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There’s an old adage in the automobile business that applies as well to pickup trucks like the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado: you want a small vehicle to drive big and a big one to drive small.
The new Colorado, with its fraternal sibling GMC Canyon, is the first of what could become a revival among pickups. It is classified as a mid-size, which is almost laughable because the Z71 Crew Cab model tested here is nearly 18 feet long.
With a longer cargo box, it stretches to almost 19 feet.
Nevertheless, it is way smaller than a full size pickup and does drive small with a nimble feel, quick handling, tight turning circle and a decent ride, even empty. The tester is about two feet shorter than its full size Silverado sibling and about two feet longer than the best selling midsize Toyota Camry sedan.
With four doors, five passenger seating, a quiet interior and a 17/24/20 city/highway/combined mpg fuel economy rating, it could substitute for a family car, albeit one with an open air cargo box capacity of 41 cubic feet, or about three times what you can carry in a mid-size car. And that’s just up to the gunwales.
The Colorado also qualifies as a hard worker. The test truck had a 1,590 pound payload, or more than three quarters of a ton. It also is rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.
General Motors took a chance breaking into the midsize pickup truck market. Competitors like the Ford Ranger and Dodge Dakota fell out of favor and were terminated, partly because incentives on full size pickups narrowed the price gap to the point where a buyer could get one of the big boys for almost the same money as a mid-size.
As a result, the mid-size choices were reduced to two: Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. But they prove that there still are buyers out there. Though largely unchanged for nearly a decade, they still sell in substantial numbers. The Tacoma is on a pace for sales of 150,000 in 2014. The Frontier is running at an annual rate of more than 72,000.
Overall, 12.5 million mid-size pickups still ply U.S. highways, according to research by General Motors. So the idea was to appeal to those buyers, some of whom are put off by how big full size trucks have become.
The Colorado and GMC Canyon are all new, with three versions in various trim levels with rear or four wheel drive: Extended Cab, which has a 6 feet 2 inch cargo box, two small rear-opening back doors and a couple of tiny back seats; the Crew Cab four door with the 5 feet 2 inch cargo box, and the Crew Cab with the 6 feet 2 inch cargo box.
There’s also a Colorado Extended Cab rear drive work truck that comes with the standard 200 hp, 2.5-liter four cylinder engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. It has vinyl upholstery and floor mats but the $20,995 price tag—the lowest in the lineup—includes a rear view camera, six-speaker audio system and a power driver’s seat.
The tested Z71 Crew Cab with four wheel drive is powered by a 305 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 with 269 lb.-ft. of torque and the six speed automatic transmission. At the top of the line, it came equipped with full safety equipment as well as GM’s OnStar communications system, navigation, automatic climate control, attractive cloth seats with vinyl trim, remote starting, easy lift tailgate and assorted other comfort and convenience features. All that brought the suggested price to $34,990.
Both the Colorado and Canyon, for now, enjoy the exclusivity of being the only pickup trucks available with factory installed 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity. Up to seven devices can be connected through the OnStar system.
Although the Colorado is smaller than full size pickups, it’s still tall enough to require, for some people, a step up. Chevrolet dealers offer two types of fixed running boards, which work fine but protrude about four inches on each side of the truck, making the truck eight inches wider down where you can’t see them.
The Colorado is expected to be the GM midsize sales leader. Customers who want a somewhat classier ride can choose the Canyon, which has about a $1,400 higher price tag.
With its combination of modern technology and maneuverable size, the Colorado is poised to win new customers and conquer competitors.
Specifications
- Model: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD Z71 Crew Cab pickup truck.
- Engine: 3.6-liter V6, 305 hp, 269 lb-ft torque.
- Transmission: Six-speed automatic.
- Overall length: 17 feet 9 inches.
- Weight: 4,380 pounds.
- Payload: 1,590 pounds.
- Cargo volume: 41 cubic feet.
- Towing capability: 3,500 pounds.
- EPA city/highway/combined fuel consumption: 17/24/20 mpg.
- Base price, including destination charge: $34,990.
- Price as tested: $34,990.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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