Chevy's Global Colorado Coming To America
Though it’s looking like Chrysler will be the first OEM to break the US market’s compact pickup drought, it won’t be the only manufacturer bringing a smaller truck stateside. Pickuptrucks.com reports that
development on the next-generation 2014 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon for the U.S. and Canada is under way, based on GM’s all-new GMI 700 body-on-frame global small truck platform that will be built in Thailand starting late this year.
The bad news: it probably won’t arrive until late 2013 or early 2014… and by then, pickuptrucks.com figures that a refreshed Tacoma and a new Frontier will be on the market by then, in addition to a possible Ram or Jeep compact pickup. Still, the prospect of a Brazilian-developed and designed small truck certainly sounds tempting. Let’s just hope the coming competition helps make these trucks into the kind of bulletproof, fuel-sipping machines that helped boost US auto sales the last time we faced a major energy crisis.
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This should be coming THIS year... not in 2014. Like I said in yesterday's Dodge truck post: (like the rest of the world) turbo diesel PLEASE. I'm one of those people who does not want a full size, but still need to tow a boat (16ft approx 2,500lbs) around. I want small and torque-y while getting decent mileage. Don't need fancy, just basic transportation with good mileage and ease of loading, no lifted suspensions or huge tires. Most driving is 200-300 miles highway with boat and a buddy plus supplies (in bed) along for the ride. Full size is overkill, they are too big to park in town or in a lake-side / camp-side situation. For reference my current vehicle is a 4.7l V8 Dakota Quad Cab, but previously owned a 4.0l V6 Ranger Splash Ext Cab. The Ranger was under powered but Dak was the max size I'd go for in Quad Cab form, anything else was simply HUGE in my eyes (and driveway). As is my Dak just fits in my two car garage alongside my boat, if either were three inches longer, taller or wider I'd be SOL.
In part, I think it is difficult to produce small trucks in the US at a price that is sufficiently less than full size trucks because the volume is too low. I think it is time to repeal the chicken tax, and allow this part of the market to supplied by imports.