November marks the four-year anniversary of the return of the segment-redefining Colorado midsize truck. Introduced as a 2015 model, the Colorado recorded its first full month of sales in October 2014. Since then, U.S. customers have bought more than 428,792 Colorados.
To celebrate, Chevrolet is expanding the Colorado range with two new special editions, the off-road Z71 Trail Runner and street-focused RST, that offer options to match customer interests on the trails and on the street.
“The success of Colorado helped reignite the midsize truck segment, which increased 27 percent from 2015 to 2017,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Marketing for Chevrolet Trucks. “It changed what customers expected from a midsize truck, brought new customers to Chevrolet and has inspired competitors to follow Chevy’s lead.”
The Colorado also helped make GM the most successful truck company for four consecutive years, selling 634,505 more pickups than the closest manufacturer from 2013 through the first three quarters of 2018.
Colorado’s success has been fueled by one of the broadest lineups in the midsize segment — including three powertrains, three configurations and a wide range of models and special editions — with a steady cadence of innovation.
Upon its introduction as a 2015 model, Colorado brought a new standard to the segment with three powertrain options, an EPA-estimated 27 mpg highway and 7,000 pounds of towing capability, and it introduced features such as the built-in Wi-Fi Hotspot with available 4G LTE data.
Since then, Colorado has made updates every calendar year, including:
- 2015: First available diesel engine offered in the segment (excluding other GM brands). Four years after it was introduced, no other competitor offers a diesel engine*, with class-leading 30 mpg highway fuel economy and class-leading towing capacity of 7,700 pounds.
- 2016: All-new V-6 gas engine and segment-first eight-speed transmission.
- 2017: ZR2 model with wider track, lifted suspension from the factory, revolutionary Multimatic DSSV dampers and class-exclusive standard front and rear electronic locking differentials.
- 2018: ZR2 Bison performance variant developed in partnership with AEV that will reach dealers in early 2019.
- 2019: Two new special editions added to the lineup: RST and Z71 Trail Runner.
Both new special editions feature the flow-through “CHEVROLET” lettered grille first introduced on the Colorado ZR2 Bison. The grille is also available as an accessory for an MSRP of $395, not including installation or tax.
The Colorado RST builds on the successful street-focused RST models offered on Tahoe, Suburban and the all-new Silverado. For Colorado, the RST is based on the LT trim and adds monochromatic exterior offset with black beltline and body side moldings. It also adds a black tailgate bowtie, Colorado and RST badges. The RST is also the first Colorado to offer 20-inch wheels, finished in low-gloss black.
The Z71 Trail Runner begins with the Colorado Z71 off-road package and adds the Colorado ZR2’s underbody protection. Changes include stamped aluminum front and mid skid plates, functional rocker protection and Goodyear Duratrac tires.
With the Z71 Trail Runner, the Colorado lineup now offers four distinct levels of off-road capability:
- Colorado Z71: Z71 Off-Road Suspension, automatic locking rear differential and unique 17-inch painted wheels and all-terrain tires.
- New Colorado Z71 Trail Runner: Adds additional off-road protection to the Z71 trim with the Colorado ZR2’s front and mid skid plates, rocker protection and 17-inch Goodyear Duratrac tires standard.
- Colorado ZR2: Compared to a standard Colorado, the ZR2 features a factory-installed 3.5-inch wider track and a suspension lifted by 2 inches. Class-exclusive features include front and rear electronic locking differentials and Multimatic DSSV Dampers. The ZR2 also features front and mid skid plates, rocker protection and front and rear bumpers modified for better off-road clearance.
- Colorado ZR2 Bison: The ZR2 Bison adds even more extreme off-road capability with five hot-stamped Boron steel skid plates and stamped steel front and rear bumpers with front winch provisions and rear recovery points.
*Excludes other GM vehicles.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
