The second-generation Chevrolet Colorado arrived in the US in 2015, and the beefier ZR2 variant went on sale two years later. It’s old and due for a refresh. We first spied the next-generation Colorado late last year and have also caught the hotter ZR2 variant. It’s the hotter ZR2 that we’ll see on July 28 when Chevrolet reveals the tough truck.
The company announced the truck’s debut date with a teaser video that provides a brief glimpse of the new model. We can see the truck will receive a new front fascia, with slim headlights sitting above deep lower intakes on the outsides of the lower bumper. The truck in the video sports a Safari Bar, and the fine print notes that it could block the front-view camera.
Gallery: Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Spy Shots
At the back, the Colorado gets new taillights, bed-side badging, and bold CHEVROLET branding across the tailgate. The truck also featured an off-road sports bar, which might be on the options list. The new exterior will coincide with a revamped interior that brings the brand’s latest technology to the truck.
The new pickup will ride on an evolution of General Motors’ GMT31XX platform, creatively called the GMT31XX-2. Chevy offers the current Colorado ZR2 with either a 3.6-liter V6 gas or 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel engine, with the V6 making 308 horsepower (226 kilowatts) and 275 pound-feet (372 Newton-meters) of torque, while the diesel delivers 181 hp (133 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque.
Rumors suggest that Chevrolet will pack a smaller turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine into the ZR2, which produces 310 horsepower (231 kilowatts) and 430 pound-feet (569 Newton-meters) in the current-generation Silverado. Chevy could tweak the powertrain for the ZR2, and we haven’t heard anything about a diesel variant.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long for Chevrolet to reveal it. We’ll see the new 2023 Colorado ZR2 on July 28, so mark your calendars. The refreshed pickup will have to compete with a new Nissan Frontier and a new Ford Ranger that has spawned a potent Raptor variant. The Toyota Tacoma received a mid-cycle makeover for the 2020 model year, and a new version might be a couple of years away.
