New King of Small Trucks?
Fox Car Report checks out the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado at the Los Angeles Auto Show with GM North American President Mark Reuss.
Los Angeles – Chevrolet has staked its claim to the small pickup truck market at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The 2015 Colorado is aimed to take on the best-selling Toyota Tacoma in its stronghold of Southern California and beyond.
The midsize truck is an Americanized version of a model that’s been sold globally since 2012, with a bold new face and a redesigned cabin that looks like a scaled down version of the one in the full-size Chevy Silverado.
The Colorado will be available with either an extended cab body style and six-foot bed, or a crew cab with a five or six foot bed. A tiered bed design allows for the use of racks or platforms to create multi-level loading and concealment of cargo.
Two and four-wheel-drive models will be offered across three trim levels, including an off-road style Z71. At launch, 193 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 302 hp 3.6-liter six-cylinder engines will be available, both with six-speed automatic transmissions, but a class-exclusive diesel option will be added in the Colorado’s second model year. Fuel economy has not been announced, but a properly equipped Colorado is expected to have a maximum tow rating of 6,700 pounds.
With the Colorado, GM is entering a segment recently abandoned by both Ford and Chrysler, which are trying to fill it with fuel efficient versions of their full-size pickups and small vans.
The Colorado will be joined next year by the not yet revealed GMC Canyon, which shares its platform, but will have a unique design and features.