Like the old saying "always a bridesmaid, never a bride," the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup has perpetually found itself to be a sort of wallflower in the public imagination. Never mind that the outgoing truck essentially shares the top spot in our Ultimate Car Rankings for the midsize class with its mechanical twin, the GMC Canyon. The unassuming Chevy chases the Toyota Tacoma for the top spot on the sales chart, and isn't as interesting as Jeep's Gladiator or refined as Honda's car-based Ridgeline. It's just kind of... there. The all-new third-generation Colorado arriving for the 2023 model year, actually tries to stand out while keeping the old truck's essential excellence intact.

When Chevrolet introduced the second-generation Colorado in 2015, the company marketed it as an all-new pickup. In reality, it was a new-to-North-America take on a truck General Motors had been selling in global markets since 2011. The automaker upgraded the chassis from the version sold in Thailand and South America and such, so as to match American customers' use cases. But the old Colorado simply looked old, even when it was "new" here in America, mostly because it was. Round Metal Plate With Holes

Consider the bar for the third-generation truck pictured here, then, rather low. Chevy clears it easily, however, with a truly all-new truck. The 2023 Colorado starts with a new frame derived from the larger Silverado 1500. Relative to the old Colorado, this one's front axle is moved forward, stretching the wheelbase by 3.1 inches and decreasing the front overhang. The new six-lug wheel bolt pattern also is pulled down from the Silverado, opening up a world of beefy aftermarket wheel choices to customers. From the factory, there is a newfound focus on off-road capability, and more than half the lineup is now made up of off-road variants, such that there are two available track widths and three different ride heights on offer. Chevy contracts choices when it comes to cab and bed length options, however. Gone are the old extended-cab and long-bed options; the new Colorado is offered only in a crew-cab, short-bed configuration.

Chevrolet also mercifully axed the former Colorado's soft and bubbly exterior in favor of a blocky style with squared-off fender bulges, rugged design cues, and a front fascia that is more Silverado-like in nature. Each of the five trim levels wears a unique grille design.

The interior has been fully refreshed as well, featuring a new dashboard with prominent, Camaro-like round outboard air vents. Also like Chevy's pony car, there are rectangular inboard vents tucked low on the dash, at knee height. Further helping banish the previous Colorado's rental-grade innards is the high-resolution 11.3-inch infotainment screen standard across the lineup. It includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and accompanies an 8.0-inch fully digital gauge cluster.

All 2023 Colorado pickups also come standard with Chevy Safety Assist, the safety suite with forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, automatic front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, following distance indicator, and IntelliBeam automatic high-beam assist. Also available on all trims, including the entry-level Work Truck (WT), are features such as adaptive cruise control, blind zone steering assist, rear cross traffic braking, rear pedestrian alert, and HD Surround Vision with up to 10 camera views.

While the second-generation Colorado was sold with three engine options, including a 2.5-liter I-4, 3.6-liter V-6, and a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel I-4, every new 2023 Colorado comes fitted with the same gas-fed turbocharged 2.7-liter I-4, plucked from the Silverado's engine family. If this strategy sounds familiar, it's because Ford also sells the Ranger with a single turbo I-4 engine. Chevy puts a twist on the concept, however, giving choice lovers three power outputs to pick from.

The base spec, dubbed Turbo, is standard on Colorado WT and LT trims, where it produces 237 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. In the mid-level slot is the Turbo Plus, which churns out 310 hp and 390 lb-ft; this version is standard on Colorado Z71 and Trail Boss trims, and optional for WT and LT. At the top end is the Turbo High-Output tune, which is standard on range-topping Colorado ZR2, and pumps out 310 hp and a mighty 430 lb-ft.

Customers who opt for trims with the Turbo Plus engine can feed $395 to their local Chevy dealer for an ECU flash that'll bump the torque output to the same 430 lb-ft as the ZR2's exclusive High-Output engine. That's right, customers opting for a base WT can upgrade to the Turbo Plus engine for just $1,185, then shell out under four hundred bucks more for a quick software update and drive home in a steel-wheel, basic pickup with 430 lb-ft of torque for less than $32,000. Where do we sign up?

Since the 2.7-liter's introduction in the Silverado in 2019, Chevrolet says more than 300,000 of the engines have been put into service. This newest generation improves upon the original design with a forged steel crankshaft, forged main bearing caps, tri-metal rod bearings, a stronger aluminum block with nodular iron cylinder sleeves, and newly designed cast aluminum pistons that feature an iron ring carrier and PVD-coater iron top ring. High-Output engines produce up to 27 psi of turbo boost pressure, while the Base and Plus make 10 and 20 psi, respectively. All three power output levels are achieved on standard 87-octane fuel.

Chevy graciously made Colorados equipped with all three engine variants available for us to drive in the hill country outside of San Diego, California. Our first interaction was with a Colorado WT equipped with the base engine. Unladen highway cruising revealed the engine's 237 hp and 259 lb-ft to be perfectly adequate, giving a driving feel reminiscent of the outgoing entry-level 2.5-liter engine. It won't win any stoplight races, but for trips to the home store or loaded down with a bed full of tools and equipment it would be sufficient. We did notice that this truck had more engine noise than the other models, which Chevy engineers confirmed; costs were cut by removing some of the sound and vibration deadening materials that the Turbo Plus and High-Output engines have. The eight-speed transmission behind the base engine is also different, a smaller and lighter 8L45 automatic, versus the new 8L80 used behind the higher-output mills.

