Chevrolet Colorado Generations: History of Chevy’s Smallest Truck in Modern Times

At the beginning of the 21st century, Chevrolet started working on the replacement of the aging S-10 compact pickup, leading to the development and debut of the all-new Colorado in 2004. Jointly designed and developed by GM North America, GM Brazil, and Isuzu, the Chevrolet Colorado arrived as a more affordable and smaller truck below the first-generation Silverado 1500, which itself replaced the Chevrolet C/K.

Like the Silverado 1500, the Chevrolet Colorado has been a massive success story, with almost 2 million units sold globally since its debut. Here, we look behind the journey of all generations of Chevrolet Colorado, covering a legacy of more than two decades.

First-Generation Chevrolet Colorado (2004-2012)

Replacing the Chevy S-10 pickup, the first-generation Chevrolet Colorado hit the production floors in 2004. It was built on General Motors’ GMT355 platform, an evolution of the earlier GMT325 platform that underpinned the S-10. Apart from the updated architecture,the Colorado had nothing in common with its predecessor.

The first-generation Chevrolet Colorado debuted with three cab configurations. These included a two-door regular cab, a four-door extended cab, and a four-door crew cab with a shorter box. At launch, it came in three trim levels – Base, LS, and LT.

Under the hood, the American-spec first-generation Chevy Colorado arrived with a 2.8-liter LK5 inline-four gasoline engine in most of its versions. A more powerful 3.5-liter L52 inline-five gasoline engine was also available with the Z71 package, which was exclusive to the four-door versions.

In 2007, the Colorado received a facelift and updated engines. The 2.8L and 3.5L units were replaced by a 2.9-liter inline-four and a 3.7-liter inline-five, respectively. Later in its life cycle, a new range-topping 5.3-liter LH8 V8 engine was introduced. The Colorado was offered in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive guises.

The first-generation Chevrolet Colorado had three suspension packages. The standard Z85 package prioritized ride comfort with a softer suspension. The Z71 off-road-spec package added a locking rear differential, upgraded shock absorbers, and increased ground clearance.tLastly, the sportier ZQ8 suspension offered firmer shocks and was available only with 4×2 variants, whereas the Z85 and Z71 were offered in both 4×2 and 4×4 configurations.

Updates And Facelifts

• 2007: This was the year when the first-generation Chevy Colorado received its first facelift. Changes included minor tweaks to the front grille and badges, an upgraded audio system, and optional 18-inch wheels in the ZQ8 suspension package.
• 2007: With this first facelift, the Chevy Colorado received new engine choices – a 2.9-liter inline-four replacing the 2.8-liter inline-four and a 3.7-liter inline-five in place of the 3.5-liter inline-five.
• 2007: A limited-run “Xtreme” edition was the new inclusion in the Colorado lineup alongside the facelift. It featured different front and rear bumpers, headlamps, front grille, fender flares, side skirts, and 18-inch alloys.
• 2009: Chevrolet introduced a new range-topping 5.3-liter V8 gasoline engine to the lineup of the Colorado, paired with the ZQ8 sport suspension package. The new LT2 and LT3 trims replaced the Z71 off-road package.
• 2009: Besides getting a new engine option, the first-generation Chevrolet Colorado also received its second facelift this year. The changes included a tweaked front grille, optional Bluetooth hands-free phone system, revised audio system with multiple speaker options, and optional chrome-plated wheels in 16-inch, 17-inch, and 18-inch size options.

Second-Generation Chevrolet Colorado (2014-2022)

The world had already received the new second-generation Chevrolet Colorado in 2011, with its production beginning in Thailand. However, in the U.S., the first-gen Colorado continued until 2012, after which there was a two-year hiatus in the domestic market.

In 2014, Chevrolet reintroduced the Colorado in the U.S. with a redesigned second-generation model. This U.S.-spec version featured a restyled front fascia that distinguished it from the global model and aligned it more closely with the 2014 Silverado 1500. 

Built on General Motors’ GMT 31XX platform, the arrival of the second-generation Colorado was well worth the wait. This newer Colorado was larger than the version it replaced in all sense, repositioning it from a compact to a mid-size pickup truck. 

Alongside its increased size, the Colorado adopted a bolder, more muscular exterior and a more premium, feature-rich cabin. These improvements enhanced its appeal among private buyers while retaining its popularity in the commercial segment.

At launch in the U.S., the second-gen Colorado was available in four trims – Base, WT (Work Truck), LT, and Z71, with three cab configurations on offer – extended cab with a 6.3 ft bed, crew cab with a 5.2 ft bed, and crew cab with a 6.2 ft bed.

The engine options for the second-gen Colorado at the time of its debut were a 2.5-liter LCV inline-four gasoline and a 3.6-liter LFX V6, followed by the addition of a 2.8-liter LWN Duramax inline-four diesel engine a year later. At the time of its launch, the Colorado was the only pickup truck in its category to offer a diesel powertrain, which claimed a segment-leading towing capacity of 7,700 lbs.

