We would have to wholeheartedly agree with a few sentiments on trucks from the writers of the Motor1.com blog this week here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse! They claimed that modern trucks have now become “statement pieces”, as vehicles are lifted more at home in the confines of a parking lot than living and breathing dirt roads. It is very refreshing that the new Chevy Colorado offers a no-nonsense and very well-equipped off-road oriented pickup such as the Colorado Trail Boss.
For what the Trail Boss offers in the way of off-road capability, it’s an amazing bargain when stacked up with the various forms of firm-and-fitted competition. The package starts with a torquey turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder cranking out 310 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque, which reaches a delightful and spry peak at around 1,250 rpm. Even without the presence of a V6, this torque stat eagerly pairs with enough disposable power to quickly inch the truck up to highway-appropriate momentum.
The ZR2 is the most powerful Colorado courtesy of its 430 lb-ft of torque, but the Trail Boss beats it out in the horsepower category with 73 more horsepower at its disposal. This 4-cylinder is an oddity of sorts in all the best ways, as it is even more powerful than the previous Colorado’s V6 and has more torque than the current Nissan Frontier’s V6. We have long recognized that the Jeep Gladiator is a huge contender in the business for those who want go-anywhere capability with a truck bed, and this Colorado offers more power all around than the Gladiator lineup.
After extreme off-road testing, the Motor1.com crew claimed that the included off-road kit is “plentiful and capable”. You’ll be blowing through the fire road or boulder-strewn location of your choice with 4-wheel drive, 32-inch all-terrain tires as standard, along with the necessary 2.0-inch suspension lift, and 3.0-inch wider track. Seasoned trail hounds have long known that you can't take on a course littered with obstacles at incredibly high speed, and here is where the automatic locking rear differential and hill descent control prove their massive worth!
Crawling over harsh terrain simply cannot be accomplished with factory-grade equipment, which is why the additional skid plate is necessary. The overall lift, tires, and bodywork result in a 30.5-degree approach angle, a 22.4-degree departure, and 21 degrees of breakover. This Colorado also now has one interesting feature that is carried over from the EV skill set: Terrain Mode is now a 1-pedal drive system. Instead of the two-foot shuffle regarding braking and throttle, this is a much simpler means of getting the job done.
This engaging test drive rendered an ideally stiff suspension, with the damping quite obviously prepped for washboard basins and rough roads. The thicker off-road tires help soften the impact of cracked pavement, and here it was deemed that there is no other truck this capable for the price. The Convenience Package adds cruise control. Another very cool addition to splurge on is the amazing and radiant red paint. Wilderness-ready, capable, and all-around fun, this is the truck that Car and Driver claimed was a “Mid-size king, vastly superior to its predecessor inside and out.”
