2023 Chevrolet Colorado

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2023 Chevrolet Colorado First Drive Review: Stealing The Taco's Crown

by Ian Wright

The Chevrolet Colorado is back for 2023, entering its third generation as Chevy's smallest American pickup truck, for the time being, at least. The diesel and V6 engines are consigned to the history bin, and an updated version of the Silverado's 2.7-liter turbocharged engine features as the only lump available for the Colorado with 237 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque in base form and 310 hp/390 lb-ft in Plus guise.

In keeping with the competition, the midsize truck is only available as a short-bed crew cab, with just four trims available. The three core models, WT, LT, and Z71, will make up the bulk of the sales, while the Trail Boss is aimed squarely at those planing on off-roading their trucks. Two- and four-wheel drive are both available, with a 4WD system standard on the Z71 and Trail Boss trims. These will be joined at a later date by a ZR2 version packing a high-output version of the motor with 310 hp and 430 lb-ft.

All trims feature new tailgate functionality, enhanced safety and driver assistance systems, and a range of drive modes depending on trim level, and there's a new 11.3-inch infotainment system to aid the modern push towards digitalization.

To see what the new Colorado has to offer, CarBuzz spent some time with the newcomer at its local launch.

2023 Chevrolet Colorado Models

See trim levels and configurations:

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drivetrain	Price (MSRP)
Work Truck	2.7L Turbo Inline-4 Gas	8-Speed Automatic	Rear-Wheel Drive	$29,200
LT	2.7L Turbo Inline-4 Gas	8-Speed Automatic	Rear-Wheel Drive Four-Wheel Drive	$31,600
Trail Boss	2.7L Turbo Inline-4 Gas	8-Speed Automatic	Four-Wheel Drive	$32,500
Z71	2.7L Turbo Inline-4 Gas	8-Speed Automatic	Four-Wheel Drive	$39,900
ZR2	2.7L Turbo Inline-4 Gas	8-Speed Automatic	Four-Wheel Drive	$46,800

See all Trims and Specs

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Exterior: Style And Substance

The new styling is a statement of intent as Chevrolet has worked to make the Colorado an even more muscular, tougher, and capable truck. A 131.4-inch wheelbase and a total length of 213 inches (or 213.2 inches for the off-road biased Trail Boss) are par for the midsize segment. Overall, there's less overhang and increased approach and departure angles, and we're told the front splitter can be removed to improve them further. The WT truck has 7.9 inches of ground clearance, while the Z71 gets an extra inch, and the Trail Boss gets a factory-supplied two-inch lift for 9.5 inches total.

The Trail Boss also takes the new creases and shorter overhangs and adds 32-inch all-terrain tires and flared fenders. We'll cover the ZR2 trim when we get to drive it, but with its hugely improved approach and departure angles, and extra suspension travel, the Colorado finally has real off-road credentials. Even the Z71 has a healthy 29.1-degree approach angle and 22.3-degree departure.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

To get LED lighting and 18-inch wheels, you'll have to go all the way up to the Z71 trim; otherwise, the standards are 17-inch wheels and halogen lamps. A nice touch is that the wheel bolt patterns are now the same as the Silverado, so if there are Silverado wheels you like, they are upgradeable.

The Colorado's bed features eight fixed tie-downs and room for up to nine additional accessory flexible tie-downs, combining for 17 available tie-downs. There are a bunch of pockets in there and two grooves at the front to help store two motorbikes. The tailgate can be positioned midway to fit logger items, and it's at the same height as the wheel wells. A 110-volt power outlet is available, as is a spray-in bed liner and remote tailgate locking and unlocking. Also available as options or part of a trims level are cargo lamps, tailgate audio, black badging, and reconfigurable bed rails.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Powertrain: A Small But Potent Engine

Chevrolet is, rightfully, proud of its 2.7-liter turbo engine built for trucks and has gone to great lengths in stress and endurance testing as well as making sure the power is there. The revised lump uses a fully forged bottom end and a 30 percent stiffer crankshaft. In the WT and LT trims, 237 hp and 259 lb-ft restrict its towing capacity to 3,500 pounds. The Z71 and Trail Boss trims get a version Chevrolet calls Turbo Plus, making 310 hp and 390 lb-ft, boosting towing to 7,700 lbs. Higher trim models also get a limited-slip rear differential, and 4WD adds 2.72:1 low-range gearing.

Power is controlled and transferred by the second-generation version of Chevy's eight-speed automatic, refined for smoother shifting and quicker downshifts. Overall, the transmission does its job well and without fuss or complaint -which is perfect for a truck.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

The stop/start function is distracting with its noise and vibration, but it can be turned off. The scaled-down engine does feel like a penalty box but has adequate power for most midsize truck users that need a bed more than towing capacity. If you're thinking an ECU flash would up the power, that's possible, but Chevy tells us it would overpower and damage the transmission, which suggests that's where costs are cut to keep the pricing on the base trims down.

In its unrestricted form, the 2.7-liter engine is excellent. The torque is available early, which is where you want it in a truck, and the transmission is tuned well for it. It's smooth and powerful and a great match for the 4,971 pounds of metal it's pulling around. The sound it makes won't satisfy V6 or diesel fetishists, and you're mostly hearing the throatiness of the air intake.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Interior: A Mixed Bag

The Colorado's interior is dominated by plastic, but soft-touch plastic is minimal. On the LT and up, there's some nicely textured plastic on the dashboard, and on all trims there's a new vent design that isn't particularly inspired. It's not an interesting interior, but it is pragmatic and small details have been considered, like side-by-side drink holders and particularly well-thought-out door pockets for storing bottles of drink.

