Holden Colorado 2014 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of automotive recalls, with models from Citroen, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Peugeot affected.

Holden is recalling more than 26,000 examples of its Colorado ute and family SUV -- almost every one sold in the past 18 months -- because they may catch fire.Holden issued a “stop delivery” notice to dealers and is urging Colorado owners to bring their cars in for rectification work after five customers experienced “thermal incidents”.The models affected were made between September 2013 and January 2015.The latest safety bulletin makes Holden the most recalled car brand so far this year; last year Holden had the equal highest number of recalls with Jeep, with each issuing a record 14 notices.According to the Federal Government’s recalls website, “there is a risk that (a) cable insulation may melt or catch fire, which may pose a risk of injury to the vehicle occupants and other road users”.A statement from Holden said an alternator cable “may have been assembled so it makes contact with a steel bracket on the battery tray”. The latest safety bulletin makes Holden the most recalled car brand so far this yearUnder certain driving conditions, Holden says, movement of the engine may cause the cable to rub through the insulation.“This may cause a short circuit. If the short circuit creates sufficient heat, there is a risk that the cable insulation may melt or potentially catch fire,” the Holden statement said.Holden says drivers of affected may notice a battery warning light on the instrument cluster or “in more serious cases a small amount of smoke may be emitted from the engine bay area”.The safety alert for the Thailand-made Colorado ute is the fifth Holden recall so far this year.Earlier this month Holden issued a recall for the Korean-made Captiva family SUV because certain models could lurch forward if the key was left in the ignition.Jeep and Nissan have issued four recalls so far this year while Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Suzuki have issued three recalls each so far this year.Market leader Toyota has only issued two recalls so far this year.

The all-new Nissan Navara and heavily facelifted Mitsubishi Triton are due in April and May ahead of updates to the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 in July and an all-new Toyota HiLux in October. Dealers are keen to move stock about to be superseded with 2014 build plates.As with our story last week on clearance prices for passenger cars, the savings on utes vary from brand to brand.Most of these deals end on January 31, but if you sign on the dotted line this weekend, most will honour the sale price next week. After all, the vehicles in dealer stock aren't getting any younger.Discounts on the Ranger are rare but with an update around the corner Ford has sharpened the price on the middle-of-the-range XLS to compete with most other brands which sell around this RRP. The 2.2-litre diesel XLS crew cab 4x4 is $41,990 drive-away and the 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel version is $44,490 in the traffic.Both offers equate to savings of about $5000. A tip: these prices are for manual models; use the savings to upgrade to automatic (adds $2000) as the manual transmission is not as refined or reliable as the six-speed auto. Footnote: savings on the popular XLT are relatively minor ($53,490 drive-away is not much off the RRP) so haggle for at least another $2000 off.The Mazda BT-50 is the Ford Ranger's twin under the skin — they have different bodies but are made on the same production line in Thailand and share the same engines, which is why Ford's premium RRP is normally so conspicuous. The BT-50 dual cab XTR is good buying at $45,990 drive-away; the $1500 premium over the 3.2 Ranger XLS adds navigation, larger alloy wheels, dual zone air-conditioning and side steps.The discounts on the Mitsubishi Triton crew cab GLX+ 4x4 have cooled but it's still one of the best buys. Late last year the price limboed to $29,990 drive-away but the 2014 clearance price is $31,990 drive-away with a free towbar.The price of the Triton is likely to get sharper in the coming months as the new model gets closer, and newer rivals start to appear in showrooms. Mitsubishi also has the cheapest single-cab 4x2 diesel ute with a drop-side tray (from a mainstream brand): $22,990 drive-away.Nissan Navara discounts are hard to pin down because the company favours finance offers or teases buyers with "huge factory bonuses", without highlighting exactly what price you can expect to pay. That means some buyers will pay more than others, so be sure to shop around.The only transparent price on the Nissan Navara this month is a limited edition "Silverline" crew cab 4x4 that comes with a sports bar, alloy wheels, and tub-liner. The $34,990 drive-away price is OK, but Nissan has dipped to lower than this on other models in the past six months, so there should still be some wriggle room in this price.Discounts on the Isuzu D-Max fluctuate and the 2014 clearance prices are middle-of-the-road in the current climate, but it's still one of the cheapest tickets to five-star ute safety: $37,990 drive-away for the SX crew cab 4x4 on steel wheels, with a $1000 voucher to spend on accessories.The Holden Colorado is available from $38,990 drive-away for the LS crew cab 4x4. You can take up the "no deposit, no repayments until 2016 offer" but the loan must be repaid in four years or less and the interest rate is not disclosed online and varies from dealer to dealer. We were quoted an