The Chevrolet Colorado (sharing mechanical commonality with the GMC Canyon) is a series of compact pickup trucks (first generation) and mid-size pickup trucks (since second generation) marketed by American automaker General Motors. They were introduced in 2004 to replace the Chevrolet S-10 and GMC S-15/Sonoma compact pickups. The Colorado is named after the U.S. state of Colorado, while the Canyon took its name from the deep chasm between cliffs.

First generation (2004)

Global version

In March 2011, Chevrolet revealed the prototype version of the all-new Colorado at Bangkok International Motor Show. It was shown as an extended cab with a rear access system, and some of the high-tech equipment. In June 2011, Chevrolet revealed its crew cab in adventure concept at Buenos Aires, Argentina (this car also shown at Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011), and in July 2011, a Holden version of crew-cab version concept got its premiere at Australian International Motor Show.

The production model is available in three different cab styles: regular cab (single cab), extended cab (space cab), and crew cab (double cab), and either 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrain.

On 9 September 2011, General Motors (Thailand) opened the diesel engine manufacturing plant, to make the Duramax engine used by the Colorado. The engine is a rebranded VM Motori turbodiesel engine with 2.5- or 2.8-liter, paired with a manual or automatic transmission.

Holden Colorado

The Colorado was revealed at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show and went on sale in June 2012 in both Australia and New Zealand, sourced from the Rayong factory in Thailand. In Australia and New Zealand, the Colorado is badged as a Holden. Only one engine is offered, the 2.8 L turbo diesel, built by GM in the Rayong factory. It is available in four trim levels: DX (single cab chassis only), LX, LT, and LTZ. An LS trim was introduced in 2014. Single-cab and crew-cab models are available as either 4x2 or 4x4.

The facelifted Colorado model for the Australian and New Zealand markets was released in 2017 with GM's MyLink infotainment system including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. The model is built in right-hand drive at the GM Thailand plant.

A Thunder Edition is available on 4x4 LX, LT, and LTZ models. Among the features included with the pack are a nudge bar and towing kit, front carpet floor mats and a one-piece rear carpet floor mat, a bonnet protector, slimline weather shields, and "Thunder" badging.

Production of the Colorado in Thailand ended in 2020 as General Motors ended operations in the country. A refresh in line with the global Colorado was planned for the 2021 model year.

<gallery widths="200" perrow="4">

File:2014 Holden Colorado (RG MY15) LTZ 4-door utility (2015-10-24) 01.jpg|2014 Holden Colorado LTZ (pre-facelift)

File:2018 Holden Colorado (RG MY18) LSX 4-door utility (2018-05-05).jpg|2018 Holden Colorado LSX (facelift)

</gallery>

Trim levels
  • DX features a manual transmission, electronic stability control, side-curtain airbags, Bluetooth capabilities, and 16-inch steel wheels.
  • LX features either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, power mirrors, and cruise control. Production began at Wentzville Assembly in 2014, and vehicles started arriving at dealerships nationwide by mid- to late 2014, as an early 2015 model year vehicle. It competes with other midsized pickup truck offerings.

The North American model features a different front fascia, with its design being similar to the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado (particularly the taillamp lenses, tailgate and rear bumper), and different engines. The North American Colorado's frame is 40% lighter than the global version, it uses high-strength steel, and is much longer. General Motors' Wentzville assembly plant received a $380 million expansion of 500,000 sq ft that was constructed to support the new Colorado's assembly. In September 2014, GM added workers to the Wentzville factory after it received advanced orders of 30,000 Colorado/Canyons from its dealerships.

For the initial launch, the Colorado was available with either a 2.5 L Ecotec I4 engine or the 3.6 L LFX V6 engine.

  • WT base trim level ("Work Truck")

Starting with the 2020 model year, both the 4x2 Z71 Extended Cab and Z71 crew-cab long-box models were removed from the lineup, along with the RST and Redline editions, as both will be combined with the luxury edition.

