2015 Chevrolet Colorado

For 2015, General Motors made a rare divergence in truck strategy by bringing back the twin midsize Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups. Just a few years ago, GM gave up on both vehicles after seeing sales in the segment drop more than 75 percent and watching Ford and Chrysler leave the market.

 

But GM did an about-face, thinking maybe there are enough people who really do want a smaller truck with a lower price and better fuel economy — and who don’t have a great need for as much towing capacity. 

 

While the Colorado starts at about $20,000, it doesn’t have the stuff most people would want on a vehicle — it doesn’t have a back seat, carpeting, power mirrors, cruise control, USB port, or satellite radio, to name a few. Plus, automatic transmission is not an option and the exterior trim is black plastic rather than painted or chrome.

 

I tested a high-end Colorado Z71 with a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine and four-wheel drive. It’s a very nice-looking, pretty comfortable vehicle with a sweet drive, but at almost $37,000 it certainly isn’t a bargain. Check a few more option boxes and it climbs to about $40,000, a price that seems pretty stiff. 

 

But even with the up-level Z71, the interior feels dated with acres of hard plastic on the instrument panel. It is completely devoid of the soft-touch materials most buyers are looking for today.

 

The Colorado comes in a choice of extended or crew cab, short or long bed, two- or four-wheel drive. The standard engine is a 200-horsepower, 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine.

 

Safety gear includes a rear-vision camera and dual-front, front-side, front, and rear-side head curtain airbags. 

 

Overall, the new Colorado is a good truck, but it didn’t wow me as I’d hoped it would.