Los Angeles 2014: Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Packs Diesel Power

by Derek Kreindler

Published: November 20th, 2014

los angeles 2014 chevrolet colorado zr2 packs diesel power

The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is officially a concept car, but the 2.8L Duramax diesel I4 is coming to showrooms within a year.

Putting out 181 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, the diesel will be a first for the mid-size pickup segment. The ZR2 is four inches wider, and features front and rear skid plates, King coil-over shocks and locking rear differentials. For now, customers will have to make do with a less extreme Z71 package.

#Chevrolet #ChevroletColorado #LosAngeles2014

Derek Kreindler

More by Derek Kreindler

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 73 comments

Luke42 on Nov 20, 2014

How are you supposed to haul stuff with that silly spare tire in the back? Even a poseur truck should be able to haul the occasional load of actual cargo. This one? Not so much. I'm eagerly awaiting the regular Diesel-powered Colorado. I miss my Ranger, and thought that the Diesel engine out of my Jetta would have been a great fit for it -- so I'd love to see what GM has done with the actually-useful versions of this truck.

Like Reply
- Lou_BC on Nov 21, 2014
  
  @Luke42 - agreed. An old school upright in box tire carrier would be okay or a swing out tire carrier like the Jeep as an option would be great.
  
  Like
Big Al from Oz on Nov 21, 2014

It seems many people here use the manufacturers mpg's when quoting figures. The reality is that a gas engine under normal driving conditions will consume a lot more fuel than what is show by the manufacturer, more so than a diesel. I have owned both in off road vehicles and this has proven to be the case, every time. Diesels tend to not change significantly. This is illustrated just by looking at any site with people who tow using small light comercial vehicles and SUVs. Take the current EcoBoost F-150 towing a 6 to 7 thousand pound caravan. I've read many stories where people are returning 9mpg. An equivalent diesel will give you around 14 to 15 miles per gallon to achieve the same work. This fits in well with say the Pentastar Ram 1500. I've read articles where regularly people have an average FE of under 18mpg's. The diesel Ram would never reach that kind of figure unless it's towing a significant load. Diesel is the best engine for a pickup and particularly an off road vehicle. Off road 0-60 times are of little use unless you are racing. Even if the 3 litre VM diesel that's in the Ram 1500 was fitted to a Powerwagoon the Powerwagon would still reach speed much faster than is safe in most any off road situation. 420ftlb of torque at 2 to 3 thousand rpm out of the VM or a Hemi is the same amount of power. V8 gasoline torque is no different to diesel torque. The same as a midsizer 1 500lb payload is the same as a full size 1/2 ton 1 500lb payload. A 369ftlb diesel in this pickup will make it exceptionally attractive. This is something new in the US. People will love the torque and ease of using the torque and especially the FE. It will be much cheaper on fuel than the V6 Colorado.

Like Reply
- DenverMike on Nov 21, 2014
  
  @BAFO - You wouldn't normally tow 6 to 7,000 lbs with an Eco Boost 1/2 ton, on an ongoing basis. Owners don't mind an occasional 9 mpg for the sake of mostly unloaded mpg. A gas V8 or small diesel gives better (heavy) tow mpg, but a 3/4 ton is better advised for lots of that anyways. Either way, you're gonna pay. When it boils down to mpg, you can't overlook the totally costs of ownership. We're not renting these things.
  
  Like

Recent Comments

Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Thankfully I don't have to deal with GDI issues in my Frontier. These cleaners should do well for me if I win.
Theflyersfan Serious answer time...Honda used to stand for excellence in auto engineering. Their first main claim to fame was the CVCC (we don't need a catalytic converter!) engine and it sent from there. Their suspensions, their VTEC engines, slick manual transmissions, even a stowing minivan seat, all theirs. But I think they've been coasting a bit lately. Yes, the Civic Type-R has a powerful small engine, but the Honda of old would have found a way to get more revs out of it and make it feel like an i-VTEC engine of old instead of any old turbo engine that can be found in a multitude of performance small cars. Their 1.5L turbo-4...well...have they ever figured out the oil dilution problems? Very un-Honda-like. Paint issues that still linger. Cheaper feeling interior trim. All things that fly in the face of what Honda once was. The only thing that they seem to have kept have been the sales staff that treat you with utter contempt for daring to walk into their inner sanctum and wanting a deal on something that isn't a bare-bones CR-V. So Honda, beat the rest of your Japanese and Korean rivals, and plug-in hybridize everything. If you want a relatively (in an engineering way) easy way to get ahead of the curve, raise the CAFE score, and have a major point to advertise, and be able to sell to those who can't plug in easily, sell them on something that will get, for example, 35% better mileage, plug in when you get a chance, and drives like a Honda. Bring back some of the engineering skills that Honda once stood for. And then start introducing a portfolio of EVs once people are more comfortable with the idea of plugging in. People seeing that they can easily use an EV for their daily errands with the gas engine never starting will eventually sell them on a future EV because that range anxiety will be lessened. The all EV leap is still a bridge too far, especially as recent sales numbers have shown. Baby steps. That's how you win people over.
Theflyersfan If this saves (or delays) an expensive carbon brushing off of the valves down the road, I'll take a case. I understand that can be a very expensive bit of scheduled maintenance.
Zipper69 A Mini should have 2 doors and 4 cylinders and tires the size of dinner plates.All else is puffery.
Theflyersfan Just in time for the weekend!!! Usual suspects A: All EVs are evil golf carts, spewing nothing but virtue signaling about saving the earth, all the while hacking the limbs off of small kids in Africa, money losing pits of despair that no buyer would ever need and anyone that buys one is a raging moron with no brains and the automakers who make them want to go bankrupt.(Source: all of the comments on every EV article here posted over the years)Usual suspects B: All EVs are powered by unicorns and lollypops with no pollution, drive like dreams, all drivers don't mind stopping for hours on end, eating trays of fast food at every rest stop waiting for charges, save the world by using no gas and batteries are friendly to everyone, bugs included. Everyone should torch their ICE cars now and buy a Tesla or Bolt post haste.(Source: all of the comments on every EV article here posted over the years)Or those in the middle: Maybe one of these days, when the charging infrastructure is better, or there are more options that don't cost as much, one will be considered as part of a rational decision based on driving needs, purchasing costs environmental impact, total cost of ownership, and ease of charging.(Source: many on this site who don't jump on TTAC the split second an EV article appears and lives to trash everyone who is a fan of EVs.)