The covers have finally been pulled off the last new member of the Chevrolet truck lineup and we couldn’t be more excited. The 2015 Chevy Colorado debuted today at the LA Auto show joining the still fresh Silverado->ke1787 and Silverado HD.

The Colorado is based on the global truck platform, but is highly ‘Americanized’ with many key components swapped out for heavier duty items based on the new Silverado. The Colorado rides on a fully-boxed, hydroformed steel frame giving it a sturdy platform for hauling and towing. Initially the Colorado will come with two gasoline engine options with a diesel debuting the following year.

The base powerplant is a 2.5-liter four cylinder with an optional 3.6-liter V-6 engine. Both feature the latest suite of GM technology like Variable Valve Timing and Direct Injection. They share similar construction materials with aluminum blocks, forged-steel crankshafts, and oil jet-spray piston coolers. A Six-speed automatic transmission is standard across the board and features tow/haul mode and auto grade braking.

Exterior features include Chevy’s clever bumper CornerStep and bed rail hand-grabs, an EZ lift tailgate, two-tier loading capabilities within the bed, and no less than 13 tie-downs for securing payload. Available projector beam headlamps light the way while front bumper tow hooks provide a means of recovery if the going ever gets too muddy. Silverado-derived inlaid doors with triple seals keeps wind noise to a minimum while active aero grille shutters open and close to maximize aerodynamics and cooling efficiency.

Interior accoutrements are similar to the Silverado with a large, pronounced center stack with similar knobs and buttons. An available eight-inch color touch screen inhabits the prime real estate up top while multiple USB ports down low live in a specially designed front compartment for charging personal electronics. A center console-mounted gear shifter splits the front bucket seats and gives plenty of storage options big enough for hiding a tablet safely out of sight. GM’s next-generation OnStar and MyLink are also present, along with a standard rear-view backup camera.

The folks at General Motors say the new Colorado is designed for customers who want the extra capabilities a truck offers like hauling and off-road->ke450 agility, but don’t need the size and expense of a full-side truck. GM is now the first manufacturer in quite a while to offer a full plethora of mid-sized, full-sized, and heavy-duty trucks. Our hats are especially off to the fact that GM revamped its entire truck lineup within a two year model cycle.

Click past the jump for photos and details of the all-new 2015 Chevy Colorado

The All-New 2015 Chevrolet Colorado

We have to admit we love the exterior styling. It looks young, eager, and much sportier than its big brother Silverado - not to mention light years ahead of its competition. Speaking of which, that is pretty much the only thing the Colorado is lacking. Ford->ke31 and Ram->ke4211 are stagnant in the mid-sized truck segment while Nissan->ke62 has let the Frontier run its course without much updating. The Toyota->ke88 Tacoma has seen a few minor updates, but rides on the same platform and powered by the same 4.0-liter V-6 engine in has for almost a decade. Sales for the Colorado should be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Exterior Features and Styling

Offered in both extended and crew cab configurations, the Colorado is case study material in a Goldilocks situation - its just big enough and just small enough. The extended cab comes only with a six-foot bed while the larger crew cab comes with a five-foot bed. The six-foot bed is an option on crew cab models.

The extended cab still features rear suicide doors that require opening the front doors for access. The design might be old, but with a smaller cab, structural rigidity is less of an issue than in the larger Silverado. Both cabs have inlaid doors set within the roof structure for greater NHV control.

The two-tier loading system greatly increases the amount of gear the Colorado can carry. The optional rack system fits snugly into the standard pre-formed bed pockets to hold anything from bicycles and kayaks to ladders and construction equipment. Extended cab WT models also offer a rear seat delete option for extra storage of bulky items; perfect for tradesmen and service professionals.

The bed is the business end of a truck and Chevrolet spend a lot of time making sure the Colorado worked for its customers. The CornerStep and bed-rail hand-grab system is borrowed from the Silverado and comes standard on both bed sizes. Chevy's EZ-lift and lower tailgate is available as is an optional factory spray-in bed liner.

