Chevy calls its new 2023 Colorado a “tough, muscular” mid-size truck.
The lineup, which boasts new exterior and interior styling, also gets the Silverado’s more powerful 2.7-liter turbo engine.
“The all-new Colorado is enhanced in every way,” says Scott Bell, global vice president of Chevrolet. “With its rugged and sporty styling, enhanced capability, new technology and customization options, it’s designed to do more for discerning customers and still offer them great value.”
The new Colorado comes in a variety of models: Work Truck (WT), LT, Z71, ZR2 and a first-ever Trail Boss version.
Chevy says it also gave the pickup “more cargo bed functionality than previous model years with all-new features, including first-in-segment available tailgate storage system, a mid-position tailgate and available 110V power outlet.”
The centerpiece of the new interior styling is a standard 11.3-inch color infotainment touchscreen. It is joined by a standard 8-inch fully digital color instrument display. Both displays are customizable.
There are four new interior options, including “sporty round outboard vents, wrapped and stitched knee pads on the doors and center console for select models, and more adventurous contrast stitching on select models,” Chevy says.
The Colorado’s new engine gets several enhancements for 2023, including a more rigid cylinder block casting and a 30% stiffer crankshaft. The new base engine delivers 18% more horsepower and 36% more torque than the current Colorado’s base engine. Higher-output versions of the engine even produce more horsepower and torque than the current model’s 3.6L V-6 and 2.8L turbo-diesel engines, Chevy says.
Chevy also gave the Colorado a second-generation eight-speed automatic transmission that is designed for smoother shifting and quicker downshifts. “It also excels in low-speed mobility, particularly in off-road scenarios,” says the company.
There are three re-engineered chassis setups for the various models, all of which have a 3.1-inch longer wheel base than the current crew cab/short box model. They also feature a shortened front overhang that lends to its “more aggressive stance” and improves its approach angle for climbing steeper terrain, Chevy says.
The chassis setups for the various models are as follows:
- The WT, LT and Z71 trims get the standard chassis.
- The Trail Boss gets the “2-inch Factory-Lifted, Ultra-Wide Stance.”
- And the ZR2 gets the “High-Performance 3-inch Factory-Installed Lift & Wide Stance.”
Depending on the model, the Colorado offers up to five drive modes, which can be changed via knob on the center console:
- Normal: for everyday on-road driving
- Tow/Haul: optimized for trailering and hauling
- Off-Road: specific tractive and other dynamic performance features
- Terrain: for low-speed rock crawling
- Baja: for high-speed desert running
The Colorado also gets a variety of standard safety technology, such as Forward Collision Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Following Distance Indicator, and IntelliBeam automatic high-beam assist.
Optional safety technology options include Blind Zone Steering Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, HD Surround Vision, and Rear Pedestrian Alert.
Along with safety, Chevy boosts technology in the cab with its infotainment touchscreen. Here are some of its highlights:
- Customizable and configurable screens with higher resolution than previous models
- Segment-first available Google Built-In for accessing maps, music, vehicle functions and more
- All-new Off-Road Performance Display: an available app that helps drivers monitor their real-time off-road performance with different readouts for Overlanding (altitude and GPS guidance), Terrain (pitch, roll and tire pressure) and Baja (g-force, wheel slip indicator and transfer case status) driving situations
- Up to 10 camera views accessible on the infotainment screen, including a segment-first available underbody camera on Z71 and ZR2.
Chevy also made Hitch Guidance standard. The camera view shows a guideline to line up the trailer and hitch. New for 2023 are HitchView, which shows a zoomed-in view of the hitch for coupling, and Chevy’s Trailering App, which is accessible by phone or infotainment system, to help with all aspects of trailering, including on-road assistance and responding to potential hazards, Chevy says.
Chevy reports that production begins in the first half of 2023 at General Motor’s plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and that pricing and additional details will be revealed closer to production start.