detroit in January, that is more then 2 months away. Why wait that long to show the GMC version of same truck?

 

[MoLiEG]

Ford has a truck:

They'd just need to build it in the US because of the Chicken Tax law thing or whatever it's called.

Ford Ranger. Yes, another good looking & small pick up truck...

Hard to choose between this one and the Ranger...

 

[Endless-Wilso]

GM needs to drop the twin turbo 3.6L from the VSport in this and call it a Syclone. It would have been nice to see the new 4.3L under the hood too, but I'd rather have a diesel.

Well put one in yourself


This makes things really hard for me being a big Nissan and Chevy guy liking the Silverado as a full size truck and the Frontier as a "small" truck but This now with a disel

Would of been cool though if it was a inline 5 instead of a four .

Im lovin this truck

 

[YSSMAN]

Why didn't they unveil it in LA?
They also unveiled Chevy and GMC cars together.
The next auto show is in Detroit in January, that is more then 2 months away. Why wait that long to show the GMC version of same truck?

I'm not sure why they wouldn't show them off together, but, GMC typically gets their big announcements with Buick in Chicago (February) each year. They'll probably bump it up to Detroit, but, who knows. I'm willing to bet it will look a little better, be a little more expensive, and maybe be the one where they go, "HEY REMEMBER THE SYCOLONE?"

 

[Blackbird.]

Long story short... I really dig this truck.

I agree. Not two days before this was announced I was thinking to myself if one of the big three come out with a new small pickup with a diesel option id seriously consider it as a second car, and become my primary DD. It looks good too!

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm a little concerned that GM might repeat what they did with the Cruze Diesel and make it a super-premium model, on one of these, I don't think it's a good idea at all. Although it's likely to be the better powertrain of the three, that doesn't mean I want a "lets see if we can make this nicer than your house" edition truck.