The Colorado is Chevrolet's midsize truck designed for those who want a smaller and more affordable pickup than the full-size Silverado. Its 2023 redesign brought several upgrades but also simplified the truck. It's now only available as a four-door crew cab with a short 5-foot bed and only offers one engine: a turbocharged four-cylinder available in three power levels, depending on which trim you chose. Three of the five available trim levels are off-road focused: Trail Boss, Z71 and ZR2. There's also a more capable ZR2 Desert Boss model.
Chevrolet beefed up the new Colorado's exterior design and modernized its interior with a digital instrument cluster and a large 11.3-inch center touchscreen. The former engines have been replaced by a turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four that produces 237 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque in the WT (Work Truck) and LT trims, 310 hp and 391 lb-ft in the Trail Boss and Z71 trims, and 310 hp and 430 lb-ft in the top ZR2 trim. Its max towing capacity of 7,700 pounds is unchanged. The new Trail Boss trim sports a 2-inch lift and the top-spec ZR2 touts a 3-inch lift with upgraded suspension components and available underbody cameras, plus a roof light bar with the Desert Boss package.
The once small midsize truck segment has grown larger and is now very competitive. The Colorado had its fun in the sun as the newest model, but that's about to change later this year when the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger roll into dealerships. Both trucks are compelling alternatives and come with new off-road-specced models: the Tacoma Trailhunter and Ranger Raptor. The highly rated and practical Honda Ridgeline and recently redesigned Nissan Frontier are additional rivals to consider.
If you don't want the off-road looks or additional capability of the Trail Boss, we think the value-packed LT is the way to go. We recommend adding the LT Convenience package II for its additional comfort features and the more powerful Turbo Plus engine.
The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is a midsize truck available only as a four-door crew cab with a short bed (5 feet). There are five trim levels to choose from: WT (Work Truck), LT, Trail Boss, Z71 and ZR2.
The 2023 Tacoma is showing its age but is one of our highest-rated midsize trucks thanks to its off-road capability, smooth on-road manners and ample tech. The new Colorado is superior in many ways, but only until the redesigned 2024 Tacoma is released. The new Tacoma is available in a whopping eight trim levels including four TRD trims and the new top-of-the-line off-road specced Trailhunter. Like the Colorado, the new Tacoma is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder with different power levels, including a new hybrid powertrain boasting 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
The 2023 Ranger's mediocre interior, subpar drivability and lack of ride comfort make it the least competitive midsize truck. But its 2024 redesign changes all that. It sports an updated look and a much-improved interior. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine carries over but is joined by the potent turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 from the F-150. The new Ranger also offers lots of technology, including several advanced driver aids and off-road and towing tech. The Ranger Raptor finally graces us with its presence with a host of off-road upgrades and a powerful 405-hp turbocharged V6.
The Ridgeline isn't the coolest midsize truck, but it's the best suited for city driving — what most truck owners usually do. It's also one of our highest-rated trucks. Compared to rivals, the Ridgeline handles better and is more comfortable, and its large interior provides some of the most spacious rear seats. The Honda also comes standard with all-wheel drive and packs a strong V6. On the downside, it doesn't offer the off-road prowess or towing capacity the Colorado does, but it's still sufficient for most truck owners.
Midsize-truck shoppers haven't had much new stuff to pick from recently. Our current top-rated midsize truck, the Honda Ridgeline, was last redesigned for 2017. The Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet's current Colorado generation are even older than that. But new hardware is finally arriving with the fully redesigned 2023 Chevrolet Colorado.
All Colorados now come with a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder that offers three levels of output. The new engine, in its more powerful forms, is meant to replace both the high horsepower of the old Colorado's optional V6 as well as the torquey grunt of the optional diesel-powered four-cylinder.
The Trail Boss keeps the Z71's automatic-locking rear differential and standard all-terrain tires, then tacks on a 2-inch lift and 3-inch-wider front track. That gives it some extra ground clearance, up to 9.5 inches (versus 8.9 inches in the Z71) and more aggressive approach (30.5 degrees), breakover (21 degrees) and departure angles (22.4 degrees).
