Chevrolet has re-entered the mid-size truck market in the U.S. with the debut of the all-new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado.

There will be three configurations of the 2015 Colorado — an extended-cab model with a 6-foot bed, a crew cab with a 5-foot bed, and a crew cab with a 6-foot bed. With the tailgate down, the 6-foot bed allows 8-foot-long items to be hauled within the vehicle.

For fleet and commercial customers, Chevrolet is also planning to offer a rear-seat- and box-delete version of the Colorado, according to Joyce Mattman, director, commercial product and specialty vehicles at General Motors.

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Mattman noted the automaker is currently working with upfitters who are developing fleet options for the Colorado. She added that the mid-size pickup will be ideal for several fleet-specific functions, including auto parts and light delivery, pest control, and light service operations.

Fleets will work with their upfitters of choice to develop the best configurations to meet their missions.

The Colorado will be available in three trim levels — the WT, LT, and Z71 — that will all be available in either 2WD or 4WD.

Adding Up the Numbers

The Colorado will be outfitted with a 2.5L I-4 engine as standard, which achieves 193 hp at 184 lb.-ft. of torque. A 3.6L V-6, which achieves 302 hp at 270 lb.-ft. of torque, will also be available. For the 2016 model-year, Chevrolet expects to make a Duramax 2.8L I-4 turbodiesel available for the Colorado.

When properly equipped, the Colorado is expected to have a trailering capacity of more than 6,700 pounds. All capacities, including fuel efficiency, are currently pending.

To help keep overall mass down and improve front-to-rear weight balance, the Colorado features a segment-first aluminum hood. It also features the mid-size segment’s only active aero grille shutters, which close at certain highway speeds to enhance aerodynamics, according to Chevrolet.

The North American version of the Colorado is 900-pounds lighter, 16-inches shorter, 5-inches narrower, and 3-inches lower than the Silverado full-size pickup. Overall, the North American version of the Colorado’s chassis will be 40-percent lighter than the global platform.

“We believe that we have set the bar for the global mid-size segment with the Colorado,” said Jeff Luke, chief engineer for the Colorado, during a press debut in early November.

The Colorado features a number of solutions for hauling and accessing cargo:

• Standard CornerStep rear bumper design, introduced on the 2014 Silverado. 

• Available EZ Lift-and-Lower tailgate that uses an internal torsion bar to make raising the tailgate easier with one hand, and a damper for more-controlled lowering. 

• Standard two-tier loading that allows a platform to effectively split the bed into upper and lower sections, making it easier to haul, store and conceal items such as tools. 

• Thirteen standard tie-down locations throughout the bed for use with available, movable cargo tie-down rings. 

• Standard bed rail and tailgate protectors.

• Available factory-installed spray-in bed liner.

Putting Safety First

The 2015-MY Colorado has a number of standard safety features including a rear-view camera. “The rear safety technology was what mattered most to the fleet managers we surveyed,” said Mike Jones, commercial product & sales support manager.

Standard safety features include:

• Six standard air bags, including head side curtain air bags designed for occupant ejection mitigation. 

• Large rearview mirrors and standard rear-vision camera system for greater visibility. 

• A forward collision alert system is also available.

In addition, the Colorado will come standard with the automaker’s StabiliTrack towing technology.

The 2015-MY Colorado will be available in the fourth quarter 2014.