The seats struck us as more comfortable than just about every other midsize truck we've driven. The LT upgrades to a “soft-wrapped trim and a premium wrapped steering wheel,” which isn't particularly premium. The Z71 gets Jet Black and red accents inside and unique cloth and leatherette seating surfaces, but they are an upgrade that doesn't get into the premium bracket.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Ergonomically, everything lines up well until you hit a stretch of road that requires headlights on during the day. That's when you discover the headlight switch is gone, and this is going to be a source of drama until Chevrolet inevitably puts it back because, instead, you control the headlights through the new touchscreen. There's going to be controversy over this, but here's our first-drive take – it's not ideal for quick control, but it will stop a lot of trucks from accidentally riding around with their lights off, which is becoming increasingly common as the brightness of LED DRLs tricks drivers into thinking their lights are on.

As far as general accommodations go, the rear of the crew cab doesn't boast an excess of legroom, although headroom is great. A couple of teenagers will be fine back there, but a tall adult may have a few complaints on a long journey.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Infotainment: Time And Effort Well Spent

While chatting with the head of the Colorado's engineering, it became apparent that the infotainment software for the Colorado being fully baked was written in bold and underlined in red on the to-do list. The interface is through a new 11.3-inch touchscreen that is larger, brighter, and more configurable than the previous generation Colorado's. The infotainment's user interface is quick and slick, and the menus aren't layered too deep, which makes it easy to navigate – even to turn the headlights on.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and Google Built-In is available, as is a Bose sound system, which is, well, a Bose system – in our experience, there are better options. The Off-Road Performance Display we experienced on the Trail Boss is excellent for monitoring real-time information such as altitude and GPS guidance for overlanding or a wheel slip indicator and a G-force monitor for Baja mode.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Driving Impressions

We got to take a WT and LT trim level for a spin before rolling out for the day in Z71 and Trail Boss models. The WT is basic, and the interior feels like it will wear well as a work truck. LTs feel a little nicer inside and drive just as well – the steering is smooth with just a little bit of dead space when centered. As a result, the Colorado is satisfying to wheel around, even though the down-powered engines sound a little gravelly.

The Colorado, in every guise, is easy to drive, and the suspension deals with lumps and bumps well. On a longer drive, the Z71 suspension revealed itself to be stiff but fine for those used to trucks with towing capacity. On the downside, the cabin isn't great at filtering outside noise, most noticeably wind noise. As the suspension is on the stiffer side, the truck corners flat on tight bends at lower speeds, but we found a little lean at around 55 mph and up, albeit less than expected.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Switching to the Trail Boss version and halfway through a short, dry trail in San Diego, the suspension change became wholly apparent. It's a night-and-day difference and a big improvement off-road that takes the choppiness out of lumps and bumps. It also improves on-road ride quality in a straight line. Although the 9.5-inch ride height of the Trail Boss versus the Z71's 8.9-inch clearance isn't drastic, it will make a difference when things get tough. Most impressively, both model's suspension systems didn't transmit any shake or noise into the cabin. Getting off the road also demonstrated how linear the brakes are and that they can be finessed when needed.

The off-road mode alters the way the Colorado Trail Boss behaves, but the trail was far from tough enough to put the system through its paces properly. We can tell you that one-pedal driving in Terrain mode is a smooth affair.

There was one section that showed off the truck's axle articulation and the Trail Boss was easy to control, and the visibility good enough to place wheels precisely. The ten-camera view system is a great help for making sure you're absolutely in the right place and not about to add desert pin striping or a new dent, and the (available) underbody camera is clear enough to avoid pointy rocks in particularly tricky sections.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Verdict: Toyota Should Be Concerned

Our expectations were tempered, knowing Chevy is aiming to deliver a lot of midsize truck at a price point. It was just a case of figuring out how good the strong points are where concessions are made, then if any concessions are going to be a dealbreaker for people. Putting the controls for the headlights in the infotainment system is something everyone and their dog will have an opinion on but, in reality, won't be a big deal, or even a minor one for many people. Automatic headlights have been around for a long time and are a robust technology.

In general, the Colorado rides and drives extremely well, and we would be happy to daily drive one knowing its ability to do truck things. Criticisms we put down to saving production cost are the cabin noise, material choices, and overall quality in the cabin, and while the dash display is bold, it's not the highest quality of displays. These are easy things to forgive if our first impression that it's a great truck holds up.

Where it comes up trumps is in being strong, stylish, having an excellent engine at its heart, and a solid infotainment system that won't frustrate anyone. Don't be fooled by the mild wording here – the new Colorado has grabbed the Toyota Tacoma's midsize crown.

CarBuzz/Ian Wright

Pricing: Where The Rubber Meets the Road. Or The Dirt.

The base model WT starts at $29,200, but if you want it with 4WD and the 310 hp engine, that starts at $35,180. The LT trim starts at $33,095 and costs $37,680 with the drivetrain fully upgraded. The Trail Boss and Z71 are both only available with 4WD and the upgraded engine, priced at $38,495 and $41,395, respectively. Overall, prices are up but not alarmingly so, and it's a much better truck than before.

As of the time of writing, we don't have fuel economy from the EPA. We suspect they will be reasonable for everyday driving from the four cylinder, but that the figures will drop off quickly when a heavier right foot is needed.

The 2023 Colorado is the first salvo in what could be an interesting little midsize truck war this year, as the new Toyota Tacoma isn't far from its debut, and a new Ford Ranger is coming. As it stands, the Colorado is king.