The base engine runs a bit coarse at times and unsurprisingly offers less robust acceleration than the other versions. But on the upside it doesn't feel underpowered like the old naturally aspirated four-cylinder did. The throttle can feel a bit laggy and slow to respond at times, so for merges and passes you should plan ahead.
The Colorado's suspension is firmly tuned but the overall ride quality is pretty good for a midsize truck. The new generation's longer wheelbase seems to help improve stability, too. There isn't much nosedive under hard braking and the Colorado feels confident as it stops, even in the Trail Boss with its 2-inch lift. My initial street driving impressions had me worried that the truck would be too stiff on a dirt road but undulations and dips are well damped. It's impressive that the Colorado's ride comfort and stability are good in varied environments.
Chevy put a lot of effort into upgrading the Colorado's interior feel and look. There are some similarities to the much-improved full-size Silverado 1500, though Chevy designers tell us that the Colorado's new interior was actually in development first even though it debuted later. The conjoined digital instrument panel and central touchscreen are the highlight, and we were thankful to see simple climate and vehicle controls on the center stack all within easy reach of the driver. There are still a lot of hard plastic panels inside, but the higher trims do have upgraded patterns and textures to give off a classier vibe.
This is an area where the Colorado takes a big step ahead of the competition. An 11.3-inch touchscreen is standard across the board, as is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It makes even the WT feel much classier. The materials are rather spartan, but it doesn't seem cheap thanks to those screens. The other base trims in this segment offer comparably tiny screens and fewer features.
Edmunds saysThe redesigned 2023 Chevrolet Colorado's numerous upgrades have transformed the pickup into a class-leading contender. Can it knock off the Ridgeline as our top-rated midsize truck? Check back in the next few months for a full test and report. We're also looking forward to finding out how it'll compare to the redesigned 2024 Ford Ranger and 2024 Toyota Toyota Tacoma. If nothing else, the midsize truck market is going to get a lot more interesting.
The Chevrolet Colorado has long been Chevy's midsize pickup truck. It was first introduced for the 2004 model year, and after a short hiatus between 2012 and 2015, it came back for a second generation. Since then, the Colorado has been one of the most capable midsizers on the market. It offers a plethora of trims, body styles and powertrain options, and the ZR2 is exceptionally capable off-road.
That said, the Colorado is starting to show its age. Everything about the midsizer is decidedly last-generation GM, and it's received only mild updates since its arrival in 2015. The good news is that a new Colorado is definitely on its way.
The first thing we expect for 2023 is a much more serious design. There's nothing wrong with the current truck, but it's out of sync with the recently updated 2022 Chevy Silverado and all its associated variants. Expect a more angular and more aggressive approach to the next Colorado's styling.
Next up is a much more modern interior space. The current car is spartan to say the least, and it isn't fitted with the nicest materials. It's true that, for some, trucks are workhorses that don't need nice interiors. But for others a pickup has to do a little bit of everything: It has to be a mobile office, a city cruiser and off-road warrior, and handle normal truck duties, too. For 2023, we think the Colorado's interior will take inspiration from the 2022 Silverado. We expect bigger displays, more customization and a digital dashboard to trickle down from the Silverado to the Colorado. We also expect to see nicer interior materials and, hopefully, more space. Wrap all that together, and the Colorado will become an even better option in the midsize truck segment.
As far as powertrains go, we still don't have word from Chevy whether the current Colorado's base four-cylinder engine or optional turbodiesel four-cylinder and 3.5-liter gas V6 engines will carry over for 2023. And with powertrain details still far away, we don't know what to expect in terms of towing and hauling capabilities.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado:
The least-expensive 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado Work Truck 4dr Crew Cab SB (2.7L 4cyl Turbo 8A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $29,200.
Other versions include:
