2023 Chevrolet Colorado Delivers Tougher Looks, Simpler Lineup

• All-new Chevrolet Colorado uses comfort and competence to take on the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma in the midsize truck wars.

• The new pickup gets the 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the full-size Silverado. It’s in production now and will be in showrooms soon, starting at $30,695.

• Sales of full-size trucks are dropping, while midsize models like the Colorado gain ground in a moving market.
  

We Americans love trucks—the bigger, the blockier, and the brawnier the better. But while full-size trucks from the Detroit Three—as well as the Toyota Tundra—continue to dominate the pickup market in the US, the trend in full-size truck sales is generally downward. Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Ram 1500, and GMC Sierra were all down in 2022.

What was up? Midsize trucks from General Motors. Sales of the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado, both of which were in the last year of their current generations in 2022, were up by double digits. Now, with an all-new Colorado entering showrooms soon after you read this, and a coming all-new GMC Canyon on its way, look for General Motors to increase its take of the midsize and overall truck market in 2023 and beyond.

While the Canyon is slated for a spring arrival, Chevrolet just introduced its all-new Colorado—and we got to drive it.

The truck is new from the frame rails up, with three off-road models and an entry-level “Work Truck.” All Colorados share a single wheelbase, a single-displacement four-cylinder engine, and just one comfortable crew-cab configuration.

Gone are all three previous powerplants: the 2.5-liter gasoline four, the 2.8-liter diesel, and the 3.5-liter gasoline V6. All three are replaced with the 2.7-liter four that has seen faithful duty in the full-size Silverado, where over 300,000 of the four bangers have served tirelessly for the last four years.

The 2.7-liter engine has been fitted for duty in the smaller Colorado in three power outputs:

• Turbo making 237 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque, good for a towing capacity of 3500 pounds. This base engine is available in the WT (Work Truck) and LT trims.

• Turbo Plus with 310 hp, 390 lb-ft capable of towing 7700 pounds. It’s standard in the Z71 and Trail Boss Packages and optional in the WT and LT.

• Turbo High Output generating 310 hp and 430 lb-ft and offering 7700 pounds towing capacity. It’s standard on the ZR2 trim level.

Engineer Kevin Luchansky, the self-described “2.7 Guy,” listed all the enhancements this version of the VVT 2.7 got over the four-cylinder that’s been powering Silverados for four years, including: a more rigid cylinder block casting, 30% stiffer crankshaft, fully forged bottom end, and forged steel main caps. A new electric water pump, meanwhile, can keep spinning independently of the engine speed to, for instance, cool a hot engine after a long uphill pull that ends at a red light.