2019 Holden Colorado LTZ
Holden‘s Colorado is a solid competitor in the 2 and 4 wheel drive ute market, Up against the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, and Nissan Navara it provides a worthy alternative, especially in the three key areas: payload, torque, and towing. We drive the four door 4WD capable LTZ and visit a hidden secret in the massive and beautiful Megalong Valley.
The Colorado has a 2.8L diesel engine. Badged Duramax it has a peak power output of 147kW at 3600rpm, but it’s the 500 torques from the twin cam four valve engine that’s the appeal.That’s an an eminently useable 2000rpm for the auto, with 440Nm available for the manual versions. Tank capacity is 76L and unfortunately it’s needed. The 5361mm long machine is no lightweight with a gross vehicle mass of 3150kg and a kerb weight of 2128kg with economy finishing on a surprisingly high 11.1L/100km.
Being a smallish diesel that 500Nm is pretty impressive. Consider the 3.2L diesel in Ford’s Ranger, that’s 470Nm and the same kilowattage. Nissan’s Navara produces 450Nm across the range of 1500-2500rpm. The smoothness of the drive-train is also impressive, with only a few hints of indecisiveness under way, and it holds gears on long downhill runs. It’s a reasonable puller on and off road, with tarmac drive manners subtle, restrained, and perhaps just a little slower than likeable off the line. Mid-range drive is understandably better and there’s a smooth progression though the gears, albeit with more noise up front than some others.
Take it off road, onto some unsettled and rutted limestone style tracks, with gravel and marble sized coverings such as that found on the entry road to the beautifully located Dryridge Estate. This is at the far southern end of the Megalong Valley road, a twenty or so minute drive from Blackheath in the western fringes of the Blue Mountains. It’s a surface that needs the Colorado in 4WD to alleviate a loose tail end as in 2WD a loss of traction was not uncommon. 4WD High Range solved that and instantly the confidence level of the LTZ Colorado improved. Blind, tight, turns in 2WD had the pucker factor dialed up, but in 4WD the grip level hauled the big machine around and with nary a hint of fuss. For low range work a centre console dial is all that is needed. As there’s a proper mechanical transfer case on board the Colorado must be stationary before engaging 4WD low range though.
The Colorado LTZ has the typical spongy ride of a 4WD capable ute, not least in part thanks to the big rubber underneath. Bridgestone and Holden have had a long relationship and the Dueler H/T 235/60/18 is no stranger to the brand. The relatively high sidewall and softish compound add extra bounce and also does aid absorption of some of the smaller ruts and ripples found on tarmac and these gravelly surfaces.
The steering ratio and the feel itself are better tuned than some others. Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport stands out as one with a more rubber cord twisted feel left to right and back. The Colorado is more agile and nuanced in its feel. On the run down to Dryridge Estate the need for a tighter ratio and feedback is crucial. The road is shrouded in shadow for most of the day and some of those coat the more difficult to negotiate turns downhill. Here that response time and need to have a communicative steering is important and the Colorado LTZ delivers. On the gravel into Dryridge Estate the steering provided plenty of feedback too, with some of the ruts grabbing the front tyres and with the lack of freeplay the steering lets the driver know.
Sadly it’s inside where it doesn’t. It’s generic GM and it’s frankly boring. The switchgear, the texture to the plastics, the reflection of the upper dash into the windscreen, and the driver’s binnacle are all without appeal. A word in certain levels that suits is “meh”. The seats are covered in cloth and the weave is a dullish dark grey print. The steering wheel is slabby and isn’t helped by the muted tones of the rest of the interior trim. The dual zone climate control controls look the same as any in the GM family, but there are a couple of upsides. There’s Digital Audio Broadcast radio, otherwise known as DAB. The tuner in the LTZ performed well compared to others, with its sensitivity to the digital signal quite high. Sound quality was also good and the equalf of of some more expensive vehicles through the multi-speaker system. There’s also a plus for the amount of leg/head/shoulder room, app connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the embedded apps too.
There’s a soft tonneau cover fitted to the test car, and it’s a simple hook and loop system to remove or fit. The tub itself is huge and at 1790mm long, 1122mm wide between the arches, it’ll be capable of holding enough cargo to suit many applications. Towing is also class leading at 3500kg. Colour range is reasonable with the test car clad in Absolute Red, with silver, black, blue, white, silver, and a brown called Auburn Brown available.
Safety isn’t overlooked and it’s a solid list from the Colorado LTZ. Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, seven airbags including drivers knee kick it off. Tyre pressure monitoring is here as is the full traction control suite of electronic assistance programs plus front and rear park assist. Reverse camera at the rear and LED driving lights up front add to the safety factor. It’s family friendly with ISOFIX seat mounts too. Other family items such as a rear seat passenger friendly 12V socket, driver’s foot rest, and keyless remote start are welcome additions.
At The End Of The Drive.
At the time of writing Holden are offering a drive-away price of $49,990 for the Colorado LTZ. That’s for the manual version. It’s $51,990 for the auto version as tested. There’s also a five year and unlimited kilometre warranty to back that up. Five years worth of roadside assistance is included. The first seven services are set at a capped price. There’s some serious incentives to get into the Colorado range and the LTZ in particular. It’s a good enough drive, a tad thirstier than expected, and is seriously let down by the interior. Being a world car it has to appeal to many different markets and here is where Holden is up against getting the interior to look more appropriate for our tastes. Check it out for yourself by going to the Colorado info page
Level 2, 9 Help Street
Christo says:
That’s not a ute. …it’s a sedan with an open boot!
September 6th, 2018 at 9:32 pm