After many years, GM finally updated the Chevrolet Colorado and its companion vehicle, the GMC Canyon. So far, only a crew cab, short-box model has been announced. One engine, a gasoline 2.7L turbo four with three outputs, is offered on the Colorado, with only the most powerful variant available in the Canyon. Power reaches the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The vast majority of variants feature four-wheel drive.

Standard active safety equipment on both nameplates includes forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, a lane departure warning and a lane keep assist system. The Google Assistant audio concierge is a new offering.

The styling of the new Colorado bears a resemblance to its Silverado showroom mate. Inside, the truck looks more contemporary. The driver faces a TFT gauge package in a slightly-hooded Camaro-like, binnacle. To the right of the gauges, taking pride of place at the top centre of the dash, is a large, free-standing infotainment screen. The dashboard features substantial, rectilinear, styling. The high-mounted centre console butts into the dash with no conventional centre stack. Despite the long wheelbase, legroom in the rear seat is absurdly tight. Like the innovative Ford Maverick, GM’s new pickup features slots in the cargo bed to permit owners to fabricate their own cargo-locating solutions and offers a 45-degree tailgate open angle that can let longer items rest on the wheel wells in the cargo bed and partly open tailgate. Moulded recesses in the front of the tailgate liberate some space for motorcycle wheels. The flanks of the Canyon are similar to those of the Colorado but the front is fussier. Cabin materials on the top end Canyons are more luxurious than those in the Colorado but there are still a lot of hard plastic surfaces visible.

Colorado: Four-wheel drive is standard on all but the Work Truck trim, where it is a $3900 option. So far, there is only a crew cab body style with a short cargo box. Forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, a lane departure warning and a lane keeping assist system are standard. Blind spot and rear cross traffic monitors as well as active cruise control, are optional. Moving up from the Work Truck to the LT adds alloy wheels, remote tailgate locking, front and rear mats, rear vents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a variety of other features but is overpriced. The ZR1 adds 73 horsepower, an auto lock rear differential, hill descent control, a spare wheel, L.E.D., headlights, fog lights, an opening rear window and a number or other items and is reasonably priced. The Trail Boss model offers great off-road prowess at the tick of an order form.

The Canyon Elevation, powered exclusively by the high-output 2.7L turbo with 310 h.p. with four-wheel drive is priced about $3700 higher than a high-output powered Colorado LT all-wheel drive. Moving from the Elevation to the AT4 adds a Autotrac all-wheel drive, hill descent control, auto-locking dfferential, power driver’s seat, auto dim rearview mirror, fog lights, a multi-stow compartment in the tailgate, heated front seats, lit vanity mirrors and a dual-zone climate control system, but looks a bit expensive. The Denali gains assist steps, ventilated front seats, leather seating, a power passenger seat, a head up display system, active cruise control, a Bose branded audio system, heated steering wheel, a 360 degree camera system and spray-in bedliner, but looks expensive for the content. The AT4X adds a towing package, full locking front and rear differential and off-road suspension, but looks overpriced.

What used to be reasonably-priced trucks have, even in their basic forms, become very expensive and beyond he budgets of the market they were designed for. This will likely lead to a downturn in the truck market until more popularly-priced pickups are created.

Below average reliability expected as the 2.7L turbo four-cylinder engine is unproven.