GM has unveiled the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado ahead of its global public debut scheduled to take place at the Bangkok International Auto Show.
The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado is a midsize pickup truck featuring an extended cab body sitting on a high-stance AWD chassis, uses 20 inch wheels wrapped around off-road tires, and extracts power from a 2.8-litre turbo diesel plant for which output remains unspecified.
In terms of design the Colorado resonates with strength due to its wide, high positioned body that 'appears tightly wrapped over the chassis', and besides the Pepperdust Metallic exterior paint highlighted by various polished aluminum accents, the new pickup is also featuring GM's dual-port grille, a pair of large headlamps, integrated side steps, full LED taillights., and LED turn signals on the outside mirrors.
The interior will combine the best of Chev designs, with the Thai pickup bearing a striking interior look to the Camaro, complete with twin pod instrument panel and meaty steering wheel with redundant controls for audio and Bluetooth. The centrestack looks very familiar to Chevy truck owners, with the typical radio over a round cabin temperature control centre. The dash is topped by a covered bin.
Colorado is based on a new global midsized truck architecture developed in Brazil, with local engineers tailoring the truck to fit the individual markets.
“Chevrolet Colorado Chief Engineer Roberto Rempel and his team lived in Thailand during the Colorado’s development,” said Brad Merkel, global vehicle line executive. “They immersed themselves in the highly competitive truck market and observed how the Thai people use their vehicles and the driving conditions they experience.
The drive was smooth, and the engine pushed out 150 brake horsepower at 3,800 rpm with a generous 258 pounds-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. The Colorado rode surprisingly well, and handling at speeds approaching 70 mph was fine.
It soaked up bumps and did well on gravel roads, with the rack-and-pinion steering returning a good feel and firm feedback, just like in an SUV. To get an SUV-like ride on the highway, the Colorado’s frame was designed to take more stiffness by using bigger cabin mounts and tunable torsion bars that are biased for a smoother ride — something GM had been criticized for on earlier small pickups.
The clutch was fairly light, so when we reached the tight and twisty section of the drive up to the Thai-Burmese border, there was little effort to keep the momentum going as we rowed the gears from 2nd to 3rd and back to 2nd. The 2.5-liter diesel had ample power, so we never needed to downshift more than one gear.
Torque felt strong and seemed to be delivered early the power band, and with the new suspension setup, we did not need to slow down much at sharp corners. The rear brakes are still drums, but we found the pickup’s capability plenty strong enough to stop us confidently as we drove down steep hills without any fuss.
Additional features include a dual-zone, digital climate control system and the latest in “infotainment” technology. The show truck highlights an ergonomically positioned 7-inch LCD display in the center stack, for easy viewing and intuitive control of Web access, navigation, music and hands-free phone features.source:news.pickuptrucks.com,carsession.com,autonet.ca
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