Away from the bright lights of the Geneva Motor Show comes the introduction of the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado->ke1193 at the Bangkok International Auto Show. Bet you didn't know that, did you?

Weird as it looks to have an American mid-size pick-up have its debut at an unheralded Asian auto show, it's worth noting that Thailand just happens to be the world's largest market for mid-size pick-up trucks. Bet you didn't know that either.

Featuring Chevrolet->ke199's new design language, the new Colorado certainly looks the part of a heavy-hitter in a mid-size pick-up's body. But the bigger question surrounding this pick-up doesn't have anything to do with its aesthetic or performance specs, but rather on the possibility of the Colorado being sold in the US. Chevrolet has given no indication on that matter yet, but since the Silverado->ke1787 is the only pick-up on Chevrolet's roster, it might make sense for the US market to be given a choice on which Chevy pick-up they might prefer.

Details on the Chevrolet Colorado after the jump.

2012 Chevrolet Colorado

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 Chevrolet Colorado
  • Engine/Motor: diesel engine
  • Horsepower: 180 @ 3800
  • Torque: 350 @ 1800
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The Chevrolet Colorado has been given a Pepperdust Metallic exterior paint finish that has been accented with polished aluminum details on the fascia. There are also integrated side steps and black-masked projector-style headlamps that have LED lighting elements. At the back of the truck, there’s a full-width LED-lit tailamp that strikes an imposing presence in and around the tail of the car when it’s illuminated. Other items worth noting include a streamlined “cab collar” design with a body-color hard tonneau cover on the bed, gray accents on the front, side, and rear lower moldings, side mirrors with LED turn-signal indicators, and a set of 20” aluminum wheels with a liquid metal finish and Stone Gray color wheel ports shod on a set of Cooper 285/50R20 ZEON LTZ tires.

Interior

The interior of the Colorado also comes with an unmistakable Chevrolet design language. There’s a dual-cockpit instrument panel whose continuous lines create a wrap-around effect, giving the entire cabin a spacious feel. The overall space is accented by an ice-blue lighting and double-faced leather trimmed seats. The aforementioned instrument panel comes with motorcycle-inspired, three-dimensional gauges, providing the look of sportiness and rugged aggression.

The light-colored seats make a nice contrast to the dark wood trim and accented with chrome and low-gloss and soft-touch materials, giving the Colorado’s cabin a luxurious environment mixed with all-around utility in the form of storage compartments found throughout the interior, including a large, dual glovebox and a covered center bin that can be used for whatever knick-knacks the owner might have. Other features include a digital climate control system that comes with a state-of-the-art infotainment system, highlighted by a 7” LCD display in the center stack.

Performance

Chevrolet has not yet revealed the performance details on the new Colorado. It's worth pointing out though that Chevrolet did say what kind of powertrain the pick-up is going to have - a 2.8-liter turbo diesel engine - except that the output numbers have been left in the dark. So to provide a little perspective on what we could be in store for, the current generation Colorado has a few engine options, including a 2.8-liter I-4 producing 185 horsepower and 190 lb/ft of torque, a 3.7-liter I-5 that produces 242 horsepower and 242 lb/ft of torque, and a range-topping 5.3-liter V8 that produces 300 horsepower and 320 lb/ft of torque. Maximum towing capacity of the Colorado reaches all the way up to 6,000 lbs.

Pricing

Like the performance specs, prices for the Colorado were not announced. Needless to say, the 2011 Colorado - the current-generation model - comes with a base price of $17,045 and going all the way up to around $29,000 for the top-of-the-line version. Just to be clear, though: these prices are not the prices for the 2012 Colorado, but of the current generation version that's out on the market today.

Competition

Given that Chevrolet decided to keep mum on the performance details, it's hard to measure just how the new Colorado stacks up against the competition. Having said that, there are a number of other mid-size pick-ups in the market that can be considered as worthy rivals, including the Dodge Dakota and the Ford Ranger.

The Dodge Dakota->ke1788 comes standard with a 3.7-liter Magnum V-6 engine producing 210 horsepower and 235 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine also comes with Electronic Throttle Control for positive throttle response, and exhaust gas recirculation to help lower emissions. Meanwhile, the new Ford Ranger->ke1060 is powered by a new 3.2-liter, Ford Duratorq TDCi I5 diesel engine that produces 198 horsepower and 346 lb/ft of torque.

Keep this figures in mind when the performance details of the new Colorado are released. Something tells us that the folks over at Chevrolet are working hard to ensure that their new mid-size pick-up has superior numbers than its competitors.