interest rate of between 8 and 9 cent. Note: the interest is calculated from the day you sign the deal, even though you don't have to make the first payment until 2016.That means that your individual instalments will be higher than if you had started paying off the loan immediately.The top-line HiLux SR5 can currently be had for $49,990 drive-away, but it has been as low as $46,990 drive-away in the past 18 months, so be sure to haggle. Want a cheap 4x2 single cab with drop-side tray?The base model Workmate manual with air-conditioning (yes, still an option normally) can be had for $21,990 drive-away for the petrol model.Deals on the Volkswagen Amarok ebb and flow but the German brand has a super-sharp offer at the moment to keep up in the sales race with the mainstream ute brands: $37,990 drive-away for a the Amarok crew cab 4x4 manual with alloy wheels, fog lights and metallic paint.There is still a question mark over VW reliability but the Amarok is covered by a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. A factory-backed extended warranty (to five years) is available for between $3000 and $3500 depending on distance coverage.

Just 21 cars separate Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 in the 2014 new-car sales race.New-car bargains are set to continue as sales slowed for the sixth month in a row and dealers remain overstocked.Affordability may be at a 38-year-high and prices already at 20-year lows, but new-car deliveries are down by 2.1 per cent in the first seven months of this year (to 649,818 deliveries) compared to the same period last year.Figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show new-car sales dipped by 0.4 per cent in July compared with the same month last year, with 89,867 vehicles finding new homes.Experts say the downturn could be a "hangover" from last year’s all-time record, with 1,136,227 vehicles reported as sold.Industry insiders believe the official data has been distorted because a number of big brands declared cars as sold last year even though they hadn’t actually been delivered to customers.At least one company, Nissan, has admitted it is delivering more new cars this year than what it is reporting to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, so that it can balance its books. Mitsubishi and Honda are believed to be doing the same."If you look at (the official sales figures) it may look like we’re falling behind, but the truth is we’re clearing stuff that was already counted," Nissan Australia boss Richard Emery told industry journal GoAuto."So the (official sales figures) you’ve been seeing from us is understated compared to what we’ve actually been putting across the (kerb)." One source who asked to remain anonymous told News Corp Australia: "The industry has digested most of the cars declared as sold last year, even though they were still in dealer stock, so you will start to see the reported sales numbers pick up later in the year."With the Australian dollar likely to strengthen later in the year, according to economists, and with interest rates remaining at record lows, sharp deals are expected to continue across most makes and models.At the top of the sales charts the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 are in a tighter battle than the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore ever were.The last time the Ford Falcon outsold Holden Commodore in a month, in September 2003, it was by just 48 sales (7409 versus 7361).The Toyota Corolla -- last year’s top seller -- has taken the lead in the new-car sales race for the first time in 2014, just 21 cars ahead of the arch rival Mazda3.The Mazda3 was Australia’s favourite car for two of the past three years and ended the Holden Commodore’s 15-year winning streak in 2011.Official sales figures for July show the Corolla was the top selling car for the fifth month in a row, but it is the first time it has topped the year-to-date tally after the Mazda3 posted an unusually high number of "demonstrator" deliveries at the start of the year.However, only four of the Top 10 brands posted sales gains, and Holden’s 10th month in a row of sales surges came to an end, posting an 11 per cent drop in July compared with the same month last year.The Holden Commodore has also posted its first monthly sales decline for the first time since the new model went on sale a year ago. But at least there was a silver lining for Holden: it had three cars in the Top 10.As a sign of the changing times, in the luxury segment Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division has outsold Holden Special Vehicles so far this year; figures show HSV sold 1056 cars to June (with the supercharged HSV GTS accounting for almost half of the brand’s sales) compared with 1208 AMG Mercedes-Benz cars.Top 10 cars in July 2014Toyota Corolla 3800 -- down 3.7 per centMazda3 3421 -- down 1.2 per centToyota HiLux 3140 -- up 5.6 per centHolden Commodore 2469 -- down 12.7 per centHyundai i30 2434 -- up 6.3 per centFord Ranger 2023 -- up 13.5 per centMazda CX-5 1895 -- up 15.7 per centToyota Camry 1806 -- down 12.4 per centHolden Cruze 1747 -- down 29.2 per centHolden Colorado 1443 -- down 14.8 per centTop 10 brands in July 2014Toyota 16,486 down 5.4 per centHolden 8990 down 11.3 per centHyundai 8351 up 4.3 per centMazda 8048 down 5.6 per centFord 6210 down 7.8 per centNissan 5451 up 7.5 per centMitsubishi 5042 down 10.4 per centVolkswagen 3991 up 0.6 per centSubaru 3121 up 0.6 per centHonda 2708 down 1.4 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, percentage change compared with the same month last year.

