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It is a banner year for the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. The midsize truck was selected as MotorTrend Truck of the Year and was a finalist for the North American Truck of the Year. It has also won a number of other awards. Most recently, the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press association chose the 2024 Colorado as Rocky Mountain Truck of the Year.
RMAP president Matt Pilgrim said “The Chevrolet Colorado offers the complete package for our region’s unique demands. The turbocharged engine is ideal for our low-oxygen air while its wide powerband makes for effortless climbs up long highway passes, even when towing or carrying a load of gear. Inside, the cabin provides the modern connectivity and clean lines for a professional and upscale experience. Especially with the return of the hard-core ZR2 Bison Edition, the Colorado is well-equipped to satisfy the demands of both, commuters and adventurers alike.”
The Colorado beat out the GMC Canyon and the Ford F150 for top honors. RMAP members (including me) judged the vehicles based on
- powertrain and chassis
- performance
- overall value
- vehicle design
- engineering
When the Colorado was selected as the MotorTrend Truck of the Year, the editors had this to say. “The Colorado lineup’s performance on- and off-road, particularly the ZR2's prowess, is nothing short of exceptional, rivaling even some of the most revered off-road vehicles available,” said Ed Loh, MotorTrend Group head of editorial. “Earning MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year award is a testament to the Colorado’s all-encompassing excellence across various terrains and utility needs.”
The truck has many features that are found on the bigger, more luxurious trucks but rarely found in the midsize segment. Two of its new features stand out for how much they will help the new owners.
2024 Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss Tailgate First-in-Segment Tailgate Innovation
From the moment I saw it, I loved it and I think drivers will too. The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado has a storage box built into the tailgate. When the tailgate is down, the lockable lid opens to a 45-inch-wide and 4-inch-deep storage compartment with a drain. The tailgate also offers two cupholders and a measuring tool molded into the surface. It can be used to hold tools, or it can even be a cooler. The storage tailgate comes standard on the ZR2 model of the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado but is available as an option on all the others. The tailgate can also be opened about halfway, enabling storage of longer items. The tailgate will support up to 500 pounds when opened to that 45-degree angle. Drivers can also buy the option to lock and unlock the tailgate remotely.
Truck Bed Improvements
The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado has also made a lot of improvements to the truck bed. It has eight standard fixed tie-downs and room for up to nine additional tie-downs, combining for a class-leading 17 available tie-downs.
The Colorado has four stake pockets on the top of the bed, along with six 2 x 6-inch in-bed pockets and four 2 x 8-inch in-bed pockets. There are two motorcycle/bicycle tire grooves in the front bed wall.
Buyers can also choose an available 110-volt power outlet located in the truck bed.
Class-Leading Camera Views
The other feature that I believe drivers of the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado will love is the underbody camera that is available on the Z71 and ZR2 models.
The new Chevrolet Colorado features more camera views than any other midsize pickup, but the real gamechanger will be the available underbody camera. True off-roaders will want to know what just hit the underside of their vehicle, or in extreme cases, what they might be stuck on.
The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado will offer up to ten different camera views. Drivers can easily check all of the camera views through the infotainment screen. Typically, underbody cameras are available on luxury or full-size trucks, like the 2023 GMC HUMMER EV.
Some of the Colorado’s other cameras are important in the new trailering technologies that first debuted on the Chevrolet Silverado. Hitch Guidance is now standard, while Hitch View and Chevy’s Trailering App are new in 2024. Hitch Guidance features a guideline to help line up the trailer and truck hitch, and Hitch View provides a zoomed-in view of hitch to help with alignment.
As I reported earlier, The ZR2 Bison Edition is particularly rugged. “The 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison appears beefier because it is. It has 4.5-inch factory-installed lift and its chassis is wider than the standard ZR2. It rides on huge, segment-exclusive 35-inch OD Mud/Terrain tires, the largest tires in their class. The Bison features the standard 2.7L Turbo DOHC I-4 High-Output powertrain with 310 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque. The payload is 1,050 pounds and maximum trailering is 5,500 pounds. Much of the AEV equipment was tested on the racing circuit by champion offroad racer Chad Hall. The truck also underwent rigorous testing on the Rubicon Trail.”
Rocky Mountain Vehicle of the Year Awards
2024 marks the eighteenth annual Rocky Mountain Vehicle of the Year awards. The goal is to recognize 2023 and 2024 models (an extension due to the pandemic-caused production challenges) that are all-new or significantly revised.
RMAP membership consists of automotive journalists from Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Kansas, and Nebraska. RMAP members reach millions of potential car, SUV, and truck buyers via the internet, in print, on TV, or via radio.The journalists interact with automakers’ executives, engineers, designers, and other representatives to learn all the details about the latest new vehicles.
Chevrolet Photo
Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.
Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.
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