Having just test driven the all-new 2023 Chevrolet Colorado my personal favorite was the WT or Work Truck trim grade because of its combination of good bones, design that’s pleasing the eyes and a high level of standard features we didn’t previously expect in a basic work truck.
With a starting MSRP of $29,200 plus a $1,495 destination fee you are paying more for it though. At base, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado comes in some $3,065 more than the 2022 model. In fairness however you are getting a lot more, the bar has been raised.
First, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado comes only with a full four-door crew cab, no longer available with the previous base model’s extended cab. You also get a more powerful engine, now a 2.7-liter turbocharged four with 237 horsepower and 259 pound feet of torque with now an 8-speed automatic transmission instead of a standard 6-speed.
Then there is the optional is the Turbo Plus engine for $1,185 with 310 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Both engines offer more than anything available in the 2022 models. You can have both engines with 2WD or 4WD for an extra $3,300.
Towing with the standard engine is 3500 pounds, payload 1684 pounds. If you option the Turbo Plus you can have up to 7,700 pounds of towing capacity in the WT trim grade. Pretty impressive.
Exterior design details include lot of black plastic for t hings like grille, bumpers and the like. Headlights are halogen and wheels are 17-inch steelies with 255/65 R17 all-season black wall tires. There are seven colors available on WT, all but that bright metallic yellow you have to step up a trim grade to get. At the rear the steel bumper is painted gloss black and halogen tail lamps.
Options are a plenty though including a variety of bed options from a hard bed liner package and a spray-in bed liner package such as in our tester. You can also get the StowFlex Tailgate as part of a convenience package for more versatility.
The interior is where you get the most bang for the buck when you look at the up-spend over 2022 models. WT trim gets a pretty plain looking black plastic lined interior, simple and down to basics but doesn’t feel like the cheap seats.
Materials are of a good quality as is the switch gear and controls. Black and gray cloth seats are standard. You you can option up to a high durability vinyl seating trim, though it’s a bit dear at an extra $1,250. A power seat is optional through a convenience package for the driver but not the passenger.
The rear seat folds upward in a 60/40 split to allow for storage underneath, but not a lot – it’s mostly about providing more floor space for big box stuff and gear I think.
I think the big news inside is a standard 11.3-inch-diagonal color infotainment touchscreen with a healthy list of standard feature content not expected in a base work truck like standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as SXM capability.
There’s also access to cloud based subscription functionality through Google Built-In like navigation and various voice activated assistance features. Packages offer you the ability to add more including a full surround view monitor and expanded trailering controls all handled through the touchscreen.
Also standard is an 8-inch-diagonal fully digital color instrument cluster that is fully customizable to your preferred information sets. One odd quirk of the Colorado’s interior is the absence of a headlight switch. They do default to automatic, but if you want to manually control them you have to access controls through a menu on the touchscreen. Odd I say and I predict they will update this in a year or two. Customers I don’t think will be down with this.
Notable things to look at are that if you get the base engine the center console is a smaller and de-contented piece without rear seat vents. If you option a convenience package and/or the 310 horsepower engine you will get upgraded to a full length console with rear seat vents.
I think in the end what impresses me most about the WT trim grade aside the healthy level of standard features that make it more than enough to live with for most is its ability to be well optioned with convenience features. A lot of people out there want a few extra things without having to go to a truck that is too nice to use like one when it comes to trim, wheels and interior materials.
Best of all, you can get the max powertrain in the Turbo Plus and even step up to the HO power level found in the ZR2 by getting a calibration at your dealer through the parts counter accessories program. Maximum power in the lowest cost truck.
