Colorado vs F150

A Weighty Matter: Chevy Colorado vs. Ford F-150

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DETROIT -- In the race to get the weight out of pickups, General Motors -- not Ford -- may actually be the biggest loser.

Ford rolled out the long awaited 2015 aluminum-bodied F-150 this week, and claimed the curb weight will be 550 to 700 pounds less than the 2014 version forged with steel sheet metal. Hats off to Ford. That's huge.

Because the F-150 is the nation's top-selling vehicle -- car or truck – a redesigned model is a major event. The introduction at the Detroit auto show sucked the oxygen out of the building; few auto writers paid more attention to anything else.

Lost in the F-150 hoopla is that GM is also in the lightweight game.

GM stayed with steel in redesigning the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra for 2014. Instead of embracing aluminum, GM this fall will offer a slightly smaller truck, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

The new Colorado is actually also full-sized -- if you compare its length, width and other specs to the full-sized trucks GM built in the 1960s to early '90s. In fact, many of the dimensions overlap.

In the 1970s, GM trucks ranged in length from 186 inches to 216 inches. The 2015 Colorado ranges from 208 inches to 224.5 inches, depending on cab style and bed length. Those old trucks were 78 inches wide, while the 2015 Colorado is 74 inches and change.

But here's an interesting Colorado tech spec: Every variant of the Colorado weighs about 900 pounds less than the 2014 Silverado. It also weighs within 100 pounds or so of the full-sized Chevy trucks of the '70s and '80s.

The Colorado will offer an array of engines -- including a new diesel. We don't yet know about fuel economy, but Chevy seems to have made it a priority. A four-cylinder with a six-speed manual transmission will be available. It's possible the Colorado could see close to the 30 mpg that Ford is aiming for with the 2015 F-150.

We do know Chevy's new truck can be put to work. Chevrolet spokesman Tom Wilkinson says the Colorado's maximum tow rating is 6,700 pounds -- about twice as much weight as the average boat or camper that gets hauled to the lake on weekends.

Yes, the new F-150 will clobber the Colorado in towing -- today's top-spec F-150 can drag 11,300 pounds down the road. But Chevrolet may be on to something with Colorado.

Pickups have ballooned in size in the last 20 years, while smaller trucks have withered and died to the point they are almost extinct.

It makes no sense to develop a small truck, such as those sold by Datsun, Toyota, and Mazda in the '70s and '80s, because few other vehicles could be built off the same architecture. And once all the required safety and comfort features are added, that small truck would probably be too expensive to sell profitably.

GM's strategy of offering two sizes of light-duty trucks may just work. But pricing -- to be announced later this year -- is crucial.

The first-generation Colorado showed that if the two trucks are separated by only a few hundred dollars, most consumers will choose the bigger truck.

If Colorado costs thousands less than Silverado, it'll find an audience. Either way, come this fall, consumers looking for a fuel-efficient, lightweight truck will have more than just the F-150 from which to choose.

Automotive News

I was noticing the size as Mark walked around.  

This really indicates how the size of the full size trucks has incrementally increased from generation to generation.

As Dan mentions and inquires-> https://pickupownersgroup.forumotion.com/t603-2015-gmc-canyon-completes-gms-revamped-truck-lineup  It would seem these now "smaller" trucks are very comparative to truck generations of 20 to 30 years ago.

With today's advanced engineering, manufacturing, materials, and content.  This might be a good opportunity for GM to lead, though there certainly is risk present as well.  

With our economy continuing to falter, our currency getting weaker, this segment may be the new norm.

Just like we experienced in the early 2000's compared to today.  BOF trucks and SUV's were everywhere.  Today BOF SUV's are considerably fewer, many converted to uni-body.  Much of the consumer market has gone smaller.  Mostly because of economic fundamentals.  Cost to purchase, cost to fuel.  The general consumer as forgone capability and utility to some extent as economics are priority for the general market.

joemac wrote:

With our economy continuing to falter, our currency getting weaker, this segment may be the new norm.

It might just be time for a "market correction" in the sizing of trucks.
Get away from the "Canyonero" sizing.

I personally would love to see a return of the true mini-pickup. Chevy Luv and Ford Courier sized. I know they are not for everyone, but then neither are the current crop of mid-sizers.

IMHO that ship as sailed as people use the utility of the large crew cab configuration to do all duties involved in everyday life. Attempting to have the public go back to the small two door configuration, something substantial would have to change. Likely long term economics, gas prices, or similar.

If I didn't tow a large trailer, the Colorado in crew cab and diesel would be interesting to me.