Colorado to receive new V8 engine
Tuesday, June 19th, 2007Word on the streets that the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup is going to receive a V8 next year. Apparently, the particular V8 engine is the same small block 5.3 liter, 295 horsepower and has a 317 lb-ft motor that will power it’s Shreveport stable mate, which is the 2008 Hummer H3 Alpha. The two trucks are assembled in the same Louisiana factory, along with the Colorado’s midsize corporate twin, the GMC Canyon.
When asked about any new engine options, GM spokespersons told some sources to only, “stay tuned.” There have been no other information, denial or verification released to support the statement.
The current 2007 Colorado offers buyers a choice of two engines. One option is the Vortec 2900, that has a 2.9 liter inline-four cylinder rated at 185 hp or a torque of 190 lb-ft. The other choice is the Vortec 3700 3.7 liter 242-hp and a 242 lb-ft inline-five cylinder.
If people would be focusing on the power, incorporating a V8 to the Colorado can be positioned with the Dodge Dakota. The Dodge vehicle is the only midsize pickup that currently offers a V8. According to Dodge company, the 2008 model of Dakota is getting a heavily updated 4.7 liter V8 that is said to produce 290 horsepower and 320 lb-ft.
It is said that the Colorado’s 5.3 liter V8 would also give the vehicle some bragging rights over the number one selling Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup, that offers 236 hp and 266 lb-ft and number two selling Ford Ranger, which overtook the Colorado last month in 2007 sales volumes.
Rumors about the V8 for the small pickups of GM were actually heard of since the Colorado’s predecessor, the S-10 compact truck. In 1999. If some can recall, Chevrolet brought the S-10 V8 Xtreme Concept to the SEMA show in Las Vegas as a promo for the S-10 Xtreme factory body and suspension kit. GM legendary performance guru Jon Moss and his team of powertrain wizards gave the V8 Xtreme Concept a 350 cubic inch or 5.7-liter LT1 Corvette powerplant. It was rated at 340 hp and 370 lb-ft and was mated to a four-speed auto gearbox.
Back in 2004, when Colorado replaced the S-10, the 420 hp Cruz Concept was introduced. It has a 6.2 liter eight cylinder engine and six speed manual transmission. It was built by GM’s Performance Division primarily to showcase design talents and engineering expertise. Aside from that, it also showed that the Colorado platform could hold a V8, even if the truck looked like it had been spray painted around the engine. And just last year another Colorado V8 went to SEMA. The Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab Z71 Plus Concept was a heavily disguised look at the powertrain together with the expected production Colorados to receive next year, though the Plus Concept had a more powerfully tuned version of the 5.3 liter V8 capable of 320 hp and paired with a heavy duty 4L65 four-speed automatic.