2004-2008 Chevrolet Colorado: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

General Motors launched its new generation of small pickup trucks with the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado and its GMC Canyon companion. Billed as a "midsize" pickup, Colorado was slightly larger than the Chevy S-10 it was meant to replace, but not as big as the compact-class size-leading Dodge Dakota. Available in regular, extended, and crew cab form, Colorado and Canyon differed in trim details but shared a platform and introduced two new GM truck engines. Replacing a 120-horsepower 2.2-liter as the base four-cylinder was a 175-horsepower 2.8-liter. A 220-horsepower 3.5-liter inline five-cylinder substituted for the previous 190-horsepower 4.3-liter V6. Both new engines had dual overhead cams versus overhead valves, and came with a manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Both were available with rear-wheel drive or with four-wheel drive that had low-range gearing, but must be disengaged on dry pavement. The regular cab seated up to three; extended cabs came with dual rear-hinged back doors and seated up to five. The four-door Crew Cab seated up to six and had a 5-foot cargo box, while others had a 6-foot bed. Antilock braking was standard. Available for the first time on a GM pickup were head-protecting curtain side airbags that covered all seating rows. All body styles, with 2WD or 4WD, could be equipped with a Z71 off-road suspension that offered elevated ground clearance. The ZQ8 sport-suspension option was a Chevrolet exclusive that included 17-inch wheels vs. 15s, and was offered only with 2WD. A locking rear differential was available on all Colorados. Traction control was a new option with 2WD. Also available were leather seats (crew cab only), OnStar assistance, and satellite radio. Colorados competed against the Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma. Sold alongside Colorado for the 2004 model year were heldover S-10 crew cabs.