The 2016 Chevrolet Colorado is getting two special-edition models, the Midnight Edition, and the tough-sounding Trail Boss. Cool names aside, though, the changes made for the two new models are mostly cosmetic. While Chevy did show the off-road-ready ZR2 concept at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, it seems to be holding off on a production version of anything that serious.
Designed to match the larger Silverado Midnight Edition, the Colorado Midnight Edition gets a black-finished grille, Chevy Bowtie emblem, and 18-inch alloy wheels finished in black, which is also the only available paint color, naturally. The package is offered on LT models with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and all three available engines.
That includes the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which produces 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, the 3.6-liter V6 (305 hp and 269 lb-ft) and, when it becomes available, the 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel four (181 hp, 369 lb-ft). All are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Colorado Trail Boss builds on the off-road focused Z71 model with more aggressive tires and some styling bits straight out of the 1980s. If you were around for the Reagan Administration, you probably remember when every pickup needed a fake roll bar with spot lights on it. Well, everything old is new again.
The Trail Boss does look pretty cool sporting this once-popular piece of truck jewelry. It also gets fender flares, a blacked-out grille emblem and 17-inch alloy wheels, and tubular side steps. Those steps — along with the fairly low air dam shared with other Z71 Colorados — might get in the way on the trail.
Like the Midnight Edition, the Trail Boss is available with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and with extended or crew cabs. It can also be specified with any engine. Both Colorado special editions should hit showrooms in the coming months.
