The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado has just been crowned the MotorTrend Truck of the Year for 2015. Though the Colorado->ke1193 was up against a tough field of competitors, the MotorTrend editors judged the contenders against the magazine’s six key criteria with Chevy’s truck pulling out the victory.

The vehicle lineup included the Chevrolet Colorado WT and Colorado Z71; the Silverado 3500 HD; the Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost and 3.5-liter EcoBoost; the Ford F-450;->ke1827 the Ford Transit 350 HR and Transit 150 MR; the GMC Canyon SLT; and the GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD.

Each contender was invited to the test because they are either all new or significantly updated. The field includes seven truck->ke1311 and van competitors, three of which brought secondary trim levels. That meant 10 trucks were competing for victory.

The six criteria include design advancement, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value, and performance of intended function. Each truck was judged over a weeklong process and hundreds of miles that included normal driving, hauling, towing, and performance handling. After the evaluations, MotorTrend conducted its proprietary “Real MPG” evaluation on each truck, accurately measuring each competitors’ fuel consumption.

At the end of the process, the judges unanimously named the Colorado the winner, with the Ford Transit and Ford F-150 falling in second and third place respectively.

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Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. has been conducting its “of the year” awards for more than 65 years, so it’s a big deal for a vehicle to win the golden calipers. It also speaks volumes about the truck to not only win, but prove itself against the tough criteria the contenders are judged by.

Why it matters

The Chevrolet Colorado is GM’s latest truck and the first refreshed competitor in the mid-size market in nearly a decade. The truck comes in two cab configurations, two bed configurations, two engine options (three for 2016), two transmission options, and two- and four-wheel drive. The Colorado shares segment space with the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier – both of which are well past their prime.

The base engine in the Colorado is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder while a 3.6-liter V-6 is optional. Making 200 and 306 horsepower respectively, the pair are able to motivate the truck at a decent clip. The V-6 is even rated to tow 7,000 pounds.

Pricing for the truck starts at $20,995 and rises past the $35,000 for the top-trim Z71 package.