2023 Chevy Colorado spied during high-altitude testing

Spy photographers have caught the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado doing some high-altitude testing while outfitted with some rather intense camouflage and wearing some plain-looking steel wheels. What we can make out on this crew cab model is a more upright and squared-off front end, a look that follows current truck styling trends, including the Silverado. Not much can be gleaned from the shots, design-wise, but it does look like Colorado isn’t following Silverado with its side mirror placement but is instead keeping the mirrors at the corner of the window.

We’re expecting all-new sheet metal for this generation, but it might go on top of a revised version of the current Colorado/Canyon chassis, a strategy that’s been employed by pickup manufacturers for decades. We just hope that the next-gen ZR2, which has long been our favorite version of Colorado, won’t be too far behind. Speaking of the mid-size off-roader, GMC will also finally get its own version of the ZR2, badged as the Canyon AT4X.

Rumors point to the next-gen GM mid-size pickups dropping the current engine lineup of naturally aspirated 2.5-liter gasoline inline-four, 2.8-liter inline-four turbodiesel, and 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V-6 in favor of a single turbocharged gasoline inline-four, just as Ford has done with the Ranger. The engine is expected to be a version of the turbocharged 2.7-liter that serves as the base engine in the Silverado and Sierra. When first introduced in truck applications, the engine was rated at 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque. For the 2022 Silverado, the engine received a beefier crankshaft and a more rigid engine block, along with a boost in torque. Chevrolet still hasn’t given SAE rating for the updated 2.7-liter, but estimates output at 310 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Considering how well that engine does in a full-size, it should be more than up to the task of hauling around a Colorado.

The second-generation Colorado has proven to be one of the best mid-size trucks on the market, but a new Frontier is out, and Ford will soon have an updated Ranger to compete as well. There hasn’t been a more exciting time in the midsize truck market in ages, and we can hardly wait for these 2023 models to hit the streets.