(continued from above)
"Thailand is the world's-largest market for midsize pickups, so this was the
perfect location in which to unveil our new Colorado," said Susan Docherty, vice
president, GMIO Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. "Trucks have been part of
Chevrolet's core for nearly all of its 100-year history. The Colorado reinforces
that heritage with expressive design, refinement and uncompromising capability."
The show truck features an extended-cab body atop a high-stance AWD chassis
and rides on large, 20-inch wheels and off-road tires. Power comes from an
efficient 2.8L turbo-diesel engine, which produces a broad torque band for
excellent cargo and towing capability.
"Although this is a show vehicle,
the basic proportions and form convey the vision for the next-generation
Colorado that we will bring to market," said Brad Merkel, GM's global vehicle
line executive. "It reflects a stylized version of the new truck, one that takes
into account rugged dependable truck capabilities for commercial use as well as
sophisticated refinement for personal-use needs."
While the new Colorado
was developed within GM's global product development organization, engineers
took careful steps to ensure it would meet local market needs. Roberto Rempel,
GM's global vehicle chief engineer, lived in Thailand for several months during
the truck's development, immersing himself in the market and observing how the
Thai people use their trucks and the road conditions they experience.
"Pickups are instrumental in the vibrant Thai economy and owners take great
pride in their trucks, which are used for both work and personal driving," he
said. "These customers ask a lot of their trucks, so the powertrains and chassis
must be very robust to earn their trust - and that's exactly what we've
delivered."
Exterior Design
The Colorado show truck's
purposeful design conveys strength through bodywork that appears tightly wrapped
over the chassis and a wide, confident stance. In the front, Chevrolet's
internationally recognized gold bowtie and dual-port grille are framed by large
headlamps that flow into the front fenders, and an extractor vent on the hood.
"Around the globe, pickup trucks are associated with strength, capability
and function - and that's exactly what the Colorado show truck embodies," said
Ed Welburn, GM vice president of Global Design. "Its broad-shouldered
proportions are derived from nearly a century of Chevrolet truck heritage."
Pepperdust Metallic exterior paint is accented with polished aluminum
details in the fascias, as well as integrated side steps and black-masked
projector-style headlamps with LED lighting elements. At the rear is a
full-width LED-lit tail lamp, which creates a striking appearance when
illuminated.
Additional exterior details include:
- A streamlined "cab collar" design with a body-color hard tonneau cover
on the bed,
- Gray accents on the side, front and rear lower moldings,
- 20-inch aluminum wheels featuring a "liquid metal" finish, with Stone
Gray color wheel ports,
- Cooper 285/50 R20 ZEON LTZ tires,
- Outside mirrors with LED turn-signal indicators.
Chevrolet Colorado Concept: Review (2/2)