Two previews of next August’s Holden Colorado facelift unveiled today at the Bangkok motor show in Thailand were developed and built at the General Motors Australia Design centre in Port Melbourne.
Revealed as Chevrolets this afternoon, they are the Colorado Xtreme pick-up and the Trailblazer Premier, which is based on the seven-seat SUV currently sold here as the Colorado 7.
It is understood Holden will adopt the Trailblazer name for the Colorado 7 when the facelift comes online here.
Based on current production Colorados, they feature bespoke sheetmetal and exterior and interior parts including a range of prototype accessories fabricated at the GMAD Port Melbourne facility.
Both vehicles are endowed with typical motor show jewellery but essentially show off a styling evolution outside and a new instrument panel inside.
However, GMAD director Richard Ferlazzo told motoring.com.au during a media preview of the two vehicles before they were shipped to Thailand that the update would be a lot more comprehensive than just a new look.
“The stories you are hearing about the facelifts go way beyond just the styling,” Ferlazzo said. “The next version of the Colorado is a complete revamp of engineering, the dynamics.
“The story is all about the refinement and capability levels, which are a big leap forward. Styling is part of the story.”
That tallies with what we have reported previously about local versions of the Colorado getting updates that have already flowed into the US version.
Designing and building the Colorado concepts was a relatively small job for GMAD compared to a ground-up development such as the Opel GT that was revealed at the Geneva motor show recently.
It took roughly four months to complete the two Colorados and cost a fraction of the multi-millions of dollars spent on the GT.
But Ferlazzo said the project was still significant as it continued to emphasise the Australian outpost’s unique position within GM’s network of global design centres as the only place outside the Warren headquarters in New York where a concept can be built as well as conceived.
“It’s an important part of our business and important for any car company worth their salt that they do good concept cars,” said Ferlazzo.
As reported here, GMAD must stand alone without the bulwark of a local manufacturing base when the Elizabeth plant is closed in late 2017 and production of the locally designed and developed Commodore ceases.
It currently employs more than 140 staff.
GMAD was commissioned regionally by General Motors International (GMI) to develop the two concepts for the Bangkok to aid Chevrolet in its fight for market share in ute-mad Thailand with the dominant Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-MAX.
Colorado shares significant technological specification with the Isuzu and both are built in Thailand, albeit now in different plants.
“The concepts are based on production vehicles, but they are not a production release,” explained Ferlazzo. “They are familiar in areas, but we are not releasing a future model here.
“The brief was to do show cars for Bangkok because it is an important region for these vehicles and we want to lift the profile of Colorado.”
The concepts were developed after consultation with their design homeroom in Brazil, as well as Warren.
“The scope was to take the current car and take it to another level and work with the other regions and what they are doing with this truck,” said Ferlazzo.
“We are not working in isolation otherwise we are sending the wrong message.
“We don’t want to give them a bum steer because it’s a global truck so it’s got be aligned with what’s happening around the world.
Inside there is an eight-inch colour touch-screen with MyLink, integrated pitch and roll meter, and leather and fabric seats.
The accessories that come with Xtreme have also been designed and fabricated in Melbourne in line with a brief to develop a range of adds-on that could potentially translate to production.
“This is a toe in-the-water for us in terms of genuine tough off-road accessories and the best way to put that word out there is to put them on a show car and see what the reaction is,” said the Xtreme and Premier’s exterior designer Jeff Haggarty.
“And if we get a good reaction we will be very much looking to put them into production. But these things take time, don’t expect to see them on sale next week.”
The Premier rides on massive 22-inch wheels, features a silvery blue exterior paint dubbed ‘Velocity’, a rear spoiler, chrome detailing, leather interior trim with bespoke piping and wood door appliques with steel inserts.