Interior Features and Styling

The dashboard features many appearance cues from the Silverado like the large center stack and controls. An optional eight-inch touch screen is home to the latest MyLink software. A 3.4-inch display resides in the instrument cluster for viewing all the important vehicle information like fuel consumption. Six airbags come standard, including a head side curtain airbag designed to keep occupants from being ejected in a roll over crash.

"Good enough" is the term that comes to mind when looking at the dash board's styling. Yes, it carries the same design language from the Silverado, but it just seems to lack soul. We're not saying it's bad, but its just on the boring side. But with it being a truck and sold to customers who do work or dirty outdoor activities, the choice of a no-frills dash is probably the right one.

A center console gear shifter brings a little class to the mid-size truck and frees up valuable dashboard real estate. Directly forward of the gear shifter is a compartment with the multimedia connections and USB ports for charging phones and other devises. As of yet, the Colorado does not offer push-button starting, but rather uses GM's new flip-open style conventional key.

Crew cab models offer back seat occupants enough room to stretch out for decently long trips. It's no Ford F-150 in terms of rear leg room, but it's enough to be comfortable. An under seat storage compartment helps keep gear organized as well.

Powertrain

Here's where the good news lives. For the Colorado's first year of life, it will offer two engine choices: a 2.5-liter inline four and a 3.6-liter V-6. However, come the 2016 model year, the 2.8-liter Duramax I-4, Turbo Diesel will be offered. There's no word yet on the diesel's U.S.-spec output, but the European-spec 2.8-liter makes 200 horsepower and an impressive 368 pound-feet of torque. Besides the obvious power advantage, the diesel should also offer great fuel economy as well. Ram's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 is said to get roughly 30 mpg highway - and that a V-6 in a full-sized pick-up!

The 2.5L inline four is estimated at 193 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque with approximately 90 percent of the peak torque available from 2,000 rpm to 6,200 rpm. This engine should be completely adequate on two-wheel-drive models and will likely return good EPA numbers.

The 3.6L V-6 engine is estimated at 302 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are backed by a six-speed automatic transmission that features tow/haul mode and auto grade braking for down hill descents with a heavy trailer. The Colorado can tow a respectable 6,700 pounds with the 3.6-liter; 800 pounds more than the 5,900-pound base tow rating of the 4.3-liter V-6 Silverado.

Other handy features include trailer sway control, downhill decent (on Z71 models), Stabilitrak, electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, hill start assist, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, and GM's tried-and-true G80 mechanically-locking rear differential.

Pricing And Availability

Official pricing for the Colorado has not been released yet, but we figure it will start under the 2014 SIlverado's base price of $25,575. Also considering the competition's pricing begins around $18,000, we'd estimate the new Colorado to start somewhere around $20,000.

No set date has been set for availability either, but we do know it will be Fall 2014 when the trucks start rolling.

The Competition

Toyota Tacoma

The Tacoma is not a bad truck, it's just the better part of a decade old. The venerable 4.0-liter V-6 makes a reasonable 236 horsepower and gets 16/21 city/highway.

The Tacoma's size is perhaps its biggest advantage. Much smaller than its big brother Tundra, the Tacoma fits the needs of buyers looking for the handiness of a truck, the reliability a Toyota, and the extra room of a large crew cab. The Tacoma is also the only mid-size truck to still offer a single cab. Base asking price starts at $17,875. If we were in the market for a mid-size truck (until today), our money goes to Toyota.

Nissan Frontier

The Frontier->ke547 is in a similar situation as the Tacoma. Brand new in 2005, the Frontier also has a 4.0-liter V-6 making 261 horsepower and gets roughly 15/21mpg city/highway. Offered in extended and crew cab configurations, the Frontier is a flexible truck that - like an eager puppy - will do whatever you need it to. Styling on the Frontier is classic Nisan and pays homage to the larger Titan pick-ups. Starting price lands at $17,990 for the base four-cylinder model.