It’s been a while since a truck has been covered on Digital Trends – and for good reason.
Although today’s trucks are more efficient and tech-savvy than ever before, they broadly miss that certain je ne sais quoi, that certain x-factor, that might make them DT worthy. That is, until now.
I proudly present to you the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado.
Over the last several years, America’s ‘Big Three’ slowly phased out the mid-size truck, preferring to sell full-size trucks instead. It wasn’t that buyers didn’t want mid-size trucks. Instead, automakers would rather up-sell consumers into a full-size rather than cannibalize their own full-size truck lines with hugely capable and efficient mid-sizers.
Delightfully, Chevrolet has changed its mind on this matter and plans to reintroduce the mid-size Colorado to showrooms in the fall of 2014.
The 2015 Colorado isn’t simply a reboot of an old model; it’s all new. Following its big brother, the new Silverado, the Colorado has been designed specifically for the North American market.
Accordingly, it offers three engines: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that is rated at 193 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque; a 3.6-liter V6 making 302 hp and 270 lb-ft.; and a DURAMAX 2.8-liter inline four-cylinder diesel engine that will be offered Stateside in 2016. All of these engines will be mated to a six-speed automatic and will send power to the rear wheels or to all four, if optioned with 4×4.
While we’re wildly excited about the optional diesel powerplant, it’s all the other forward-thinking features that have us adrenalized here at DT.
The 2014 Colorado offers a slew of segment-first technologies, including available forward collision alert and lane departure warning that both improve driving safety. Another exclusive is the aluminum hood that improves front-to-rear weight balance. The last segment exclusive is the active aero grille shutters, which close at certain highway speeds to enhance aerodynamics.
The impressive attention to technical detail continues inside the cabin. Aiming straight at the youth market, Chevrolet included an eight-inch color touch screen with multiple USB slots that supports navigation, and next-generation OnStar and MyLink enhancements with gesture recognition and voice recognition. If that weren’t enough, Chevy includes a backup camera as standard.
As for the truck-y bits, the 2015 Colorado will be offered in “an extended cab model with a six-foot bed, a crew cab with a five-foot bed and a crew cab with a six-foot bed. With the tailgate down, the six-foot bed allows eight-foot-long items to be hauled within the vehicle.” No matter which bed size you choose, though, the Colorado boasts a class-leading towing capacity of over 6,7000 pounds, which Chevy is quick to point out is more than enough for a “weekend’s worth of camping gear in the bed and tow a boat to a favorite lake.” Or, for our purposes, an electric motor cycle and a 65-inch flat screen TV.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve longed yearned for an all-new truck that not only fit your urban lifestyle but could also handle your weekend warrior yearnings. The all-new Colorado seems to do it all. It has short, 41-foot turning radius and a center console large enough to stow a tablet. It’s a capable truck that boasts a realistic exterior dimension. And, with a diesel engine offering, it’s efficient and somewhat eco-friendly.
So there we have it: a truck finally worthy of Digital Trends’ admiration. If, eight years ago, you had come to me and said that Chevrolet would not only champion vehicle electrification but also mid-size, diesel-powered trucks, I would have thought you mad. And yet here we are. Go figure.
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