[Auto] The 2023 Chevy Colorado Is More Truck For Not Much More Money

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005 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 First Look

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Pricing is out for the 2023 Chevy Colorado, the bow-tie brand's midsize truck akin to the mechanically identical GMC Canyon. The Colorado, long due for an overall, finally got onet for 2023—including a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, new design, new interior, and so on. And yet, for all this newness, the Colorado's price increase isn't as much as you'd think, considering how much more of a truck you'll get.

 

Rudimentary math indicates that the base 2023 Colorado WT (Work Truck) is about $1,165 more than an equally configured base 2022. On the other end of the spectrum, an off-road-optimized 2023 Colorado ZR2 is $2,120 cheaper than an outgoing diesel-fed ZR2, and only $1,600 more than the old V-6-powered gasoline ZR2. The outgoing diesel ZR2 crested $50,000, and the new, gas-only one doesn't. Yes, to be fair, the baby Duramax option demanded quite a premium, as expected. (Have you seen how much diesel powertrains add to HD trucks?) But no matter how you spin it, the new Colorado is basically a totally fresh truck for the same-ish price.

 

The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado comes in five trims configured exclusively as four-door crew cabs with short beds. Gone are the less po[CENSORED]r long bed and extended-cab configurations. The trims available are WT, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2, with the Trail Boss trim (formerly an add-on package) new this year. All trims are available in four-wheel drive, but if you want to cut costs and complexity, the WT and LT can be had in two-wheel drive.

 

Also gone are the 2.5-liter four-cylinder (200 hp/191 lb-ft of torque), 3.6-liter V-6 (308 hp/275 lb-ft of torque), and diesel 2.8-liter Duramax four-cylinder (181 hp/369 lb-ft of torque) engine options, all replaced in 2023 by a turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four gasser offering three power outputs, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Those outputs and their delineations are: Turbo (237 hp/259 lb-ft of torque), Turbo Plus (310 hp/390 lb-ft of torque), and Turbo High-Output (310 hp/430 lb-ft of torque).

 

 

 

001 2023 chevrolet colorado z71 trail boss zr2 group

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The base 2023 Chevy Colorado WT starts at $32,190. (Note that all prices include GM's $1,495 destination charge.) Opting for four-wheel drive tacks on $3,300, and upgrading to the mid-output 2.7-liter (for an additional 73 hp and 131 lb-ft) adds $1,420. It may look like a work truck (absolutely nothing wrong with that) with its 17-inch steelies, black plastic-clad exterior, black door handles, halogen headlights, and cloth-trimmed manual seats, don't be fooled. It's very well-equipped for a base truck, with an 11.3-inch LED display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 8.0-inch color driver information center, Chevy Safety Assist, and Hitch View to help align a trailer, for example. As for options, there are tons for a base truck: Evotex seat trim, remote locking tailgate, heated power-adjustable mirrors, power driver seat, automatic locking rear differential, and even rear air vents and adaptive cruise control, for example.

 

The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado LT starts at $34,590, and again, four-wheel drive can be added for $3,300. Opting for the mid-output 2.7-liter tacks on $1,285. The LT has less raw plastic and more body-color trim pieces, not to mention nicer 17-inch aluminum wheels and optional 18-inch "Android Dark" full gloss aluminum wheels. There's a skid plate package to make the LT more off-roady, and there's an available sunroof for the first time.

 

The new-for-2023 Colorado Trail Boss trim starts at $39,990, which includes four-wheel drive and the mid-output Turbo Plus 2.7-liter. The Trail Boss gets beefed-up suspension, making it 2.0 inches higher and over 3.0 inches wider than the LT. The Colorado Trail Boss (and Z71) come standard with a G80 automatic locking rear differential.

 

Move up to the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado Z71, and pricing starts at $42,890. Like the Trail Boss, it comes standard with four-wheel drive and the mid-output Turbo Plus 2.7-liter. The Z71 (and Trail Boss) come equipped with standard twin-tube off-road-tuned shocks and 18x8.5-inch aluminum wheels and 265/65R18 (31.6 x 10.4 inches) all-terrain tires. The Z71 has a sporty, Adrenaline Red-accented interior with trim-unique cloth/leatherette seats.

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The desert-oriented 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2 starts at $49,790. Chevy's cream-of-the-crop midsize off-roader comes standard with four-wheel drive and the high-output 2.7-liter with 430 lb-ft of torque. It has the most aggressive suspension that touts a 3.0-inch lift and a track width that is 3.5 inches wider than the base models. The ZR2 also brings back the previous-generation version's amazing Multimatic DSSV dampers, which have been updated with larger-diameter shafts, new seals, and fresh tuning.

 

Also included are 17x8-inch wheels wrapped in 285/70R17 (32.7 x 11.2 inches) mud-terrain tires; a fifth Terrain Mode, Baja, and allows for an additional drive mode beyond Baja that essentially eliminates all electronic intervention; and electronic locking front and rear differentials. There's a special ZR2 called the Desert Boss, which adds 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, a special "off-road" front bumper with push bar, a bed-mounted sports bar with a sail panel and LED off-road light bar, an underbody camera, and unique "Desert Boss" graphics.

 

Packages and options elevate these base prices exponentially, and let's face it, it's much harder to find base-trim trucks with fewer options than high-end trims with more options added. We configured a $65,000 ZR2 Desert Boss Special Edition on Chevy's website without trying too hard—but to be fair, we did tack on some things we could live without, like $50 yellow seat belts to "[add] a contrasting color to an important safety feature." On the other end of the spectrum, and perhaps more impressively, we configured a Radiant Red WT for a reasonable $43,720. A full-size spare wheel/tire set us back $235, but also requires a bunch of other options. Although we'd prefer manufacturers include something like this without strings attached, we'll begrudgingly pony up for a full-size spare over a compact tire.

 

Link: https://www.motortrend.com/news/2023-chevy-colorado-price-msrp/