While standing at the rear end of a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 crew cab with four-wheel drive and the long truck bed (a mere whiff of the truck world's whimsical configuration possibilities), it becomes obvious. This is not a "small" truck by traditional terms. And, after driving it, I can say that's OK.
It's not just the bed length -- the longest among midsize pickups by 0.5 inch over the Toyota Tacoma -- throwing me off, either. With the box measuring 74 inches long (61.7 on the crew cab's standard bed) by 55.5 inches wide at the tailgate by 20.9 inches tall, General Motors is leaving lots of cubic footage at the Colorado and GMC Canyon driver's disposal without the footprint of a full-size truck. Those beds will be hauling fallen leaves, empty water bottles, and all the free air they can handle the majority of the time, but knowing there's space available can be mighty reassuring.
Chevy says its new midsize pickup's customers are "very diverse" with an "active mindset," in the words of Colorado marketing manager Tony Johnson, which is a not-so-secret code that there will be as many purchasers looking to commute during the workweek and then haul/tow their playthings during the weekend as there are folks wanting to commute throughout the week and then only ever set foot in the bed because some stray pinecones have been rolling around for a few too many days. The latter consumer is ideally matched with the base 2.5-liter inline-four with a reasonable 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque, which proved to be a solid engine in an LT extended cab with rear-wheel drive (starts at $26,045) we took for a spin.
All the basic, desirable truck traits manifested. The 2015 Colorado's I-4 is punchy off the line and revs willingly, and the six-speed automatic can shift up and kick down quickly without bucking the cabin. Feedback from the Mando rack-assist electric power steering is surprisingly good, and the Colorado's standard four-way powered driver's seat (seat back recline is manually adjusted by lever) means humans of all heights and appendage lengths can find their perfect sitting distance from the steering wheel. The two back seats are best suited for adults in a pinch -- the crew cab's three-person bench is substantially better -- and the interior is generally pretty spacious (especially headroom). Outward visibility is excellent, even from my low-to-the-floor seating position.
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