The Isuzu deal comes as Ford introduces two special editions of the Ranger pick-up -- one to appeal to mining companies and contractors and a more affordable XLS double cab at $44,490 drive-away.But the brands doing the sharpest deals are Nissan and Mitsubishi, both of which are clearing old stock to make way for the first new models in 10 years, either late this year or early next.As the oldest trucks on the market, the prices of Nissan and Mitsubishi utes are reaching new lows.The Triton GLX Plus is $31,990 drive-away while the luxury GLX-R is $38,990 drive-away, a saving of more than $12,000 off the launch price almost a decade ago.The Nissan Navara ST crew cab is also $38,990 drive-away but be sure to haggle as this is an advertised price only.The Holden Colorado "Storm" edition has $2000 worth of extra kit at no extra charge. Don't be afraid to shop around on these deals, too, as Holden dealers are working hard to shift more metal.The ute discounts may be emerging early but the deals will only get better as June 30 approaches, say industry insiders.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

THE new boss of Holden has boldly claimed the company will be Australia's top-selling car brand by the year 2020 -- just three years after shutting its factories. Holden hasn't been number one for 11 years, has just posted a 20-year low, and currently sells a little more than half the number of cars as market leader Toyota.Despite this, Holden boss Gerry Dorizas has bravely set his targets high barely five weeks into the new job. It seems like a tall order when the claims are judged against Holden's current model line-up.But behind the scenes the company is searching every corner of the globe to bolster its showrooms once Holden doesn't have a car factory to protect beyond 2017. That means all bets are off and Holden executives are going through the entire General Motors catalogue to fill every possible niche to win back buyers who've defected to other brands.Some of the cars listed here may seem fanciful based on Holden's recent history. But make no mistake, anything is possible in Holden's new era.As with all car makers, Holden refuses to discuss its future model plans and these cars are by no means confirmed. But this list has been compiled with some inside knowledge and a review of how Holden has done business in happier times, such as the late 1990s and early 2000s when European and US models helped drive it to Number One.Here are the 10 cars that could power Holden to the top of the market over the next six years.1. CamaroYou read it here first: Holden executives told dealers in a secret meeting late last year it's hopeful of getting the next generation Chevrolet Camaro in local showrooms by 2018, just after the homegrown Commodore fades from view.Normally such hot news would be kept under wraps, but Holden was trying to give dealers a confidence boost after announcing the 2017 factory closure.A right-hand-drive version of the current Chevrolet Camaro was under development when it was axed in 2009, in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.Now that Ford has confirmed the Mustang is coming to Australia (due in late 2015) Holden is believed to be fighting hard for a right-hand-drive Chevrolet Camaro to meet its rival head-on.And the iconic Corvette? Former General Motors CEO, Dan Akerson, told Carsguide in January 2013 a right-hand-drive version was coming -- only to be corrected by his second-in-command Tim Lee less than 24 hours later.It's unlikely there will be a right-hand-drive version of this generation Corvette, but the head of General Motors global product development, Mark Reuss, a former Holden boss, told Carsguide in January 2014 he wants right-hand-drive versions of all Chevrolet vehicles in the future.2. Cascada convertibleIn the same top-secret meeting Holden dealers were told about the Camaro, they were also told the Opel Cascada convertible will be coming to Holden showrooms by year's end.The Cascada -- Spanish for rain or waterfall, unusual for a convertible given that they're about sunshine, except when they leak -- was supposed to be introduced as an Opel before General Motors pulled the German brand from sale locally last year, less than 12 months after it launched. All Holden needs to do is fit Holden badges, get cars to dealers and starting printing brochures.The Cascada is the spiritual successor to the Astra convertible, which Holden sold across two generations from 2001 to 2010.Holden is yet to decide whether the convertible will wear the Cascada badge or if Holden will use the Astra name for the convertible.Holden dealers have told Carsguide they would prefer the Astra badge because of its recognition, but Holden executives have been referring to the car by its Opel name in preliminary meetings.3. Astra hatchThe