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Holden’s tough looking new Colorado pickup never shirks hard work. Photo Gallery
Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Holden Colorado ute with specs, fuel economy and verdict.
With up to 26 variants, the new Holden Colorado ute comes in three body styles – three-seat Single Cab, Space Cab with rear access doors and two jump seats and the Crew Cab – the last body aimed at providing comfort that’s almost car-like.
VALUE
Prices start at $26,990 for the entry-level DX two-wheel drive, with most models falling in the range $44,000 to $55,000.
Colorado owners can personalise their vehicles with more than 38 individual accessories, two-thirds of which have been developed in Australia, or choose from four accessory packs available from Holden dealers.
The list includes a snorkel for the 2.8-litre diesel engine, a steel bullbar , body-coloured hard tonneau covers, alloy sports bar and nudge bar, steel and aluminium trays and canopy with unique glass areas.
Holden believes a new fully-integrated tow bar kit for the class-leading 3.5-tonne towing capacity on the 2.8-litre range will prove popular with buyers.
Made by General Motors in Thailand, the new Holden Colorado comes with a three-year 100,000 kilometre factory warranty and up to four servicing bills capped at $295 each.
TECHNOLOGY
The four Colorado models, DX, LX, LT and LTZ, use one of two all-new Duramax four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engines of 2.5-litre or 2.8-litre capacity. These can be mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel generates 132 kW of power and maximum 470 Nm of torque when teamed with the six-speed auto, and a maximum 440 Nm of torque when behind the five-speed manual transmission.
Vehicles with the 2.8-litre motor stump up a class-leading towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes, while the 2.5 litre unit, rated at 110 kW and 350 Nm, is capable of pulling three tonnes.
The 2.8-litre Colorado, when paired with an optional six-speed automatic transmission, delivers 10 per cent more power and 40 per cent more torque than the outgoing 3.0-litre diesel powertrain it replaces.
It also has fuel consumption of 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres, while the mid-range LX 4x2 Crew Cab Pick Up with five-speed manual transmission, spews out 218 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
Holden has measured the entry-level DX 2.5-litre (4x2 only) fuel consumption at 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres, while producing 212 grams of CO2. The top-of-the-range LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab Pick Up with six-speed automatic transmission achieves 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres and 243 grams of CO2.
A new fully-integrated tow-bar kit supports Colorado’s class-leading 3.5 tonne towing capacity on the 2.8-litre range. Every Colorado is rated for a one-tonne payload, with some models able to carry up to 1.4 tonnes.
DESIGN
General Motors’ design studio in Brazil was the focus of exterior and interior design, the team tasked with coming up with features that would fit in with multiple markets around the world.
Taking in feedback from global design clinics, including in Australia, it came up with 26 Colorado packaging combinations to complement Colorado’s workhorse character. State-of-the-art features in the Colorado LTZ are projector headlamps and LED tail lights.
Inside, the Holden Colorado comfort is in proportion to the price paid with cheaper versions not up to keeping occupants too relaxed on long journeys. Instruments and controls are old style and set in swathes of plastic requiring minimum maintenance.
Holden’s Kirsty Lindsay was one of a team tasked with developing attractive interior trim designed to withstand the rigours of a working vehicle.
SAFETY
Active and passive safety features cover the whole Colorado range, with Electronic Stability Control, ABS Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake Force Distribution. There are front airbags for driver and passenger, full-length curtain airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners with load limiters, front seatbelt sash height adjustment and three rear seat child anchor points on Crew Cab models.
DRIVING
We did tow testing on a range of country roads with different trailers carting everything from a small road roller to electric elevated platform. The trailer with electric brakes pulled by Colorados with auto transmissions proved the smoothest operators; manual vehicles with brake over-riders provided the odd stutter along the way.
Absent in Colorado is hill descent control. No sweat. As the media found out on a testing trek into the bush during the introduction of the new model – flick the automatic shift lever into manual mode, select first or even second gear and the vehicle cruises down steep inclines at a constant crawl.
VERDICT
In general driving on city and country roads the Colorados ran true to form with comfort correlating to power, specification and, therefore, price.
Holden Colorado LT 4WD dual-cab automatic
Price: from $47,490
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Resale: 48 per cent (Source: Glass's Guide)
Service interval: 9 months/15,000km
Safety rating: five star
Spare: Full-size steel
Engine: 2.8-litre common-rail direct-injection turbodiesel four-cylinder, 132kW/470Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic; 4WD
Body: 5.3m (L); 1.8m (w); 1.8m (h)
Weight: 2004kg
Thirst: 9.11/100km, tank 76 litres; 243g/km CO2
RANGE
4x2 SINGLE CAB
DX Cab Chassis 2.5-litre turbo-diesel: $26,990 (manual)
LX Cab Chassis 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $27,990 (manual), $29,990 (automatic)
4x2 CREW CAB
LX Cab Chassis 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $33,990 (manual), $35,990 $29,990 (automatic)
LX Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $35,490 (manual), $37,490 $29,990 (automatic)
LT Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $36,490 (manual), $38,490 $29,990 (automatic)
LTZ Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $40,990 (manual), $42,990 $29,990 (automatic)
4x4 SINGLE CAB
DX Cab Chassis 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $34,990 (manual)
LX Cab Chassis 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $35,990 (manual), $37,990 $29,990 (automatic)
4x4 SPACE CAB
LX Cab Chassis 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $40,490 (manual), $42,490 $29,990 (automatic)
LTZ Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $47,490 (manual), $49,490 $29,990 (automatic)
4x4 CREW CAB
LX Cab Chassis 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $42,990 (manual), $44,990 $29,990 (automatic)
LX Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $44,490 (manual), $46,490 $29,990 (automatic)
LT Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $45,490 (manual), $47,490 $29,990 (automatic)
LTZ Pickup 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $49,990 (manual), $51,990 $29,990 (automatic)
RIVALS
Toyota Hilux SR 4x4 dual-cab
Price: from $41,990
Enigine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder, 126kW/343Nm
Transmission: Four-speed auto, 4WD
Body: Four-door ute
Thirst: 9.3L/100km, 245g/km CO2
Toyota Hilux SR 4x4 - see other Toyota Hilux SR 4x4 verdicts
Nissan Navara D40 ST
Price: from $43,800
Engine: 2.5-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder, 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic, 4WD
Body: Four-door ute
Thirst: 9.0L/100km, 238g/km CO2
Nissan Navara - see other Nissan Navara verdicts
Ford Ranger XL 3.2 4x4 dual-cab
Price: from $46,390
Engine: 3.2-litre turbodiesel five-cylinder, 147kW/470Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, 4WD
Body: Four-door ute
Thirst: 9.2L/100km, 246g/km CO2
Ford Ranger XL - see other Ford Ranger XL verdicts
Mazda BT-50 XTR dual-cab diesel
Price: from $48,810
Engine: 147kW/470Nm 20-valve DOHC 3.2-litre common-rail direct-injection in-line five-cylinder
Trasmission: 6-speed auto
Body: Four-door ute
Thirst: 9.2 l/100km, 246g/km CO2
Mazda BT-50 - see other Mazda BT-50 verdicts
Volkswagen Amarok
Price: from $33,990
Engine: twin turbocharged, two litre diesel, 120kW/400Nm
Trasmission: 6-speed manual
Body: Four-door ute
Thirst: 7.7L/100km; 203g/km
Volkswagen Amarok - see other Volkswagen Amarok verdicts