Next we moved into an LT model, followed by the Trail Boss, both with the Turbo Plus engine. The mid-level engine is noticeably more powerful, producing gobs of torque right off idle (torque peaks at 3,000 rpm versus the base engine's 5,600-rpm Everest). It's also a fair bit quieter, though Chevy does add a tasteful amount of audio augmentation to the sounds heard in the cabin. Underway, the Turbo Plus engine quickly propels the 2023 Colorado up to the posted speed limit and makes passing slower traffic easy. The truck's transmission shifts quickly and always appears to find the correct gear for the speed and situation. Despite not featuring a "Sport" drive mode, we found that the combination of immense torque and precises shifting allowed us to push the truck harder and faster through twisty mountain roads than we would anticipated.

And now for the bummer: Chevy didn't have a top-spec ZR2 model for us to sample. We're looking forward to the hardcore off-roader, but luckily, the automaker did bring along a few Turbo Plus-equipped Colorados with that dealer-offered engine flash. Which is how we found ourselves sampling the 430-lb-ft Turbo High-Output engine, in effect, in a Colorado Z71.

The only real indication from the driver's seat that the flashed engine was producing 40 additional lb-ft of twist was a greater propensity for the rear tires to spin while leaving a stop with gusto. While we're confident that the bonus torque would aid in towing and hauling, at least the upgrade is cheap at $395; seems worth it just for the bragging rights alone.

When it comes to highway ride quality, the new Colorado is about as good as one would expect from a body-on-frame pickup. Expansion joints, potholes, and general broken pavement is handled with ease. However, extremely poorly maintained highways will send shutters through the truck's rigid chassis, with the twin-tube dampers quickly losing their ability to keep up. Impressively, standard-ride-height Colorado models are quite competent when it comes to carving mountain roads, cornering with the composure of vehicles half this size. Naturally, the lifted suspension on the Trail Boss allows notably more body roll on ribbons of asphalt, but such are the trade-offs for rugged capability.

With three out of the new Colorado's five trims being off-road-themed, it's no surprise that the truck performs admirably when pavement gives way to dirt. We had the opportunity to pilot both the Z71 and Trail Boss on a quick off-road jaunt and were pleasantly impressed by the truck's decent ride quality, suspension articulation, and grippy tires. Chevy's Terrain drive mode is still a fun novelty, allowing for one pedal driving in slow-speed off-road maneuvers; like in an EV, there is no need to touch the brakes, simply lift off the accelerator to slow down, allowing finer control on slippery inclines.

While we'd love to see a quality monotube damper added to these off-road packages, the truck's twin-tube shocks perform decently over mild humps and bumps. Too much speed causes excess head toss and an uncomfortable experience, and you will scrape the removable front spoiler on standard height Z71s with even moderate trail work.

Slide into the 2023 Colorado's cabin and you're greeted with what appears to be the most modern and upscale midsize pickup interior extant. The truck's instrument panel is rugged and stylish, the front seats are comfortable and well appointed, and the switchgear is thoughtfully laid out. The most important buttons and switches are located within easy reach of the driver and the combination four-wheel drive and drive mode selector is smart and intuitive. We also appreciate the physical buttons and knobs for HVAC control.

While we're huge proponents of technology, we're torn on Chevy's new vehicle control implementation. Need to change the headlight settings? Turn on fog lights? Turn off traction control? View the trip meter? All of this, and more, is controlled through the infotainment touch screen. Almost all the vehicle information that used to be found in the driver information display has now been moved to the infotainment system. Aside from the steep learning curve, we find this makes accessing the information far more cumbersome. That said, the technology and graphics are impressive, and the system works with a quickness.

It's not all roses, however. We find it unacceptable that the new Colorado still features a manually adjustable passenger seat in every trim level. That's almost acceptable in the base, $30K truck—but in a near-$50,000 Z71, the passenger still must reach under the front cushion to slide fore or aft, and then pull a fabric tab to recline. And there's no lumbar adjustment to be found. We also aren't fond of the sheer volume of hard plastic used throughout the truck's interior, even in the up-trimmed LT and Z71 models—a sin carried over from the old Colorado.

If there's redemption to be found, it's in the premium Bose audio system found in LT and Z71 models. While we've historically been so-so when it comes to Bose sound quality, the system used in the new Colorado is legitimately very good.

After driving four of the five new Colorado trims, we can declare a sweet spot in the lineup: Z71. The Z71 trim features the more upscale interior of the LT, the Turbo Plus engine, standard ride height, standard track width, all-terrain tires, and the G80 automatic locking differential. Adding all of the popular technology and capability packages brings the price tag to right around $45,000, which is a fantastic value for a four-wheel drive midsize pickup that has what could be a best-in-class engine, a comfortable highway ride, off-road competence, and can tow up to 7,700 pounds.

Stainless Steel Round Steel Production of the all-new Colorado has just begun at the company's Wentzville, Missouri, assembly plant and the first deliveries to dealerships is slated to happen in early spring.