Holden Astra is going to return to showrooms, it's just a matter of when. At the moment, Holden doesn't want to dent sales of the locally-made Cruze but the Astra is on stand-by, ready to go.Holden dealers had to clear the unsold Astra stock once the Opel brand was withdrawn from Australia, so the network has already handled the new model.The three-door and five-door hatch versions of the Astra are likely starters, but the Astra sedan will probably be left behind, leaving the next generation Cruze sedan to fill the void.4. Cruze sedanHolden will import the next generation Cruze sedan once the locally-made model goes out of production. It will opt for the Cruze sedan (over the Astra sedan) because it will give Holden a strategic price step through the small-car range.The Cruze sedan will likely be the price-leader at close to $20,000 while the Astra hatch will likely be priced closer to fellow European, the Volkswagen Golf, at about $23,000.General Motors is yet to commit to a new version of the Cruze wagon.Although the current Holden Cruze wagon is well priced and regarded as a sound vehicle, it is selling in small numbers, with buyers favouring SUVs.5. Trax faceliftThe recently-released Holden Trax compact SUV is well-equipped and sharply priced but hasn't proved popular with buyers.It seems not everyone is a fan of its cutesy Dumbo Elephant looks. But a fix is a phone call away.The Trax's twin, the Opel Mokka, was due to go on sale locally until the brand was withdrawn late last year.The Mokka has a more European design inside and out even though it comes from the same South Korean factory as the Trax.Holden could simply fit Trax badges to the better-looking model on a “facelift” for a sales boost.6. BarinaAs one of the best-priced and roomiest cars in its class, the current-generation Barina is another Holden that deserves to be selling better.But it is heavy and thirsty compared to the class leaders. And while the attractively designed interior looks good in brochures, the plastics are hard to the touch and feel cheap once you're behind the wheel.The next Barina will likely continue to come from South Korea (rather than sourcing the European Opel Corsa) because it will enable Holden to keep prices low.Better quality plastics will improve the interior's appeal, while a more efficient engine and a lighter body will improve fuel economy, giving the next Barina a better chance in the cut-throat light-car class.7. Captiva SUVAn all-new Captiva SUV can't come soon enough. Most cars have a model cycle of five-to-six years. The Captiva is entering its ninth year on sale and a new-from-the-ground-up model is still about two years away.The current Captiva is selling well because it is the cheapest ticket into a seven-seat full-size SUV. But the new model will have to step up to newer competition, especially if it loses its current $10,000 price advantage.The other key to the Captiva's success is the two-model strategy: a slightly smaller five-seater and a slightly bigger seven-seater.Holden would like to continue with two models given the SUV market is still booming, but General Motors is likely to consolidate to one model globally.The Captiva is critical to Holden's 2020 Number One target: it accounts for almost one-third of sales and is currently the biggest selling model behind the Commodore and the Cruze.8. Next CommodoreHolden has scrapped plans to share the next generation, front-wheel-drive Commodore with a Chinese Buick.Now that the Commodore (or whatever Holden chooses to call its next large sedan) is no longer going to be built locally, Holden has the luxury of choosing between the Buick, Chevrolet or Opel versions of the same car.Expect four-cylinder and V6 power for the front-drive sedan, but there will no longer be a Commodore V8, wagon or ute.The Camaro is expected to fill the V8 void, while Commodore wagon customers will either downsize to a Cruze or step up to a Captiva SUV. Commodore ute buyers will have to learn to love the Colorado.9. Colorado uteThe Holden Colorado is travelling ok but it's still not selling as well as the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. That means there is still plenty of sales potential.The Colorado is being held back at the moment because it doesn't drive as well as its peers and the cabin isn't as user-friendly or as upmarket as the newer competition.It also doesn't look like a tough truck. Making it drive better will take some chassis tuning, but making it look tougher is not as hard as it sounds.General Motors in North America redesigned the nose for the Chevrolet version of the 2015 Colorado, to make it look like a full-size pick-up. And guess what? The parts clip straight on to the Holden Colorado. Simples.10. Tahoe/SilveradoHolden has been trying to get right-hand-drive versions of General Motors' full-size