Holden Colorado 2016 Review

Holden Colorado Crew Cab 4x4 LTZ
Australian Launch Review
Ipswich, Queensland

The ute recipe used to be simple: fit a diesel engine that can tow a decent load and put a tub on the back that can carry plenty of everything from tools to timber. Cabin quality, ride comfort, handling dynamics and safety features… Pffft, who wants 'em?

Well, it turns out lots of customers do – and they're voting with their wallets.

Today, the most successful utes adhere to a more sophisticated recipe, and as Australia's love affair with load-luggers that are also part-time recreational vehicles continues to flourish, buyers are demanding more of everything – and better suitability to Australian conditions.

Most of the popular utes sold in Australia are built in Thailand, but Toyota's top-selling HiLux has also had plenty of Aussie development input, while Ford's class-leading Ranger  and its twin-under-the-skin, the BT-50, are the only models designed and engineered entirely in Australia.

Now, in conjunction with the Brazilian crew that developed it, the Colorado -- which already offered class-leading torque but fell short in the ride and handling department -- has been tuned by the best and brightest engineers at Holden, as part of a major makeover that goes beyond the regular mid-cycle model upgrade.

It is a better ute for it? You better believe it.

After driving the much-improved Colorado, it comes as no surprise that the team who worked on the Holden V II Commodore update – including the stunning SS V-Series Redline – worked their magic on the Colorado. And it has payed dividends.

Although it's the nuts and bolts -- the bits hidden under the car's skin -- that have the most profound effect on the new Colorado, turning it from a loud, rattly, unwieldy tank into a quiet, refined, fun-to-drive ute, the most obvious new bits are visual.

Take the front-end for example. It features a more resolved appearance with new headlight clusters comprising integrated LED daytime running lights, and the front fascia and grille have been massaged as well.

The cabin has gone slightly more upmarket too, with a new dashboard and instrument panel design giving it more sophisticated feel. Intuitive touch-screen infotainment systems (dubbed MyLink ) look good and work well, offering tidy smartphone integration via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and easy menu navigation.

Incidental storage isn't dazzling, particularly if you have a large smartphone (small ones are fine), although twin large cup-holders and deep door pockets are welcome.

There's only one USB port which is a bit of a bummer, but twin 12-volt power sockets and things like remote window opening via the key fob on all models (plus remote start on auto LTZ/Z71 models) and rear seat ventilation outlets are neat touches that will make a big difference for all passengers during hot Aussie summers.

Spending 30 minutes in the back of the Colorado as it cruised along fast country back roads reveals decent leg room, even sitting behind a six-foot tall colleague, although knees are a little raised. It's not the most comfortable rear bench but the addition of two ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat anchorages makes it a bona-fide family hauler – as does its five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Matching the best in this class, other features fitted as standard across the dual-cab range include seven airbags, stability control, automatic headlights, digital radio, plus a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, all of which add significant value considering the asking price hasn't gone up.

Six colours are offered (Summit White, Absolute Red, Mineral Black, Nitrate, Satin Steel Grey, Blue Mountain and Auburn Brown) and Holden has gone gangbusters with accessories, offering a three-year warranty on its new range of genuine add-on parts.

There are bash plates, bull bars, a massive safari bar, wheel-arch extensions, side steps, rear sports bars, various 18-inch alloy wheels and an impressive 'Venom' LED light bar and spot light package.

And despite Holden's insistence that the Colorado is now a "truck", it feels far less truck-like in the way it operates.

It's a quieter car now and far more refined at idle and once underway. The rattles and shakes from the engine have all but been dialled out, making the Colorado feel better for it at all road speeds and more relaxing to drive too.

New engine and body mounts help in this respect, as do improved sound damping materials in the engine bay, thicker front-side window glass and better door seals. This isn't a piecemeal upgrade – it's a significant overhaul of the Colorado's fundamental shortcomings.

New tyres have been fitted across the board, Bridgestone Duelers for the most part, with new compounds that improve ride quality, wet weather grip and fuel economy, according to Holden.

