Midsize 2015 Chevy Colorado coming fall 2014

Chevy introduced the 2015 Colorado pickup on Monday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The midsize truck is expected to deliver class-leading power, payload and trailering rating when it goes on sale in fall 2014, at least according to the Bowtie.

Chevy hopes the Colorado will be the most powerful midsize truck (in an admittedly small segment) thanks to its three-engine lineup. A 2.5-liter gasoline-powered I4 making about 193 hp and 184 lb-ft is standard; a gas 3.6-liter V6 making 302 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque is also available. Both engines feature direct injection and variable valve timing to help eek out a few more miles per gallon. Then in 2015, Chevy plans to roll out a 2.8-liter Duramax turbocharged I4 diesel for the truck.

Chevy declined to provide any further details except to state that, when properly equipped, the Colorado will have a payload and trailering capacity of more than 6,700 pounds.

“Our strategy is simple: Meet the needs of the broadest possible customer base and let them choose precisely the right truck to meet their needs,” said Mark Reuss, GM president of North America. “The all-new Colorado benefits from the solid foundation established by the Silverado, and it reinvents the midsize truck.”

The pickup gets taller bedsides than its foreign counterparts. It also features a raked beltline that will level out once the bed is loaded.

Three configurations will be offered: an extended cab with a 6-foot bed, a crew cab with a 6-foot bed or a crew cab with a 5-foot bed. Chevy notes that when the tailgate is down, the 6-foot bed allows for 8-foot-long items -- like standard-size drywall and plywood sheets -- to be carried.

Like the Silverado, the Colorado will be available in three trims -- WT, LT and Z71 -- all in either two- or four-wheel drive. The Z71 is the off-roader of the group, featuring a gunmetal grille surround, projector headlights and 17-inch aluminum wheels.

The Colorado comes in 900 pounds lighter than its bigger brother, and it uses an aluminum hood to improve front-rear weight balance. It also features active grille shutters, which close at speed to reduce gas consumption.

Chevy mentioned several times that the new Colorado is “full of Chevy truck DNA.” That means a boxed frame, coilover front suspension and electronic power steering.

As far as utility features go, the new Colorado will have a two-tiered bed system, a corner step to help when jumping in, an optional easy-lift tailgate with a torsion bar, 13 tie-down locations, standard bed-rail and tailgate protectors, and an available spray-in bedliner.

Inside, buyers get a cleaner-looking console, a sculpted headliner that adds to the headroom, lighting on key controls for easier use and an open area in front for placing charging cellphones.

An 8-inch touchscreen display will take top billing in the dash on LT and Z71 models, along with a 3.4-inch screen in the instrument cluster. As with all GM products, OnStar and MyLink will be available.

Pricing will be available closer to the pickup truck's fall 2014 on-sale date.

By Jake Lingeman