SUVs and pick-ups from the US for more than a decade. Since, in fact, the Chevrolet Suburban was discontinued after being sold here between 1998 and 2001.Back then, when the Australian dollar was weaker than it is today, the “Holden” Suburban sold for between $64,000 and $87,000.At today's exchange rates, the prices for the Tahoe SUV and Silverado pick-up would likely be between $50,000 and $75,000 -- smack bang in the middle of Toyota Prado and Toyota LandCruiser territory, which last year accounted for more than 10 per cent of Toyota's sales.General Motors is yet to confirm right-hand-drive versions of its full-size pick-ups and SUVs -- but former Holden boss Mark Reuss, now the head of GM's global product development, told Carsguide in January this year he wants right-hand-drive versions of all future models.If they became available, Holden would grab them with both hands.What about HSV?Holden's performance-car division will continue to build the Clubsport sedan and wagon, Maloo ute, Grange limousine and GTS super-sedan until the very end of Commodore production in October 2017.Carsguide understands it may even stockpile enough cars to run into 2018 because once these homegrown heroes go, there will be no more.In the meantime, HSV is looking to broaden its model range. Don't be surprised to see the high performance Opel Astra OPC hot hatch and Opel Insignia OPC sedan and wagon appear in Holden showrooms wearing HSV badges.HSV has sold Opel's high performance Astra before and the Astra hatch and Insignia were sold here last year as Opels before the brand was withdrawn from sale.That means they've been approved for Australian Design Rules and there is already parts availability. All that's missing are the HSV badges.Friends in high placesHolden boss Gerry Dorizas believes Holden will get more support now than ever before from its overseas head-quarters.Former Holden boss Mike Devereux is in charge of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, and the man who saved Holden from extinction during the GFC, Mark Reuss, is now in charge of General Motors' global product development.The new president of General Motors, reporting directly to CEO Mary Barra, is New Zealander Dan Ammann, who grew up around Holdens.Will Zafira make it?Opel was poised to introduce the latest Zafira people mover in Australia before the brand was withdrawn suddenly late last year.Holden is understood to be evaluating whether the Zafira can be priced competitively against the other seven-seater family wagons before introducing it locally.Holden sold the Zafira in Australia between 2001 and 2006 but was dropped from the line-up as buyers began to favour seven-seat SUVs.Today, the people-mover category represents just 0.9 per cent of the new-vehicle market.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Nissan unveiled the concept version of the Frontier – known as the Navara in Australia -- at the motor show with a new Cummins 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine and a ZF eight-speed automatic. The Cummins is being used to gauge reaction to a diesel mill in the US, where the big ute is sold only with a 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine.However, of more interest to us is the appearance of the ZF automatic, with an eight-speed currently the province largely of premium vehicles – with the upmarket Volkswagen Amarok the only ute to sport it in Australia.The addition of the transmission to the Navara would give it an extra selling point over rivals in the field, where the Nissan is second only to the Toyota Hilux in the 4x4 category, but trails not only Hilux but also Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50 and Holden Colorado in the 4x2 category.There would also be some advantage in the Frontier concept’s all-round disc brakes, which could give it an edge over even the Amarok, which like the Colorado, Ranger, BT-50 and other rivals have stuck with rear drum brakes – although without threatening their 5-star safety ratings.However it’s unlikely the concept’s four-cylinder Cummins will ever appear in our Navara. While the new diesel’s 149kW and 475Nm has a slight output superiority over the Renault-sourced 2.5-litre 140kW and 450Nm in our current Navaras, it’s no match for our flagship ST 550, which will deliver 170Nm and 550Nm from the 3-litre V6 with a seven-speed automatic – although at a hefty cost of A$62,990.But if Nissan's alliance with Cummins did bear Navara fruit, it could give our ute the grunt to outgun rivals like the Ranger / BT50 and Colorado, without recurring to the thirst - and price tag - of the V6 diesel. This could also be an opportunity for the Navara to match rivals' 3500kg towing capacity, where even the V6 diesel Navara is only rated at 3000kg despite having the most power and torque in its segment.