The new treads are still effective on gravel surfaces too, the Colorado easily climbing some steep, loose and rocky trails, even in 2WD. A helical limited-slip differential helps, and on faster gravel trails the Colorado was predictable and easy to drive – something that couldn't always be said of its predecessor.

The Colorado pulls strongly from standstill, its 500Nm of torque shifting the ute's weight easily – even with a 500kg payload in the tub and four passengers on board. We drove mid-spec LT and high-spec LTZ and Z71 dual-cab 4x4 models at the launch and all showed impressive manners on sealed roads.

It's here that the significant suspension modifications make a big difference: the Colorado ute no longer feels floaty and lethargic tracking through corners, and is far more confidence inspiring.

Revised front and rear spring rates and new dampers along with a thicker front stabiliser bar give the car a flatter attitude in corners, even when laden, and the adoption of an electrically-assisted steering system makes the nose of the car feel more accurate and responsive at all speeds, and requires fewer turns to achieve full-lock which makes things like parking a little easier.

It should be a better long-distance cruiser too – the cruise control is more measured now – and the transmission will even shift down gears to help slow the car on descents. It has a 12.7m turning circle, which isn't bad considering the vehicle is 5361mm long. The fuel tank holds 76 litres.

Tweaks to the six-speed automatic transmission – namely the inclusion of a centrifugal pendulum absorber (CPA) torque converter borrowed from the North American Colorado – are claimed to reduce rev flare and noise while improving power delivery. It's tough to say how much difference it makes without back-to-back testing but acceleration and shift change points felt suitably progressive during hammer time.

The six-speed auto delivers decent response but a result of 11.2L/100km after a long stretch of country road driving in the Z71 is well off the Holden's claimed average fuel economy of 8.6L/100km.

The Colorado's 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine's output remains unchanged at 147kW and 500Nm, so too its payload and towing capacities (3500kg braked).

Holden claims the Colorado will carry a payload of at least 1000kg in the tray (up to 1477kg for single cab chassis models) and the tailgate didn't snap off when a trio of journos perched on it.

We had a chance to test the towing capability with a tandem axle trailer carrying a bobcat digger, with a total weight of around 2800kg. The task was to cruise around a short course and reverse park the trailer in a makeshift garage. The engine had no trouble with the mass but it was the quicker steering that impressed the most, which made the task easy.

The Holden Colorado features trailer-sway control and hill-descent control driver aids, while top-shelf LTZ and Z71 variants add forward-collision alert and lane-departure warning systems. Unlike the Ford Ranger Wildtrak there's no autonomous emergency braking or radar cruise control.

Holden offers a capped-price service program spanning the lifetime of all Colorados, costing $349 for each of the first four services, then $409 for the next three services, which is competitive. Each service occurs every 15,000km or nine months, whichever happens first. All models are covered by a three-year, 100,000km warranty.

During the product presentation for gathered media, GM Holden managing director Mark Bernhard insisted "There's no better truck on the market".

That's a bold call, considering how good the Ranger is, having bested all rivals in our most recent ute comparison.

But Bernhard reckons the locally-developed chassis and powertrain tuning undertaken by Holden engineers will be a key part of the new vehicle's appeal.

There's no doubt Holden has delivered a much-improved ute, and the Colorado has certainly made significant strides forward in terms of ride, handling and powertrain refinement. The improved cabin, enhanced tech and additional safety features are welcome developments and, despite being quieter, smoother and more relaxing to drive, the Colorado has given away none of its all-round capability either.

But the best ute in Australia? We can't see it toppling the Ranger or HiLux for sales, but in product terms it's certainly closed the gap to the Ford and perhaps even bettered the Toyota. Suffice to say, we're keen to get the next Ford versus Holden battle underway.

2016 Holden Colorado Crew Cab 4x4 LTZ auto pricing and specifications:
Price: $52,690 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/500Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 230g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Ford Ranger (from $27,390 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota HiLux (from $20,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mitsubishi Triton (from $21,990 plus ORCs)