New Chevrolet Colorado Makes Its International Debut

Chevrolet has revealed the production version of the next Colorado for the international market. It has only been about half a year since the concept was unveiled, and as suspected, the final product has stayed true to much of the show car's design lines. This pickup was developed in South America and Asia, and had its debut in Thailand where small/mid-size trucks are still quite popular.

The new Colorado will be sold in over 60 markets around the world, but the U.S. has not yet been confirmed as one of them. It has been confirmed that there will be a new U.S.-built mid-size truck in our market within the next few years, and it is hard to find a reason why our next Colorado will not be based on this design. After all, Americans should not have trouble recognizing this as a Chevy. The front end carries the brand's familiar split grille, and the hoodline is reminiscent of the Equinox and oddly similar to the new Malibu.

Other design cues are much more unique to this truck. The outside appearance is much sleeker than anything in Chevrolet's truck history. The fenders are rounded and so are many of the corners. All trucks have a sweeping lower body indent that runs the entire length between the wheel arches. On the extended and crew cab versions, the rear set of doors and windows follow the curve of the front doors for a more seamless appearance.

This design will be a welcomed upgrade in places like Thailand where an old Isuzu-based truck is called the Colorado, and in Brazil where the ancient S-10 is still sold. Although the U.S. has had better upgrades to our mid-size Chevy truck in the past, this Colorado would be a nice upgrade for us, too.

The interior of the new Colorado does not have any revolutionary items. Instead it just seems tastefully simple. The instruments feature "Ice Blue" color illumination. The HAVC controls are placed in a stylish pattern of concentric circles. Storage space was a developmental priority with the regular cab containing 16 storage locations, while the extended cab has 19 and the crew cab has 30.

Seating material is either flat-woven cloth fabric or optional leather on high-end models with matching instrument panel inserts. The base work truck model receives a front vinyl bench seat.

Powering the new truck will be a choice of two all-new Duramax turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines. The 2.5-liter is rated at 150 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, and the 2.8-liter produces 180 hp and 346 lb.-ft. Remember, this is the lineup announced for Asia and South America. Those in the U.S. who have been waiting for a small/mid-size pickup with a diesel may still be holding their breath when the Colorado's North American version is announced.

In total, there are 26 different combinations from the optional powertrains, cabins, and ride heights. The new Colorado will begin international sales later this month, and we will keep you up to date on the plans to replace the current Colorado at home.