Cargazing
By Derek Price
For years, people who drive pickups have sung the praises of diesel engines.
They last longer. They can get better gas mileage. They make monstrous torque that helps when pulling trailers. And they have a better resale value — or so their reputation goes.
Why, then, do so many truck brands only sell diesels in their biggest, roughest-riding, heaviest-duty models? Seems like everybody should be able to experience some diesel love.
Ram answered that question a couple of years ago with their half-ton EcoDiesel models, and now General Motors is pushing that envelope even further for 2016 by packing a diesel engine into a place you don’t normally find one: under the hood of a mid-size truck.
After winning Motor Trend’s “Truck of the Year” as a rookie last year, the Chevrolet Colorado takes another bold step for 2016: adding a diesel engine to its powertrain lineup. It’s the first diesel-powered mid-size truck of the modern era.
I just spent some time driving the diesel-powered 2016 Chevrolet Colorado in the Texas hill country, and it’s a fantastic option for people who want the benefits of a diesel powertrain without paying the big bucks and living with the drawbacks of a full-size, heavy-duty pickup.
The engine itself is brilliant, making 369 pound-feet of torque without sounding too diesel-like. Chevy did a great job controlling the noise on it.
With ample power available across a broad spectrum of the rev range, it feels like it would be a great engine for moderate towing. It shows in the numbers, too, with a maximum trailer rating of 7,700 pounds — better than any other mid-size truck and giving it the kind of capability that’s traditionally reserved for its full-size cousins.
Pricing starts around $32,000 for the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel model, a serious premium over the Colorado’s base price of roughly $20 grand.
It’s not a bad price at all compared to a full-size diesel-powered Chevy pickup, though. If you want to take the next step on GM’s diesel-powered truck ladder, you’ll have to pay around $42,500 for a Silverado 2500 with a 6.6-liter Duramax V8.
And that’s going to be overkill for a lot of truck drivers.
Fortunately, the diesel Colorado retains the nice mixture of a smooth ride, handsome styling and right-size capability that helped it earn Motor Trend’s “Truck of the Year” honors last year.
Unfortunately for Chevy, though, it has some fresh competition this year.
I drove a diesel Colorado Trail Boss back-to-back with the new-generation 2016 Toyota Tacoma to compare the differences, and the Toyota seemed noticeably quieter and more refined on the inside.
That said, the diesel Colorado is the hands-down winner if I’m pulling a heavy trailer. As much as the Tacoma felt like it was ready for a quiet highway trip, the Colorado’s Duramax felt ready to do some serious hauling. The two trucks seemed to have drastically different personalities, even when both were in their tough-as-nails off-road trim.
Chevy’s timing of rolling out a new diesel model also begs an obvious question: Will Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal affect its sales?
The 2.8-liter Duramax diesel makes 369 pound-feet of torque, enough to give the Colorado a 7,700-pound trailer tow rating.
I don’t think so, simply because diesel car buyers and diesel truck buyers are completely different people. Buyers of a supposedly “clean diesel” car are doing it to help the planet, but buyers of a diesel truck are doing it because they’ve got a job to do. They need that capability.
To be sure, Chevy says the Colorado’s new engine is the cleanest diesel ever offered by General Motors. It uses cooled exhaust gas recirculation to clean up the emissions, they say, without any VW-style software cheats.
I’m also glad to see GM pushing the envelope on its powertrain offerings. With Ford selling its turbocharged trucks and Ram offering its half-ton diesel, it’s encouraging to see GM pioneering diesel powertrains in the modern mid-size truck market.
At a Glance
What was tested?
2016 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel AWD Crew Cab Short – Trail Boss ($35,080). Options: None. Price as tested: $35,080
Wheelbase: 128.3 in.
Length: 212.7 in.
Width: 74.3 in.
Height: 70.7 in.
Engine: 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel (181 hp, 369 lb.-ft.)
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
RATINGS
Style: 7
Performance: 9
Price: 9
Handling: 7
Ride: 7
Comfort: 8
Quality: 7
Overall: 8
Video Review:
2016 Chevy Colorado Diesel
bit.ly/16colorado
Why buy it?
The addition of a diesel engine gives the Colorado the capability that approaches the level of a full-size truck. It’s more efficient and more comfortable to drive than big pickups.