The Chevrolet Colorado (sharing mechanical commonality with the GMC Canyon) is a series of compact pickup trucks (mid-size since second generation) marketed by American automaker General Motors.

Top trim levels in crew-cab configuration offered upscale features such as leather-trimmed seating surfaces, dual power-adjustable front bucket seats with lumbar support and heat, a six-disc, in-dash CD changer, XM satellite radio, and rear side-impact airbags.

A ZQ8 edition is available with a lower and more road-tuned "sport" suspension than the standard Z85 and comes with 17 inch wheels, color-matched bumper and grille, and low profile fender flares.

In 2009, both trucks, as with most 2009 GM vehicles (and combined with OnStar), received a Bluetooth hands-free phone system for the first time as optional equipment.

The six-disc in-dash CD changer was discontinued as well, leaving the single-disc CD/MP3 player, and a standard A/M-F/M only radio, with two-, four-, or six-speaker audio systems.

Colorado/Canyon U.S. sales peaked in 2005 at 163,204 units, surpassing the perennial segment leader, the Ford Ranger, by almost 35% and just 3.3% behind the new best-seller, the Toyota Tacoma.

One 2005 Canyon owned by successful U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown became famous as it was widely featured in his TV advertisements.

[6]In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal offset test, the Colorado (extended version) is given a "Good" overall score,[7] however the crew cab is rated "Acceptable".

Launched at the 2005 New York International Auto Show, for the 2006 model year, the i-series replaced the Hombre, which had been out of production since 2000.

As part of Isuzu's withdrawal from the United States market after the 2008 model year, the i-series was discontinued.GM Thailand manufactured the Colorado from March 2004 with a mildly altered styling compared to the North American version.

[11] In late January 2006, Chevrolet introduced a G-80 differential lock system as optional for most Colorado trim levels.

Thai-market Colorados received a minor redesign in late 2007, with the front fascia being altered by toning down the American influence.

[14] Imported from Thailand, it is essentially a rebadged version of the facelifted Thai-specification Colorado, retaining its front styling.

In March 2011, Chevrolet revealed the prototype version of the all-new Colorado at Bangkok International Motor Show.

In June 2011, Chevrolet revealed its crew cab in adventure concept at Buenos Aires, Argentina (this car also shown at Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011), and in July 2011, a Holden version of crew-cab version concept got its premiere at Australian International Motor Show.

The Colorado was revealed at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show and went on sale in June 2012 in both Australia and New Zealand, sourced from the Rayong factory in Thailand.

[30] The facelifted Colorado model for the Australian and New Zealand markets was released in 2017 with GM's MyLink infotainment system including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The North American Colorado's frame is 40% lighter than the global version, it uses high-strength steel, and is much longer.

The base Colorado trim level includes as standard equipment: 16-inch steel wheels, vinyl seating surfaces, an A/M-F/M stereo with auxiliary audio input and a six-speaker audio system, power windows and door locks (no keyless entry), a 2.5 L Ecotec I4 gasoline engine, a six-speed manual transmission (until mid-2019, when the manual transmission was discontinued and a six-speed automatic transmission became standard), carpeted flooring, and a chrome front grille.

The W/T includes the same standard equipment as the base Colorado trim level, but has more optional equipment, such as a seven-inch color touch-screen MyLink radio, cloth seating surfaces, keyless entry, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, color-keyed door mirrors, an automatic transmission, and a 3.6 L V6 gasoline engine.

The LT adds this equipment to the base Colorado and W/T trim levels: 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, 3.6 L V6 gasoline engine, automatic transmission, eight-inch color touch-screen MyLink radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, OnStar with 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity (later models only), cloth seating surfaces, and keyless entry.

For 2016, trucks equipped with the eight-inch MyLink or GMC IntelliLink touchscreen infotainment system received standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.

The six-speed manual transmission was discontinued during the 2019 model year and is no longer available in the Colorado or Canyon.

[42] The ZR2 is the "off-road" trim level, and adds to the Z71 trim level: 2-inch taller suspension, 3.5-inch wider track, 31-inch off-road tires, unique aluminum-alloy wheels, leather-trimmed seating surfaces, functional rock sliders, Multimatic DSSV position-sensitive shock absorbers, aluminum skid plates to protect the radiator, oil pan, and front differential, locking front and rear differentials, and high approach-angle front bumper.

The 2021 model year Colorado received a revised appearance and an updated grille in line with the Chevrolet design language, but will see its level trims reduced to four: Work, LT, Z71, and ZR2.

GMC introduced in an official press and video release and made its public debut the following day (January 13, 2014) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Optional features (based on trim) will include active aero grille shutters, available OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with on-board Wi-Fi, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and an available Teen Driver feature that limits speed and audio volume.

Due to positive feedback, a production ready version was introduced two years later at the 2016 LA Auto Show, which joined the 2017 lineup.

GM Defense and U.S. Army TARDEC partnered in 2016 to develop and successfully test the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 fuel cell electric truck, with low acoustical and heat signatures as well as the advantages of on-board water production, exportable electric power and off-road capability.