The US car industry has come full circle and returns to old-fashioned horsepower at this year's Detroit motor show, with large pick-ups and "America's Ferrari" set to steal the limelight from imported exotica.Centre of attention at the show, which opened overnight Australian time, is Ford's new F Series truck, which has for decades held the title as the planet's favourite vehicle and makes a watershed move to aluminium construction.The bold decision, aimed at cutting fuel consumption, takes aluminium mainstream and makes Forda pioneer in volume production using the metal.Demand for pick-ups has rebounded since the global financial crisis and Ford sold more than 760,000 of the outgoing F Series last year, up 18 per cent.It has kept details of the redesign secret and will hope it can upstage its rival from General Motors, the Chevrolet Silverado, tipped to win Truck of the Year.US buyers strongly favour full-size pick-ups but last year GM broke ranks and offered a version of the smaller Colorado, described as "mid-size" in the US. At a preview event for the show, GM unveiled the GMC Canyon, a more upmarket version of the Colorado with a bull nose and acres of chrome.It marked the first appearance for Mary Barra since she was named chief executive - the only woman to lead one of the car giants. "I'm honoured to stand here tonight and humbly lead this team," Ms Barra said. "It's a team of men and women doing unbelievably great work."It comes just weeks after GM shed its "government motors" tag, with Washington selling the last of the shares acquired during the GFC. As well as a truck award, GM is also in the running for Car of the Year with two out of the three finalists -- a Cadillac and its reborn Chevrolet Corvette. The new Corvette has earned a reputation for delivering Italian sportscar performance at a fraction of the price. A track-focused version, called the Z06, will be GM's show star.The Z06 will compete for crowd attention with the Ford Mustang, which makes its first public appearance after private unveilings last month.GM's recovery milestone has a parallel at Chrysler, after Fiat recently acquired complete control.The smallest of the US "Big Three" is now wholly foreign-owned but rebounding thanks to a focus on Americana, with its controversially redesigned Jeep Cherokee SUV winning over sceptics. It too is in the running for Truck of the Year.Unlike the F Series and Corvette, it will be shipped to Australia starting mid-year. Hometown drawcards will force foreign brands backstage despite an impressive line-up.German and Japanese carmakers are also stressing traditional petrol-driven horsepower with an exceptional crop of performance cars. BMW debuts two halo junior executives in the M3 sedan and M4 coupe, which drop V8s in favour of six cylinders but have more power and better efficiency thanks to turbocharging.Lexus has the M4 in its sights with the RC F, a V8 coupe based on its mid-size luxury sedan. Meanwhile, Mercedes rolls out its next generation C-Class and a tuned version of its small off-roader, the GLA 45 AMG; Porsche shows a retro-flavoured 911 Targa sportscar; and Mini a concept that previews the upcoming John Cooper Works go-fast edition.Audi will attract attention for a crossover concept. It is expected to preview its smallest SUV yet, likely to be called Q1. The Detroit show has yet to return to its glory days of over-the-top presentations and for-the-fun-of-it concept cars, but the industry has been bolstered by 15.6 million sales last year and newfound confidence after the economic storm of four years ago.   

