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.
The folks from Chevrolet were so excited to unveil their new midsize Colorado pickup truck last week that they forgot to mention one thing: it will be available with a manual transmission, Automotive News reports.
Chevy truck spokesperson Tom Wilkinson confirmed to FoxNews.com that the base version of the Colorado will be equipped with a six-speed stick along with its 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, putting it in direct competition with the bottom rung small pickups from Toyota and Nissan.
Aside from the extended cab two-wheel-drive WT (Work Truck) models, all Colorados will be offered only with a six-speed automatic transmission, either matched to the four-cylinder, a 3.6-liter V6 or a 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that will be on the options list in 2016.
Wilkinson says it’s too early to say if the manual will be the fuel economy leader, but it should help bring the price point as low as it can go. Pricing has not yet been announced, but Chevy is hoping to undercut its full-size Silverado trucks by as much as $5,000-$7,000 for similarly equipped vehicles when they go on sale next fall.
The Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier each offer five-speed manual transmissions in their entry-level models, which currently have starting prices under $19,000.
GM North America President Mark Reuss told Automotive News that, based on the history of the segment, offering a manual is probably not a "financially sound decision," but he thinks its worth the risk.