The Chevy Colorado is Chevy’s midsize pickup truck, available in six trims, two engines, and built to work as hard or as easily as your life calls for. Whether you’re hauling gear on the weekend or commuting through the week, here’s everything you need to know.
Which Colorado Trim Is Right for You?
Choosing a trim is really about being honest with yourself about how you’ll use the truck. Here’s a breakdown:
The WT (Work Truck) is the no-frills starting point. It’s built for durability and utility, and it’s a popular pick for contractors and fleet use.
The Custom is just that. A step above the WT, Custom adds in some stylish black badging and larger wheels for hitting the road with just as much capability.
The LT is the everyday sweet spot. It adds comfort features like Keyless Open & Start, an EZ Lift and Lower tailgate with built-in storage, and a more refined feel inside without a big price jump.
The Trail Boss adds off-road hardware and a 2-inch factory-installed lift. If you want to explore unpaved roads or take it camping, Trail Boss is a great middle ground with four drive modes at your fingertips.
The Z71 blends off-road capability with a Jet Black interior joined with Adrenaline Red accents. It handles Michigan winters and rough roads well with LED headlamps, taillamps, and fog lamps coming in handy.
The ZR2 is the fully off-road-ready version of the Colorado. Specialized suspension, a 3-inch lift, and an extra drive mode for serious trail driving. This is the trim for those who are ready to hit the road, no matter the pavement.
One Engine. No Need to Choose.
The 2.7L TurboMax® four-cylinder is the standard engine across the six trims. It produces up to 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of best-in-class torque,¹ which is plenty of pulling power for towing a boat, a trailer, or a camper. It pairs with an 8-speed automatic and handles daily driving smoothly. With up to five drive modes, you can adjust your truck’s performance with a dial turn. Modes range from Normal and Available Tow/Haul to Off-Road2, Terrain2, or the ZR2-exclusive Baja to optimize stability and traction over sandy conditions.
What Can the Colorado Tow?
Towing capacity is one of those specs that doesn’t mean much until you connect it to something real. The Colorado can tow up to 7,700 lbs³. For reference, a standard pontoon boat runs around 2,200 lbs, and a small travel trailer weighs around 3,500 lbs, while a loaded single-axle cargo trailer typically falls somewhere in between. The Colorado handles all of it without much trouble.
The StowFlex® Tailgate: Even More Useful Than It Sounds
The available StowFlex® Tailgate is one of Colorado’s best hidden features, and it’s one of those things that’s a lot easier to appreciate once you actually use it. Functionality is a top priority, and the StowFlex® Tailgate offers separate, hidden storage in the gate itself. Other bed and gate highlights? The mid-position tailgate can support up to 500 lbs. for a flat work surface, and the Colorado gate has a built-in measurement tool, which is also excellent for work sites. With cargo bed lighting and an available 120-volt power outlet, Colorado is ready for dawn or dusk.
What’s Inside the Cabin?
Colorado’s standard 11.3-inch infotainment screen runs Google built-in4, which means Google Maps, Google Assistant, and compatible apps work the way you already expect them to, without needing to connect your phone every time. Wireless Apple CarPlay®5 and Android Auto™6 are also standard across the trims. Available across the upper trims include features such as heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a premium Bose audio system, to name a few.
Is the Colorado Good for Off-Roading?
The ZR2 is built for it. Standard to the ZR2 are Multimatic DSSV dampers, shock absorbers designed to adapt to changing terrain in real time. On pavement, the ride is composed. On rocks or loose trail, the truck stays planted in a way standard suspension can’t replicate. It also has front and rear driver-selectable locking differentials and rock sliders to protect the underside on rugged trails. The Trail Boss and Z71 are well-suited for unpaved roads, campground access trails, and all-season Michigan driving.
The Bottom Line
Getting into a truck for the first time used to feel like a big commitment. Bigger vehicle, different driving feel, a lot of new things to figure out. The Colorado makes that transition a lot more manageable. It’s sized right for everyday life. It’s capable without demanding expertise. The range of trims means you can start where it makes sense and know exactly what a step up looks like. Whether it’s your first truck or your next one, the Colorado is a hard one to find fault with.
Vehicle features may not match current model
¹Based on latest competitive data. Excludes other GM vehicles.
²Available on Trail Boss and Z71, standard on ZR2.
³Requires Colorado with Advanced Trailering Package. Maximum trailering ratings are intended for comparison purposes only. Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the Trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The trailering capacity of your specific vehicle may vary. The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can trailer.
⁴Google built-in services are subject to limitations and availability may vary by vehicle, infotainment system and location. Select service plan required. Certain Google Actions and functionality may require account linking. User terms and privacy statements apply. Google, Android Auto, Google Play and Google Maps are trademarks of Google LLC.
⁵Vehicle user interface is a product of Apple®, and its terms and privacy statements apply. Requires compatible iPhone®, and data plan rates apply. Apple CarPlay®, Siri®, iPhone® and Apple Music® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
⁶Vehicle user interface is a product of Google, and its terms and privacy statements apply. Requires the Android Auto app on Google Play and a compatible Android™ smartphone. Data plan rates apply. You can check which smartphones are compatible at g.co/androidauto/requirements. Android and Android Auto are trademarks of Google LLC.
