When released next year, the 2015 Chevy Colorado will mark a new era of pickups for General Motors Co. in the U.S. The midsize pickup, which the Detroit-based automaker unveiled at the 2013 LA Auto Show, will attempt to not only compete in the segment, but lead it. Watch video
LOS ANGELES, CA - When released next year, the 2015 Chevy Colorado will mark a new era of pickups for domestic automakers in the U.S.
The midsize pickup, which General Motors Co. unveiled at the 2013 LA Auto Show, will attempt to not only compete in the segment, but lead it.
"It is a midsize offering that truck customers will find appealing for the combination of capability, refinement, maneuverability and fuel economy," said Mark Reuss, GM president of North America, during the vehicle's unveiling. "(It’s) a truck that will really shake up the segment and leave the competition in the dust."
Reuss' remarks came before a video (below) started playing of the Colorado passing the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier on a track. When launched, the Colorado and upcoming GMC Canyon are expected to be the only domestic offerings in the segment.
But making any significant gains may be harder than expected in the midsize pickup truck segment, which Edmunds.com reports (see searchable database below) has declined from 5.2 percent (867,809 units) of U.S. sales in 2002 to less than 2 percent (264,084) in 2012. “Right now, that market is basically all Tacoma and Frontier,” said Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell. “This market is just really non-existent except in a few places.”
Toyota Motor Corp. -- the leader in the U.S. midsize/compact truck segment -- sold more than 141,350 Tacoma models in 2012, a 16 percent increase from 2011. The Japanese automaker, according to Edmunds.com, represented more than 50 percent of all midsize/compact pickup sales last year and is on track to take a 70 percent ownership this year. Through October, Tacoma sales were up nearly 17 percent to 134,123 trucks sold.
Automakers – particularly the Detroit Three – have gone away from offering any pickups smaller than full-size models, like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado.
The new Colorado – on sale in fall 2014 – is built off of GM’s global Colorado, which it sells outside of the U.S., and the 2014 Chevy Silverado. But the Colorado shares little exterior characteristics with the Silverado. Unlike the boxy Silverado, which GM released earlier this year, the Colorado is smooth and a bit sportier.
So can the Colorado and the GMC Canyon, which GM is expected to unveil next year, actually make a difference in the midsize pickup truck segment?
2015 Chevrolet ColoradoIn short, yes. Analysts say as truck sales continue to increase, right now is the perfect time for a domestic automaker to enter the segment.
“There are very few choices in that category right now,” said Karl Brauer, Kelley Blue Book senior analyst. “There’s no domestic offering whatsoever … and I think that if, all things being equal, there are plenty of people in this country who would default to a domestic over an import in almost any given category – particularly in a truck category.”
GM phased out its Colorado and Canyon pickups last year. Crosstown rivals Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC ended production of the Ford Ranger and Dodge Ram Dakota in 2011, when industry midsize pickup truck sales were at nearly 290,000 units.
Bringing a midsize pickup to the U.S. -- particularly from another country -- isn't as easy as some may think. Besides stricter safety and emissions standards, automakers have to pay a so-called "chicken tax," a 25-percent tariff levied on foreign-built pickups. The 50-year-old tax was named because it was imposed as a payback for a German tariff on chicken.
When GM launches the Colorado, as well as its Canyon, it is expected to be the only domestic automaker in the midsize pickup space for the foreseeable future.
Ford – the full-size pickup truck leader for decades – continues to sell its Ranger outside of the U.S., but has not announced any plans to bring it back to the U.S. And Chrysler, which has become a major player in the truck segment thanks to its Ram Truck brand, has no plans to release a midsize pickup “in the foreseeable future.”
Ford Ranger“That segment has always been a very small fraction of the half-ton pickup truck market,” said Reid Bigland, Ram CEO and president, during an interview with MLive at the 2013 LA Auto Show. “What we’ve elected to do is continue to focus our efforts on making the (Ram 1500) pickup more attractive.”
Bigland, who admitted Chrysler has been dabbling in bringing a midsize pickup to market since discontinuing the Dakota, said the cost outweighs the benefits, as larger pickups continue to make gains in fuel economy and capability.
For a truck to be successful in the midsize segment, he said, Chrysler predicts it must be priced below $20,000 and have a fuel economy of "well north" of 30 miles per gallon.
Bigland, who also serves as Chrysler head of U.S. sales, said that Ram will keep an eye on how the Colorado performs, but there are no plans in the pipeline to produce a midsize pickup truck for Ram.
“Never, say never, but there’s nothing eminent on that, for sure,” he said.
The Ram 1500 -- a segment leader in fuel economy -- is capable of up to 25 mpg highway. An upcoming diesel model has been tested by third parties to get nearly 30 mpg highway.
GM did not release pricing or fuel economy estimates for the Colorado, but Jeff Luke, GM Trucks executive engineer, said the vehicle will be ready to compete against its foreign counterparts.
“We believe a new generation of customers with very active lifestyles will be very, very interested in this truck,” Luke said during a media event earlier this month. “It will set the bar in the global midsize segment for performance, capability, refinement.” A new diesel engine for the 2016 model year could also will help GM differentiate itself from the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.
GM will initially offer the Colorado with two engine options: A standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder estimated at 193 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque and a 3.6-liter V6 estimated at 302 horsepower (224 kW) and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. For the 2016 model year, GM will also offer an all-new Duramax 2.8-liter turbodiesel – “greatly expanding the capabilities” of the pickup truck, according to GM.
All models are matched with a six-speed automatic that complements the truck-tuned engines with features that make hauling and trailering easier, including auto grade braking and a tow/haul mode.
And GM, according to Senior Vice President Global Chevrolet Alan Batey, has learned from its pricing mistakes of the past, which had midsize trucks competing against full-size pickups -- helping lead to the demise of the segment for domestic automakers in the U.S.
“A lot of people don’t need and don’t want a full-size pickup,” he said. “It will be very completely priced, and it will fit on a price ladder that’s logical.”
Compared to a Silverado crew cab, the Colorado is about 900 pounds lighter, 16 inches shorter, five inches narrower and three inches lower. GM plans to market the vehicle as a “lifestyle pickup” with numerous unique accessories, according to officials.
The Colorado will be assembled at GM's Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri. The 3.6-liter V6 engine will be produced in Flint, Mich. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder will be built at GM's Spring Hill Manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
The Colorado was one of about 60 vehicles, including 22 world debuts, to be unveiled during the 2013 LA Auto Show Press Days on Nov. 20-21. The show --the beginning of the “auto show season,” for automakers -- is open to the public through Dec. 1.
Take a look at how midsize pickup truck sales have declined over the last decade with this database:
*The database is compiled from data provided by Edmunds.com through July 2013.
Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.