2023 Chevrolet Colorado First Drive: One of the Best Midsizers Asserts Itself

[Uparms]

2023 Chevrolet Colorado First Drive: One of the Best Midsizers Asserts Itself
The aging last-gen Colorado was solid. The new one gets fresh engines and new everything.

2023 Chevrolet Colorado First Drive: One of the Best Midsizers Asserts Itself (motortrend.com)


""There's A Clear Sweet Spot
After driving four of the five new Colorado trims, we can declare a sweet spot in the lineup: Z71. The Z71 trim features the more upscale interior of the LT, the Turbo Plus engine, standard ride height, standard track width, all-terrain tires, and the G80 automatic locking differential. Adding all of the popular technology and capability packages brings the price tag to right around $45,000, which is a fantastic value for a four-wheel drive midsize pickup that has what could be a best-in-class engine, a comfortable highway ride, off-road competence, and can tow up to 7,700 pounds"".

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[Uparms]

""One Engine, Three Distinct Flavors
While the second-generation Colorado was sold with three engine options, including a 2.5-liter I-4, 3.6-liter V-6, and a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel I-4, every new 2023 Colorado comes fitted with the same gas-fed turbocharged 2.7-liter I-4, plucked from the Silverado's engine family. If this strategy sounds familiar, it's because Ford also sells the Ranger with a single turbo I-4 engine. Chevy puts a twist on the concept, however, giving choice lovers three power outputs to pick from.

The base spec, dubbed Turbo, is standard on Colorado WT and LT trims, where it produces 237 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. In the mid-level slot is the Turbo Plus, which churns out 310 hp and 390 lb-ft; this version is standard on Colorado Z71 and Trail Boss trims, and optional for WT and LT. At the top end is the Turbo High-Output tune, which is standard on range-topping Colorado ZR2, and pumps out 310 hp and a mighty 430 lb-ft.

Customers who opt for trims with the Turbo Plus engine can feed $395 to their local Chevy dealer for an ECU flash that'll bump the torque output to the same 430 lb-ft as the ZR2's exclusive High-Output engine. That's right, customers opting for a base WT can upgrade to the Turbo Plus engine for just $1,185, then shell out under four hundred bucks more for a quick software update and drive home in a steel-wheel, basic pickup with 430 lb-ft of torque for less than $32,000. Where do we sign up?

Since the 2.7-liter's introduction in the Silverado in 2019, Chevrolet says more than 300,000 of the engines have been put into service. This newest generation improves upon the original design with a forged steel crankshaft, forged main bearing caps, tri-metal rod bearings, a stronger aluminum block with nodular iron cylinder sleeves, and newly designed cast aluminum pistons that feature an iron ring carrier and PVD-coater iron top ring. High-Output engines produce up to 27 psi of turbo boost pressure, while the Base and Plus make 10 and 20 psi, respectively. All three power output levels are achieved on standard 87-octane fuel"".

 

[ScottBeach]

Gas turbo for towing. I know it works but I'm old and can't accept it. N/A For towing. Grumping old man out.

 

[redline61]

I am really hoping that this turns out to be a great truck. This is 99% of what I want out of a truck at this stage and the price is pretty great. If I could get my hardtop to stop leaking on me in the rain I would be less tempted. Also, man I wish Jeep had better seats. I would miss my Gladiator a lot though.

 

[ZoMojave]

I am really hoping that this turns out to be a great truck. This is 99% of what I want out of a truck at this stage and the price is pretty great. If I could get my hardtop to stop leaking on me in the rain I would be less tempted. Also, man I wish Jeep had better seats. I would miss my Gladiator a lot though.

I hope you are correct. GM has had some real-world QC issues in recent years. I have two family members that had GMC Canyons a few years ago. One seized the engine (V6) due to poor oiling and the other had two transmissions withing a year. Needless to say, these trucks are no longer in the family.

Agreed that this kind of truck might fit my lifestyle better than a JT. I won't ever be removing my doors/top or folding my windshield down. My wife won't drive it due to the handling, lack of power and noisy cab among other things. However, it's just quirky enough that I would miss it and the attention that it gets. I am a Mopar guy and hoping for a new Dakota (ICE) on the JT mid-sized platform to return (there may finally be news on that next month).

With that said, the '23 GMC Canyon Denali is one sweet looking ride. And that interior, nice.

 

[Oilburner]

It will be interesting to see the h.o. 2.7L tow versus the Gladiator. Methinks the turbo will make the JT look pretty weak. Jeep needs an answer.

 

[Wet Willys]

I read that they may bring the Dakota back for 2024? That's probably Chrysler's answer to this.

 

[redriderjf87]

I thought it was a Taco when I first looked at the front end at that picture.

That's not a good thing.

 

[Chunky White]

The Trail Boss and ZR2 look pretty good in pictures. I have had a 2018 Colorado Z71 and 2021 Canyon AT4 and both were good vehicles in my opinion but the interiors were boring. I had zero issues with either vehicle which were bought new and my plan was to buy a 2023 but went with the Gladiator for the time being because none of my local dealers could give me a time frame on when I could get the truck I want which is a Z71 without the 20" wheels loaded out at 48k. I have owned two 3.5 Ecoboost F150 and if the smaller Colorado runs as good as they did I will be really interested. The new interior looks good in pictures also and I like the sunroof option

 

[FormerToyotaGuy]

I like it. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but this looks like a cool truck. Previous generations of the Chevrolet and even Ford with the Ranger look too rounded off and I was not a fan. I hope they upgraded the interior because it was in dire need of an upgrade. The new 1/2 tons interior was a welcomed upgrade.

 

[XJADDICTION]

Yes they are just awesome, now go take the top off of that Z-71 and … oh right, you can’t. Never mind, the z71 is just another mid sized boring truck and Chebbies are cheap for a reason… IMOP.of course.

 

[ZoMojave]

New video: First drive impressions 2023 Chevy Colorado

 

[legacy_etu]

I drove this drivetrain in the Silverado Trail Boss. I gotta say the power was decent but there was lousy tuning on the transmission and gas pedal. The pedal was like an on/off switch. Either you got a lot of power or very little. also, the transmission was tuned to get into a high gear quickly which caused it to lug the engine constantly. Very disappointing. Hopefully they spend some time tuning the thing better than it’s full size cousin.

 

[Mav4x4Chris]

The new Colorado is on my 'look at it closer' list if/when I decide to switch trucks again. I bought the Gladiator due to my previous experience with my 2016 JK that I had for 6 years / 90K miles. Also because of the mid size trucks, I thought it looked the best, and it had a roomier back seat. Nissan was too small, Toyota was too anemic, couldn't buy or order a Ranger to save my life, and the GM twins were getting to the end of their life span.

Now, with the Colorado being a much nicer looking truck in its newest form (inside and out), and some great power numbers with a factory tune available - I am curious now. Not to mention (at least online) a loaded out Z71 with all the bells and whistles costs slightly less than my cloth seat Sport did.

Of course, I don't take the doors or roof off of my Gladiator either. I just use it like a small truck when needed, and camp or do 'overland' or light wheeling type trips.

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