Updates And Facelifts

• 2016: The second-generation Colorado gained a major update with the introduction of the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine, which is its first-ever diesel offering in the U.S. market. 
• 2016: Besides receiving a new diesel engine, the second-gen Colorado also gets 4G LTE Wi-Fi through OnStar alongside standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration in the variants equipped with the 8-inch MyLink touchscreen infotainment system
• 2017: Chevrolet expanded tech offerings by introducing a 7-inch MyLink infotainment system in the Base variant, which included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system.
• 2017: The 3.6-liter LFX V6 engine option was upgraded to the new 3.6-liter LGZ V6 engine. Power went up to 308 hp from 305 hp, while the torque output also increased from 269 lb-ft to 275 lb-ft. Along with the new cylinder deactivation technology, this powertrain also featured an all-new 8-speed automatic transmission, replacing the 6-speed automatic.
• 2018: Chevrolet discontinues the 6-speed manual transmission, which was available only in the Base variant.
• 2020: Chevrolet discontinues the 4X2 Z71 extended cab and Z71 crew-cab long-box models from the lineup. In came the range-topping ZR2 trim, a new full-blown off-road-spec variant of Colorado, offered in an extended cab with a long box and a crew cab with a short box configuration.
• 2021: Chevrolet launches the first major facelift for the second-generation Colorado, which gives it a redesigned front fascia, a new Chevrolet lettering stamp on the tailgate, and revised designs for the 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheel options.
• 2021: With this facelifted model, Chevrolet discontinues the Base 4×2 trim of Colorado while making automatic locking rear differential a standard feature across all of its variants. The production of this facelifted model continued till the arrival of the third-gen model in 2023.
• 2022: Chevrolet introduces optional Trail Boss package for the LT and Z71 trims, including features like different 17-inch wheels, black highlights all around, red-colored tow hooks, a one-inch lift kit, and front and rear skid plates.

Third-Generation Chevrolet Colorado (2023-Present)

The second-generation Chevy Colorado had a long run spanning almost a decade. By the end of its lifecycle, the market was transitioning rapidly with more feature-rich vehicles. Chevrolet took the note and made way for the heavily redesigned and re-engineered third-generation model in 2023.

Based on General Motors’ VSS-T platform, an evolution of the older GMT 31XX platform, the new third-gen Chevrolet Colorado now features a much-simplified lineup. TWhile the dimensional changes from the second to third generation aren’t as drastic as those between the first and second, the slight increase still enhances the truck’s road presence.

Launched with a single crew cab and short bed configuration as standard for all of its variants – WT, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2, the third-generation Colorado is a gasoline-only model. tAt launch, it featured a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four gasoline engine offered in three different states of tune.

This engine, paired with a standard 8-speed automatic transmission, delivered up to 310 hp, the most powerful configuration being reserved for the full-blown, off-road spec ZR2 variant.

Over time, the engine lineup was further streamlined, and the Colorado received equipment updates. While the diesel option is no longer available, the maximum towing capacity remains unchanged, still topping out at 7,700 lbs with the new turbocharged inline-four.

Updates And Facelifts

• 2024: Chevrolet discontinued the 310 hp/390 lb-ft tune previously offered in the Trail Boss and ZR2 trims. Following this update, the 237 hp/260 lb-ft version remained standard on the WT and LT trims, while the more powerful 310 hp/430 lb-ft tune became optional for WT and LT and standard across the Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2 trims.
• 2024: A larger and more feature-rich 11-inch full-TFT screen replaced the erstwhile 8-inch screen for the instrument cluster in all the variants. In addition, the ZR2 variant received blind zone steering assist with trailering as standard, with other variants getting it as an option in the Advanced Trailering Package.
• 2024: Chevrolet added a new range-topping ZR2 Bison trim to the Colorado lineup with added off-road-spec elements.
• 2025: Chevrolet makes the larger-sized 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system standard across all the variants of Colorado, along with a sliding rear window, LED tail lights, cruise control, and remote tailgate lock. Other changes and add-ons include a restyled tailgate, new alloy wheels, and a sports bar for the bed in Z71 trim.

FAQs

Q1. How many generations of Chevy Colorado are there?

Ever since its debut in 2004, the Chevrolet Colorado has been available in three generations in the US: first-generation (2004-2012), second-generation (2014-2023), and third-generation (2023-Present).

Q2. What are the different models of Chevy Colorado?

Currently, there are six trim levels of Chevrolet Colorado available in the US, namely WT (Work Truck), LT, Trail Boss, Z71, ZR2, and ZR2 Bison.

Q3. Is a Chevy Colorado a V6 or V8?

While the first-generation Colorado was available with a 5.3-liter V8, Chevrolet offered the second-generation Colorado with the option of a 3.6-liter V6. However, the current third-generation Colorado is available only with a turbocharged inline-four engine.

Q4. Where is Colorado made?

Chevrolet manufactures the Colorado at its manufacturing facility in Wentzville, Missouri, USA.

Q5.What is the towing capacity of Chevrolet Colorado?

The towing capacity of the Chevrolet Colorado goes up to 7,700 lbs.

Q6.What is the ZR2 package?

Available as a range-topping trim for Colorado, the ZR2 trim has off-road-spec elements, like Multimatic DSSV dampers, 3-inch factory lift, 33-inch off-road tires, electronically-locking front and rear differentials, increased suspension travel and ground clearance, and “Baja” off-road drive mode.

Q7.Which Chevy Colorado is 4×4?

Chevrolet offers a four-wheel drive system as standard in Trail Boss and ZR2 trims while offering it as an option in WT, LT, and Z71 trims.