2023 Chevy Colorado adds more horsepower, off-road prowess with redesign

DETROIT — Chevrolet is revamping the Colorado from the inside out and under the hood for the 2023 model year. The redesigned midsize pickup will be offered in three off-road styles with a 2.7-liter turbo engine used in the Silverado and updated interior and exterior design.

Chevy has dropped the diesel engine option for 2023 but says it isn't sacrificing power. Each of the three available engine variants, estimated by General Motors at 237 hp and 310 hp, exceed the horsepower of the 2022 pickup, Chevy said.

"The all-new Colorado is enhanced in every way," Scott Bell, global vice president of Chevrolet, said in a statement Thursday. "With its rugged and sporty styling, enhanced capability, new technology and customization options, it's designed to do more for discerning customers and still offer them great value."

The base 2.7-liter turbo engine produces 18 percent more horsepower and 36 percent more torque than the current Colorado's base engine, and the other variants — 2.7-liter turbo plus and 2.7-liter turbo high-output — offer more torque and horsepower than both the 3.6-liter V-6 and 2.8-liter turbodiesel engines on the 2022 model. The turbo high-output engine, standard on the Colorado ZR2, will be as powerful as a Silverado with a 2.7-liter engine.

The Colorado's engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Chevy will continue to offer diesel engines in other trucks, but in the Colorado, "the 2.7 was just such a perfect package for this. It didn't make sense to have the multiple variants. The 2.7 can do it all," Bell told reporters Wednesday. "We are thrilled with that. It simplifies things for us as well as the consumer and our dealers."

GM will begin building the redesigned Colorado in the first half of next year at its assembly plant in Wentzville, Mo. Pricing will be released closer to the start of production.

The 2023 Colorado is built on three distinct chassis across five trims: Work Truck (WT), LT, Z71, ZR2 and Trail Boss, which is a new addition to the midsize pickup.

A new chassis gives the Colorado a 3.1-inch-longer wheelbase than the 2022 Colorado Crew Cab/short box model. Chevy also shortened the front overhang to give the pickup a more aggressive look.

It comes in five drive modes: Normal for everyday driving, Tow/Haul, Off-road, Terrain and Baja for desert running.

"The new Colorado is a lifestyle enabler," Nicholas Katcherian, vehicle chief engineer, said in the statement. "Because outdoor activities are a big part of our Colorado customers' lifestyles, we've made the truck even more capable to support them — from increased bed functionality to comprehensive performance enhancements that help take them farther."

The number of available off-road accessories has more than doubled from previous model years, Chevy said. More than 200 will be available at launch.

The interior features an 11.3-inch diagonal infotainment touch screen and an 8-inch diagonal instrument display.

Chevy sold 73,008 Colorado pickups in the U.S. last year, down 24 percent from a year earlier. It ranked No. 4 in the midsize pickup segment behind the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center. Colorado sales have begun to recover this year, up 14 percent to 44,190 through June, because of better microchip availability, making it the No. 2 seller among midsize pickups behind the Tacoma.

The introduction of the latest Colorado follows last week's reveal of the Blazer EV, the first Ultium-powered Chevy crossover, slated to go on sale next summer.

The Colorado upgrade "is proof that we are continuing with [the internal combustion engine] commitment," Bell said. "As thrilled and delighted as we are to break ground in the EV space, we have lots of great offerings on the ICE side of the house and will continue to have some new entries."