The ZR2 is the "off-road" trim level, and adds to the Z71 trim level: 2-inch taller suspension, 3.5-inch wider track, 31-inch off-road tires, unique aluminum-alloy wheels, leather-trimmed seating surfaces, functional rock sliders, Multimatic DSSV position-sensitive shock absorbers, aluminum skid plates to protect the radiator, oil pan, and front differential, locking front and rear differentials, and high approach-angle front bumper. Optional equipment is the same as the LT and Z71 trim levels, except for the availability of a rear bed-mounted light bar. It is available as either an extended cab with a long box, or as a crew cab with a short box.

The 2021 model year Colorado received a revised appearance and an updated grille in line with the Chevrolet design language, but will see its level trims reduced to four: Work, LT, Z71, and ZR2. The 2WD Base trim was eliminated.

In Mexico, three configurations are available: WT Double Cab, with a 2.5-liter engine, six-speed automatic transmission, and rear wheel drive; the LT Extended Cab, with a 2.5-liter engine, six-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive; and the LT Extended Cab, with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, eight-speed automatic transmission, connectable transmission, and 4x4.

GMC Canyon

The all-new GMC Canyon was introduced on January 12, 2014. GMC introduced in an official press and video release and made its public debut the following day (January 13, 2014) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Sales started at dealerships in the second quarter of 2014 as a 2015 model.

The Canyon offers the same features as its cousin, but will have a higher MSRP and more options. It also sports a front grille design that closely resembles its full-size sibling, the GMC Sierra. The Canyon comes in three trims and either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The base model is only available with the 2.5 L Ecotec I4 engine, a 6-speed manual transmission (until mid-2019 when the manual transmission was discontinued and a six-speed automatic transmission became standard), and two-wheel drive.

Optional features (based on trim) will include active aero grille shutters, available OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with on-board Wi-Fi, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and an available Teen Driver feature that limits speed and audio volume.

On February 16, 2015, GMC posted spy shots of a Canyon with Denali styling, indicating plans to add the mid-size truck to the Denali lineup as a 2016 model.

Both the Canyon and Colorado received a facelift for the 2021 model year, prior to the debut of a third generation in the 2023 model year.

thumb|2022 GMC Canyon interior

GMC also saw its level trims reduced and renamed for the 2021 model year: Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali. It is unknown why the SLE and SLT trims were deleted.

Colorado ZR2

thumb|2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2

The ZR2 concept was shown at the 2014 LA Auto Show. Due to positive feedback, a production ready version was introduced two years later at the 2016 LA Auto Show, which joined the 2017 lineup.

The Colorado ZR2 offers the same amenities as the Z71, but is heavily tailored towards off-road performance. The ZR2 model is available in 2 body configurations: crew cab with 5&nbsp;ft bed or extended cab with 6&nbsp;ft bed. Engine options are the 3.6 L LGZ V6 engine and the 2.8 L Duramax LWN turbodiesel engine.

Chevrolet designed many new parts specifically for the ZR2 to improve off-road performance. New features and parts standard or optional on the ZR2 include:

  • 3.5" Wider Track
  • 2" Lift
  • Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) Dampers
  • Electronic Locking Front and Rear Differentials
  • Longer, Cast Iron Control Arms
  • Aggressive Front Bumper and Grille with Improved Approach Angle
  • Redesigned Rear Bumper for Improved Departure Angle
  • Cowl-Style Hood with Black Insert
  • Wider Fender Flares
  • Aluminum Skid Plates to protect radiator, oil pan, and front differential
  • Rock Sliders
  • New 17x8 Wheels with 31" (265/65R17) Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires
  • "Off-road Mode" alters throttle progression, shift calibration, traction control, stability control, and ABS for different terrain.
  • Optional Bed-Mounted Full Size Spare Tire
  • Optional Carpet Delete

The 2018 Colorado ZR2 was featured in Season 9 Episode 99 of Motor Trend Head 2 Head, where it faced off against a 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon.

Colorado ZH2 (Military Truck)

GM Defense and U.S. Army TARDEC partnered in 2016 to develop and successfully test the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 fuel cell electric truck, with low acoustical and heat signatures as well as the advantages of on-board water production, exportable electric power and off-road capability.

Infantry Squad Vehicle

The US Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) is heavily based on the diesel variant of the ZR2, with 90% of the vehicle coming from Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components.

