The Chevrolet Colorado Is the 2024 MotorTrend Truck of the Year
A broad lineup delivers an impressive range of off-road capability without compromise to everyday livability.0:00 / 0:00
Timing is everything, and for the second time in as many generations, the introduction of a Chevrolet Colorado was timed perfectly. For the 2015 model year, after ceding the midsize truck segment to Toyota and Nissan for three years, Chevy re-entered the market with a truck that outclassed its aging competition so significantly it handily won our Golden Calipers. For 2023, Chevrolet rolled out an all-new Colorado, but its launch timing meant it just missed last year's competition. In the interim, the brand subsequently rolled out the stunning off-road-race-ready ZR2 and announced a forthcoming range-topping ZR2 Bison edition. In another lucky stroke for Chevy, the delay also aligned with MotorTrend moving its Truck of the Year competition to Michigan, where we've found a vastly improved playground for testing and evaluating off-road performance, allowing the ZR2—and the rest of the Colorado lineup—to shine brighter than may have been possible last year.
The 2015 Colorado borrowed liberally from an existing two-year-old global architecture and design, but this third-gen model qualifies as truly new, from its longer-wheelbase Silverado-derived frame to its sole powertrain, a 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder and eight-speed automatic. A beefier, more off-road-capable suspension gets standard six-lug wheels, the safety gear is thoroughly updated, and the design has been toughened up inside and out. One thing the third-gen model lost is a choice of body configurations. Too few buyers opted for the longer box with either the extended or crew cabs, so, like Ford and Jeep, GM now offers its midsizers only as a crew-cab/short-box combo. The Colorado was already leading the midsize truck class in our Ultimate Buyers Guide rankings even before it was renewed for 2023, so it entered our competition with a strong tailwind.
Performance of Intended Function
This may be the most important category for any Truck of the Year contender. With its lack of a 6-foot bed option (which reduces max cargo volume) or a long-wheelbase variant, you might expect compromised towing stability, but if you deliver mulch for a living or pull long campers on vacation, you shouldn't be shopping a midsize pickup in the first place.
Chevrolet bolsters the utility of its pickup box with standard gear that includes corner bed steps on all models but the ZR2, two tie-downs in each corner, and mounting points for various accessory rails or cleats. There's a soft-open tailgate, a 400-watt, 120-volt power outlet, and an available 45-inch-wide, 4-inch-deep StowFlex stowage box in the tailgate with a lid that secures the contents when the gate is locked. It's a perfect place to store ratchet straps, tie-down ropes, work gloves, and the like, and there's a drain in case they go in wet.
Our evaluations with 1,000 pounds in the bed and enough passengers aboard to hit the gross vehicle weight limit revealed no degradation in handling behavior. And the Colorado managed to tow a 7,500-pound trailer (200 shy of its maximum) respectably well, though we would welcome larger side mirrors for big-trailer visibility. They're fine for utility trailers, pop-up campers, jet skis—the normal stuff folks tow with midsize trucks.
But where the entire Colorado lineup really shone was off-road. With its Baja-ready spool-valve shocks, locking front and rear differentials, and knobby tires, the ZR2 feels almost Jeep Wrangler-esque in its go-anywhere capability. "There is so much traction, so much articulation, and so much jounce absorption, it takes getting into another pickup and driving over the same terrain to truly understand its severity, because you can't tell from the Chevy's driver's seat," deputy editor Alexander Stoklosa said. "It's shocking how well the ZR2 drives on pavement given what it can do off-road. Few hardcore off-roaders manage this balancing act; Ford's F-150 Raptor, the Ram 1500 TRX, and maybe the Land Rover Discovery being just about it." About our only gripe was with the $495 optional (and removable) assist steps that mount to the rock rails, as they mostly make it hard to get in and out without getting dirty.
In addition to all the hardware, the digital real estate inside offers a new Off-Road Performance app displaying info such as altitude and GPS overlanding guidance, pitch, roll, tire pressures, instantaneous g-forces and wheel slip, and transfer-case status. There are also up to 10 available camera views, more than any competitor offers, including a segment-first available underbody camera on the Z71 and ZR2.
This is quite simply the most extreme midsize off-road truck available—or at least the new-for-2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison will be, with its 35-inch tires, extra half-inch body lift, and equivalent suspension travel (9.9 inches front, 11.6 inches rear). We have yet to sample the forthcoming Ford Ranger Raptor and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter variants, but they have a tall mountain to climb if they're going to top the ZR2.
Even the base LT with its simpler single-speed 4WD system surprised truck expert and senior editor Jason Gonderman. "No low-range, low ground clearance, a huge air dam, and riding on street tires—damn if it didn't go everywhere." In between base and ZR2 4WD models lie the Trail Boss and Z71 trims, which also get the ZR2's one-pedal driving mode, allowing you to set an off-road cruising speed via the shift buttons on the gear lever. Gonderman's take on the Trail Boss: "The taller ride height certainly has its advantages for getting over tough obstacles, but the truck lacks a truly aggressive off-road tire. With true A/T tires the Trail Boss would almost be unstoppable." He also lamented the lack of a manually locking differential, but technical editor Jered Korfhage noted that "once you learn how much throttle input the automatic locker in the rear end requires, the Trail Boss will surprise you." And fellow tech editor Matt Chudzinski noted that half the fun of off-roading is trying different lines with a spotter assisting—something the Trail Boss affords more opportunity for than the climb-anything-on-the-first-try ZR2.
