The status quo is constantly changing in the pickup-truck world, and the Chevrolet Colorado mid-size truck is staying fresh for 2017 with a completely new powertrain. Replacing General Motors? old 3.6-liter V-6, previously optional on the Colorado, is, um, GM?s new 3.6-liter V-6, now paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Don?t be fooled by the identical displacement: This really is an all-new V-6, similar to the engine already in use in several models, including the Cadillac ATS and CTS, the Chevy Camaro, and the new Buick LaCrosse.
Tuned for truck duty, the 3.6-liter makes a bit less power in the Colorado than it does in those sedans. And compared with the old V-6, the improvement in power and torque is not huge, with horsepower going up 3 hp to 308 hp, and torque rising 6 lb-ft to 275 lb-ft. Disappointingly, official fuel-economy numbers aren’t available yet, although a Chevrolet spokesperson said the improvements will be “incremental” over the current Colorado V-6’s 18/26-mpg city/highway with rear-wheel drive and 17/24 mpg with four-wheel drive. We’ll see soon enough if the new numbers, aided by the new V-6’s cylinder deactivation feature and the taller gearing of the eight-speed, can match the current champ among gasoline-powered mid-size trucks, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, which achieves 19/26 mpg with front-drive and 18/25 with all-wheel drive.
No changes are in store for the Colorado’s base 2.5-liter four-cylin...