Chevrolet is updating the drivetrain in its midsize Colorado pickup truck, adding a new eight-speed automatic transmission and an updated 3.6-liter V6 engine.
While the displacement remains the same, the new 3.6-liter features some updates to its variable valve timing and direct injection systems, helping it net 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, a boost of 3 hp and 6 lb-ft of torque. New for this year is also cylinder deactivation, allowing the engine to cut two cylinders while travelling on the highway to increase fuel economy.
The other major update is the addition of an eight-speed automatic transmission, making the Chevy the only small truck on the market to offer more than six speeds. Chevy says that the addition of those new gears should help improve the truck’s low-end torque.
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Thanks in part to the use of aluminum and magnesium, Chevy managed to keep the weight of the truck the same as the outgoing six-speed model.
No announcements were made for the Colorado’s sister truck the GMC Canyon, but the eight-speed and updated V6 will almost undoubtedly land in that model as well.
The 2017 Chevy Colorado will begin arriving in dealerships in late 2016. Pricing for the updated model was not announced.
