Drew Dowdell

I'll be meeting with the Chevy guys about this truck in about 45 minutes, so if you have questions, post them now.

I love the rotary gear selector. It works well and it moves us into the future. No need for the old style giant shift leaver in the center console when it's just an electronic actuator anyway.

It's a natural for the Wrangler

Back on January 21st of this year, we reported that General Motors had filed a trademark application for the name Z71 Trail Boss. Fresh off the heals of the Chevrolet Colorado Box Delete Option for commercial customers announced earlier this week; at the 2015 Cleveland Auto Show on Friday, Chevrolet took the covers off the bearer of Z71 Trail Boss badge, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Trail Boss. With a package price of $3,320, the Z71 Trail Boss package will be offered on both extended and crew cab configurations with either long or short beds. The package includes special 17" metallic painted aluminum wheels shod with Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac all terrain tires, black fender flares, blacked out Chevrolet logos, GearOn tie down rings, load bar, and cargo divider, spray-on bedliner, G80 locking rear differential, transfer case shield on 4wd models, and front recovery hooks. The Colorado has been a sales success for Chevrolet with dealer turnover running at about two weeks. Chevrolet has released a number of special trim packages for the Silverado in recent months with the Custom Sport, W/T Black Out Edition, and Midnight Editions. Chevrolet says that truck buyers want to be able to customize their trucks straight from the factory and now Colorado customers will have that flexibility as well. We expect this won't be the last special trim package for the Colorado. We will have pictures from floor of the Cleveland Auto Show at 11:00 am Eastern Time. Source: Chevrolet Chevrolet Press Release on Page 2 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition: On Point, Off Road When adventure calls, the Trail Boss has your back CLEVELAND – For those who want to blaze their own trails, Chevrolet introduces the 2015 Colorado Z71 Trail Boss edition today at the Cleveland Auto Show. The Trail Boss combines the capability of Chevrolet’s Z71 off-road truck suspension package with more aggressive tires and additional appearance enhancements. It is offered in extended and crew cab configurations, with a choice of a long or short cargo bed and available 4WD. The Trail Boss goes on sale this spring with a starting price of $28,505 plus the package price of $3,320. “The Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition is equally at home blazing an urban trail or following one to a favorite remote campground,” said Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager. “It gives owners the gear-carrying ability and versatility they need to venture off-road, with segment-leading efficiency and capability.” In addition to Chevy’s proven off-road truck suspension package, the Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition features Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac 265/65R17 all-terrain tires and 17-inch dark argent metallic painted cast-aluminum wheels; GearOn™ moveable cargo tie-down rings, load bar and cargo divider; with black fender flares and front and rear black Chevy bowtie logos. Additional features include: G80 automatic locking rear differential Transfer case shield (on 4WD) Front recovery hooks Black, three-inch round rocker steps Spray-on bedliner Projector beam headlamps Front fog lamps All-weather floor mats with Z71 logo. The Trail Boss is the second Colorado special edition announced recently. Last month, Chevrolet introduced the 2015 Colorado GearOn Special Edition, which blends the capability of the midsize pickup truck with the versatility of the GearOn accessory system – and additional popular features. It also goes on sale this spring. View full article

well... not for tomorrow... no

Without the AWD option

I've always enjoyed the ones I've driven, but I've never had more than an hour in one.

You did jump the gun, but not because of this truck.... watch this space tomorrow morning. ;-)

.... um....

Sometimes, less is more. At the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis today, Chevrolet unveiled a Box Delete option for their Colorado Work Truck. By removing the box (a $300 credit towards the MSRP), Chevrolet is giving fleet and commercial buyers more flexibility in their trucks. The box delete option will only be available on two-wheel drive extended cab work truck models and only with the 3.6 liter, 305 hp V6. Buyers will also be able to opt for a rear seat delete to have additional cargo capacity in the cab. While Chevrolet says that the Colorado is the only truck in the mid-size truck segment with the box-delete option, that status may not last for long if the rumors of a Ram Promaster City chassis cab come true. The RPO order code ZW9 for Box Delete package will be available for ordering beginning in mid-April 2015. Press Release on page 2 Source: Chevrolet Media INDIANAPOLIS – With a box delete option, business owners and fleet managers can have it their way when it comes to customizing the back end of the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. Chevrolet today announced availability of the package in mid-April. It is on display this week at the annual National Truck Equipment Association Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. It is the only such option offered in the midsize truck segment. “With the segment-leading efficiency and maneuverable size, the Colorado makes a great, flexible choice for urban businesses and fleets to make the most of a midsize truck,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, GM Fleet & Commercial. “It’s ideal for utility companies requiring service bodies, as well as landscapers and other businesses needing the utility of a flatbed.” The box delete package – RPO order code ZW9 – is available on Colorado Work Truck 2WD extended cab models and is offered exclusively with the 305-hp 3.6L V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. A $300 credit is applied to the Colorado’s suggested retail price when the option is selected. Additional vehicle and package highlights include: 2,200-pound payload rating 6,001-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) Temporary taillamps installed on the rear of the frame Rear bumper deleted Full-size spare tire included Eight body mount provisions (four per frame rail) Standard fuel filler position. Optional BJA-code service body fuel filler will be available and shipped loose in the cab for upfitter installation Z82 trailering package G80 locking differential. Additionally, an option to delete the rear seat for great cargo capacity and versatility is available with the Colorado Work Truck extended cab regardless of whether the box stays or goes. “The Colorado was developed with the upfitter industry in mind,” said Mike Jones, product manager, mid-pickups, CNG and LPG. “Input from body manufacturers and fleet owners helped us make the most of the optional fuel filler mounting location to suit their unique needs.” Award winner Chevrolet Colorado was named the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year® and Cars.com’s Best Pickup Truck of 2015. It also received Kelley Blue Book’s 5-Year Cost-to-Own award for the midsize truck category. Like the full-size Chevrolet Silverado, the Colorado has a fully boxed perimeter frame, which provides the strength to support its capabilities and was engineered, to provide a confident, smooth and quiet ride. A coil-over-type front suspension features aluminum knuckles that are low in mass and high in strength, contributing to a more responsive feel and efficiency. Colorado also features the segment’s first application of energy-saving electric power steering. The Colorado has a short turning circle of 41.3 feet (12.6 meters), enabling easier maneuvering in tight areas such as on city streets. Four-wheel disc brakes, with four-piston front calipers, are standard and feature Duralife™ brake rotors – pioneered on the Silverado – that can offer up to double the service life and save money on maintenance. In the city, the V-6-powered Colorado 2WD (with box) is rated at 18 mpg, and on the highway, it’s rated at a segment-best 26 mpg. View full article