Really waking up the market with a swift kick, Chevrolet took Mid-size Pickup of Texas honors with their all new 2015 Colorado pickups.

Highly anticipated this year was GM’s return to the mid-size truck class with both the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado trucks. This anticipation was as much curiosity as anything, as for many of us this was the first chance behind the wheel to see if they were good.

And they didn’t disappoint. Both on-road and on the back trails of Texas the new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado proved itself against the class competitors Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, offering the freshest style and latest features.

It’s not all about the flashy new looks and having the newest toys though. The new Colorado showed a new level of chassis refinement, feeling of solid composure out in the rough, and drivability from its new powertrain offerings.

The top dawg Z-71 crew cab we tested on the off-road course was far more nimble and easily maneuvered than any of the full-size trucks. Its optional 3.6 liter V6 at 305 horsepower just quietly hums along with full-size truck power though.

It’s interior did admittedly feel much more contemporary than its peers Toyota and Nissan, not to mention packed with all the latest and frankly expected feature content today including backup camera, infotainment, and driver information systems.

I much appreciate the breath of fresh air the Colorado brings to the truck game. When the new diesel version comes next year, that I think will only stoke the competitive fires even more.