Holden Colorado 7 is built in Thailand to a reasonably high standard and, along with its brother the Colorado pickup, has proven to be a success in Australia. It contains a fair bit of Australian input on the engineering side, particularly in chassis dynamics, on-road and off-road, so is good to drive.And it has now been upgraded for 2014 with the fitment of an improved version of its turbodiesel engine, now tagged the Duramax 2, mated to a new six-speed manual gearbox. There's also an all-new app-enabled infotainment system and several added safety features.PRICEDespite the improvements the prices of the 2014 Holden Colorado remain the same as on the outgoing model, $46,990 for the LT and $50,490 for the LTZ, both with automatic transmission. These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges – contact your local Holden dealer for driveaway prices.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONSThe 2.8-litre diesel generates 147 kW of power and an impressive maximum of 500 Nm of torque. The engineers tell us that torque has been increased across the rev range.Automatic transmission calibration has been improved and now includes shift stabilisation in uphill and downhill modes. Grade braking control preventing unnecessary shifting between gears when travelling uphill, and suitable shifting when travelling downhill to minimise the need for braking by the driver. When teamed with the new six-speed manual transmission, the Duramax 2 engine still produces 147 kW of power, but torque has been derated to 440Nm.INFOTAINMENTA seven-inch colour touchscreen is now standard on all models in the Colorado 7 range. Holden's MyLink allows drivers to connect by Bluetooth and access apps for music, news, entertainment and navigation. Embedded apps include Pandora, Stitcher and TuneInTM.Bluetooth can be used to wirelessly to stream audio files for playback from a paired smartphone, as well as giving access to 1000 contacts and missed or recent call history.Holden Colorado 7 owners can also access BringGo, a navigation app that with 3D maps, turn-by-turn directions, points of interest, and emergency contacts. BringGo does not require a 3G connection unless it's performing a Google places search. Apple iPhone users can use Siri to select and play music, hear and compose text messages, read notifications and add reminders.DRIVING TECHNOLOGYHolden's new chassis control systems see Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist and Descent Control System fitted across the complete Colorado 7 range. Trailer Sway control detects any towing instability and activates the brakes and reduces engine torque to try and pull the rig back under control again.SAFETYHolden Colorado 7 has a five-star ANCAP safety rating. Crash prevention and mitigation items are Electronic Stability Control, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Hydraulic Brake Assist.The 2014 Colorado 7 now has front side airbags as standard in all LX, LT and LTZ models. There's Rear Park Assist and a rear camera.Holden Colorado 7 is already offered with a good range of accessories. To these the 2014 range adds an Alloy SuperBar, an updated steel bullbar, black nudge bar and sports bars and a reversing camera.Importantly, the Alloy SuperBar has been certified by ANCAP to maintain the Colorado 7's maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating. It is, of course, covered by Holden's Genuine Accessories Warranty. Crew Cab to reflect the new additions to the range.Speaking of the revised Holden Colorado 7 range, Philip Brook, Holden's Executive Director of Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing, says, "We've put a lot of time and effort in ensuring we have delivered a real contender and serious competitor in the LCV and SUV market. The latest Colorado range ensures this tough vehicle offers consumers a serious 4WD that's a workhorse and a family vehicle." 

It will go on sale in the middle of this year with the highest hauling rating despite using a smaller engine than the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara V6 and Toyota Hilux. Holden is yet to reveal the maximum payload, that is, the amount in can carry on the tray or in the ute back. The top-spec Colorado will run a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel generating 132kW and 470Nm. It works with a six-speed automatic transmission, which can handle the higher torque figure. Customers can also select a lower output version of the same engine, which makes the same amount of power, but has 30Nm less torque. This unit is available with a five-speed manual gearbox. The entry-level diesel option will be the smaller 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel with 110kW and 350Nm of torque, which will be hooked up to a five-speed manual. This smaller powerplant doesn't quite match that of the larger engine, but is still a fairly handy 3000kg. Holden has decided against offering up a petrol variant, as is the case with the just-introduced Ford Ranger. More details on the Colorado, including pricing, will be released closer to the launch, which has been delayed due to floods near the Colorado factory in Thailand. The company has disclosed the new model will be available in three body styles, a single cab, a space cab and family-friendly crew cab with the choice of 4x2 or 4x4. Key safety features will be standard on the new model, which shares the same base as the Isuzu D-Max but wears a different skin and runs unique engines, including electronic stability control (ESC). Holden says it will also install front and side curtain airbags to all Colorado models as standard equipment. In a bid to have interested customers hang-on until the new ute arrives, Holden is sending out display Colorados to dealers in April.