Worth the wait

The new Holden Colorado is a worthy addition to the one-tonne ute market.

Story By Matt Raudonikis

Holden's all-new 2012 Colorado couldn’t have got here soon enough. Its arrival was delayed by about six months due to flooding in Thailand where it is made and supply of the old model had all but run out, leaving dealers with no stock to sell to needy buyers. It’s here now and those who waited will be glad they did.
The 2012 Holden Colorado is a new vehicle from the ground up. It was developed in Brazil as part of a US$2 billion global program that included plenty of input from Holden, resulting in specific suspension calibration for our unique road conditions. It was developed alongside the Isuzu D-Max that was also recently launched here.
The all-encompassing Colorado range covers 26 variants including two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive lines; single-cab, space-cab and double-cab body styles; cab-chassis or ute tubs; and DX, LX, LT and LTZ specification. It’s a range designed to provide for every buyer whether they want a work ute or a getaway car for the family.
All Colorado models come well equipped with plenty of standard features and a five-star ANCAP safety rating. The equipment list includes air-conditioning, climate control on LTZ, bluetooth phone connection, USB input on the audio system and power windows on all models. The highest possible safety rating comes thanks to ABS braking, electronic stability and traction control, and dual front and side curtain airbags.
A 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel engine powers most new Colorados, however there is a 2.5L version of this engine available in the base model that is marketed at tradies and farmers. The Duramax 2.8 puts out 132kW at 3800rpm and 440Nm of torque when backed by the five-speed manual gearbox (or 470Nm at 2000rpm when mated to the optional six-speed auto). That’s 10 percent more power and 40% more torque than the bigger 3.0L engine in the previous model Colorado.
The 2.8 engine returns 7.8L/100km to 9.1L/100km depending on the model variant, making it one of the more economical diesel utes in its class. The 2WD 2.5 engine achieves 7.9L/100km. There is no petrol engine offered in the new Colorado as there was in the past.