What Will GM’s Wentzville-Made Colorado Truck Be Like?

Last Monday, posters of GM’s new 2013 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck were spread around the site of the groundbreaking ceremony of the ’s expansion.

The $380 million expansion will create over 1600 jobs, out of which 1,260 will be dedicated to the construction of the next-generation Colorado.

But what’s that truck like?

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Born in Thailand

The Colorado pickup truck was first released in 2004, replacing the smaller S-10 truck, according to edmunds.com, an online car dealership. The truck was designed in a partnership between GM's North American operations, GM's Brazil operations and Isuzu, a Japanese vehicle-manufacturing company. The new-generation Colorado, however, was largely designed in Thailand, according to the automobile news site Car and Driver.

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For a while, however, it was uncertain whether new-generation Colorado pickup would be sold in the U.S., according to a story in Left Lane News, a car news service.

“For starters, the ‘global’ truck was designed for many global markets, but the U.S. was not a primary concern for the pickup,” reads Left Lane’s story about the truck. “As a result, GM will need to make some changes to the truck ranging from packaging, to federalization, to cosmetic adjustments before it will be ready for the U.S. market.”

The new-generation Colorado pickup truck was originally scheduled to be released in the U.S. in 2013, but instead it will be most likely released in 2014, according to the GM Inside News website. Prior to the announcement of the Wentzville plant expansion to build the Colorado, the truck has been produced at GM’s facility in Shreveport, La. It is expected a number of workers will move from that facility to Wentzville’s, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.

Specs

Currently, the 2012 version of the Colorado is dubbed by Chevrolet’s website as the “just right-sized truck” and has a starting price of $17,475 without any pizazz, such as built in wifi or SiriusXM radio, according to Chevrolet’s website. The 2013 version is expected to have some slight variations.

From Car and Driver’s review of the car: 

The new Colorado looks like a strong replacement for our truck based on appearance alone. Its shape is modern and tough, with smooth, Malibu-like headlights; a large dual-slot Chevrolet grille; and muscular, swollen fenders. Chevy will offer 26 different trim, body, powertrain, and ride-height combinations, a level of choice similar to what you find in the full-size-truck market here. 

The body-on-frame Colorado is available with regular, extended, and crew cabs; two body widths; two- or four-wheel drive; and-independent of the number of driven wheels-a high or low ride height. Buyers can choose from three trim levels that follow the same progression as U.S.-market Chevys: LS, LT, and LTZ. Stability control, anti-lock brakes, traction control, and front airbags are among the Colorado's standard safety features. The interior boasts chrome accents and a classy dual-cowl dash with square Camaro-like gauge pods and ice-blue LED backlighting. Vinyl, cloth, and leather seats are available, and all Thai Colorados have standard auxiliary audio and USB inputs.”

During the groundbreaking ceremony, United Auto Workers Assistant Region 5 Director Gary Jones said in excitement, “Let's start building trucks.” The question, however, is whether we will start buying them.

Write in the comments section of this story and tell us if you would buy the new Wentzville-made Colorado pickup truck.