Chevrolet Debuts Colorado Show Truck in Thailand, Plans for U.S. Sales Still Unclear
Chevrolet has photographically unveiled its Colorado pickup concept, following a teaser image a few weeks ago. The truck will take the stand at the upcoming Bangkok auto show. A production version of the truck goes on sale this fall in Thailand, but the big question is whether this concept previews a vehicle that will come to the U.S. to replace our aged and never-so-great Colorado.
In contrast to the current Colorado, which has boxy styling evocative of the last-generation Silverado, the concept truck features a smoother body that is much more in keeping with current Chevy design. The corporate front grille and headlights are toughened-up Malibu fare.
The running gear is fairly standard: a 2.8-liter diesel provides the power to two or four wheels—though if this truck does ever land in the U.S., you can bet on it switching to gas power. Still, it’s just about guaranteed to be friendlier on fuel than the current Colorado’s lineup of four-,five-, and eight-cylinder engines.
Many of the Colorado’s interior fittings echo recent Chevrolet offerings, with a Cruze-style steering wheel, square-ish gauges reminiscent of those in the Camaro and Traverse, and a dual-cowl dash design. All of those have a good likelihood of making it through to production. It’s a good bet, however, that the large-screened infotainment system, LED exterior lighting, and funky 20-inch wheels will remain on the show stand.
Chevy previously told us that the new Colorado would be a global design, implying that it could meet U.S. regulations, but wouldn't confirm whether it is, in fact, headed to our shores. Full-size trucks like Chevy’s Silverado dominate the U.S. market, but elsewhere, smaller pickups prevail. With fuel prices in the States headed north, however, we could see a renewed interest in Colorado-sized trucks—so long as they can deliver real savings at the pump.
