2023 Chevrolet Colorado: Simple, Yet Powerful Reimagination
Elevated Interior from the Base Up
Being an overhaul year, the Colorado not only receives fascia upgrades, but an elevated interior as well, starting with the LT. As soon as you open the door, you can immediately tell the difference from even the previous generation.
Gigantic 11.3-inch info screens are now standard for all trims, all with the latest-gen MyLink software for wireless pairing and other creature features, like wireless charging. Also, gone are the days of twisting a nob for headlamps–they are now controlled by a digital button on the touch screen.
Fancy.
Room for Improvement
As impressive as the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is, there are some pain points here and there.
For starters, the cab space also notable. Though it is actually even less compared to 2022 (which was less than 2021), Chevy does a good job with forward legroom (about 0.2-inch gain) compared to the dimensional reduction overall, interior-wise. Despite this and having a 6-point adjustable seats (8-point with Convenience Pack 2; for driver only), headroom is still an issue for those larger than 6 feet.
Touch points on both the Z71 and Trail Boss are a bit underwhelming. Z71 comes with LED headlamps/taillamps and has two seat options: Jet Black/Adrenaline Red in either Evotex cloth or leather. That is fine, however the knee pads and door pads feel like leather wrapped-plastic pieces instead of wrapped urethane. Which is why the LT, which comes with a wrapped center console, actually feels better in some respects.
Trail Boss basically has the WT interior with an option for either Jet Black cloth or Evotex leather, but has a cheaper Convenience Pack 2 ($542) where you can net the Tailgate storage and 8-point adjustable seats for considerably less. However, it still lacks the same comforts and premium feel of of the Z71, namely kneepads and ventilated seats. It also comes with halogen lights instead of LEDs, which is a bummer.
A Worthy Adversary in the Crew Cab Segment
Despite its minor pitfalls, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is undeniably a formidable opponent to both the Jeep Gladiator and the Ford Ranger. It is essentially a turbo-centric crew cab with diesel truck DNA all over it, and offers a slew of powertrain and aftermarket options, an awe-inspiring towing capacity and plenty of horsepower on regular pump gas.
Chevy’s attitude in the mid-size truck segment is certainly a force to be reckoned with, and we’re excited to see what they got next.
Photos: Derin Richardson
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