Engines

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Years

!Engine

!Power

!Torque

!Transmission

!Note

|-

|2012–2016||2.4 L Flexpower I4||||

| ||Brazil

|-

|2012–2013||2.5 L Duramax I4||||

|5-speed manual only||

|-

|2012–present||2.8 L Duramax LWN I4||||

|6-speed 6L50 automatic||US 2016

|-

|2015–present||2.5 L Ecotec I4||||

| ||US, Mexico & Brazil

|-

|2015–2016||3.6 L LFX V6||||

| ||US

|-

|2017–present||3.6 L LGZ V6||||

| ||US & Mexico

|-

|2016–present||2.8 L VM Motori I4 turbo-diesel||||

|6-speed 6L50 automatic||Thai production

|-

|2016–present||2.5 L Duramax LKH I4 Turbo||||

| ||Thai production

|-

|2016–present||2.5 L Duramax XLDE25 LP2 I4 VG Turbo||||

| ||Thai production

|}

Third generation (2023)

The third-generation Colorado and Canyon debuted in July 2022 for the 2023 model year. The new model is available only with a Crew Cab and a single bed length.

Despite being a mid-size, in some dimensions it is somewhat bigger than the full-size Silverado, being built around the same chassis and frame while sharing the same L3B engine.

<gallery widths="200">

File:2023 Chevrolet Colorado WT 4WD in Sterling Grey Metallic, Rear Right, 08-19-2023.jpg|Rear view (Colorado)

File:2024 Chevrolet Colorado interior.jpg|Interior (Colorado)

File:2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, front right, 07-18-2024.jpg|2024 Colorado ZR2

File:2023 GMC Canyon AT4, front 8.26.23.jpg|2023 GMC Canyon AT4 (US)

File:2023 GMC Canyon rear view.jpg|Rear view (Canyon)

File:GMC Canyon Crew Cab @ SIAM 2923.JPG|2023 Canyon Denali

File:2023 GMC Canyon Denali interior.jpg|Interior (Canyon Denali)

</gallery>

Sales

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! rowspan=2|Calendar year

! colspan="2" |United States

! colspan="2" |Canada

! rowspan="2" |Thailand

|-

! Colorado !! Canyon

!Colorado

!Canyon

|-

| 2004

| 117,475 || 27,193

|

| ||

|-

| 2005

| 93,876 || 23,979

|

| ||

|-

| 2007

| 54,346 || 14,974

|

| ||

|-

| 2009

| 32,413 || 10,107

|

| ||

|-

| 2010

| 24,642 || 7,992

|

| ||

|-

| 2011

| 31,026 || 9,590

|

| ||

|-

| 2012

| 36,840 || 8,735

|

| ||

|-

| 2013

| 3,412 || 929

|

| ||

|-

| 2014

| 8,003 || 3,070

|274

|294|| 12,806

|-

| 2015

| 84,430 || 30,077

|5,095

|4,635|| 11,631

|-

| 2016

| 108,725 || 37,449

|6,569

|6,083|| 12,844

|-

| 2017

| 112,996 || 32,106

|8,060

|6,260|| 16,950

|-

| 2018

| 134,842 || 33,492

|9,489

|6,902||18,022

|-

| 2019

| 122,304 || 32,825

|8,156

|4,889|| 11,540

|-

| 2020

| 96,238 || 25,190

|6,648

|5,031|| 2,694

|-

| 2021

| 73,008 || 24,125

|5,571

|4,866||404

|-

| 2022

| 89,157 || 27,819

|7,009

|5,587||

|-

| 2023

| 71,018 || 22,458

|6,088

|3,750||

|-

| 2024

| 98,012 || 38,215

| 8,138

| 6,781

|

|-

| 2025

| 107,867 || 36,477

| 8,873 || 7,119

|

|}

Awards and recognition

  • Motor Trends 2015 Truck of the Year
  • Motor Trends 2016 Truck of the Year
  • Four Wheeler 2018 Pickup Truck of the Year (Colorado ZR2)
  • Motor Trends 2024 Truck of the Year

References

  • GMC Canyon (twin vehicle)