2026 Chevy Colorado Redesign, Release Date, Diesel, LT, ZR2. Compact pickups may not be as popular as full-size counterparts but it’s easy to notice that the competition is getting tougher every year. Not so long ago, the Colorado and Toyota Tacoma were the only contestants in the segment. These days, we also have the Ranger, Gladiator, while the Frontier is coming completely redesigned after 15 years. So, it’s no wonder that Chevy did a bit of an update as well for the 2025 model years. After the last year’s update, we expect that the 2026 Chevy Colorado will continue in the same way for a few more years before we see a complete overhaul.
This means you may count on familiar design characteristics. This isn’t the most refined pickup truck on the market but it has a lot of great things to offer. You may count on class-leading towing capacity, solid off-road performances and a choice of three engine options. Since there are no bigger changes to come for the next year, we presume that the 2026 Chevy Colorado will arrive sometime late in the year.
2026 Chevy Colorado Engines
Under the hood, the 2026 Chevy Colorado will continue with three familiar engine options in the offer. That means that base versions will continue to use a 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit, which puts out around 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. It’s not a particularly powerful engine but gets the job done, especially for fleet vehicles and similar purposes. On the other side, the 3.6-liter V6 is obviously a much better choice, with a max output of 308 horsepower. There is the 2.8-liter turbodiesel, which is good for about 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.
The V6 comes with 8-speed automatic transmission, while the other two use a 6-speed unit. Obviously, diesel is the best choice for towing and also offers the best fuel economy. On the other side, the V6 is notably faster and provides the best overall experience. So, our recommendation is to skip the base engine and make a decision between the other two.
2026 Chevy Colorado Redesign
In terms of base design characteristics, this model hasn’t changed for nearly a decade. The initial launch for in Australia in 2011 but soon after, we saw it in North America. Meanwhile, the company finally did a facelift last year. For that occasion, we saw some styling changes, particularly at the front end. Still, the overall layout remained the same.
The 2026 Chevy Colorado will continue in the same way, which means you may count on solid mechanics that, in some cases, come with pretty serious upgrades. This particularly refers to the ZR2 model, which comes with a lot of additional off-road hardware, such as a two-speed transfer case, a transfer case shield, driver-selectable full-locking front and rear differentials, and off-road rocker protection.
Interior
Interior changes definitely won’t happen. The 2026 Chevy Colorado will continue in three familiar configurations in the offer. Base models come with an Extended Cab layout and accommodate up to four passengers. This version is available with a long bed only. On the other side, the Double Cab model accommodates five passengers and it is available with either a 5-foot-2-inch short bed or a 6-foot-2-inch long bed.
When it comes to the overall interior quality, this is rather a working machine, that puts focus on functionality. You won’t find too many fancy details and materials but durable and mostly hard plastics. Still, you can get things like leather upholstery in higher trim levels but even then, Colorado lags behind the competition in terms of refinement. On the other side, the seating position and overall ergonomics are okay, while the visibility is good in all directions.
Features
We don’t expect to see any particular change in terms of optional and standard equipment. The current model comes standard with goodies like a 7-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and a six-speaker audio system and we expect things to remain the same. This means you may count on options like automatic climate control, remote start, wireless device charging, an 8-inch touch screen, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, HD Radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, additional USB ports, and navigation.
A rearview camera is practically the only standard safety feature in the current model when it comes to safety features. The next year probably won’t bring improvements in this aspect. Fortunately, the list of options includes goodies like cruise control, rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning.
2026 Chevy Colorado Release Date and Price
Since there are no significant changes to come for the next year, we presume that the 2026 Chevy Colorado will hit the market sometime in the last quarter of the year. The price shouldn’t change too much either. So, base models should cost around 25.500 dollars.
