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Chevy Colorado crowned Motor Trend Truck of the Year, beats Ford F-150


Zane
  • By Zane Merva

    Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com

    12/3/2014

     

    Grabbing the title away from the all new Ford F-150, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado has won the coveted title of Motor Trend's "2015 Truck of the Year".

     

    After the magazine's "most comprehensive truck evaluation in history", Motor Trend editors were impressed. The new Chevy Colorado gained universal praise while beating out seven other models among ten total vehicles tested.

 

 

The vehicles tested for the title were:

  • Chevrolet Colorado WT and Colorado Z71

  • Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD

  • Ford F150 2.7L EcoBoost and 3.5L EcoBoost

  • Ford F-450

  • Ford Transit 350 HR and Transit 150 MR

  • GMC Canyon SLT

  • GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD

 

 

Also read: Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 concept marks return of legendary moniker

 

 

 

Beating out the Ford's all new F-150 is a huge win for Chevrolet, as Truck of the Year winners typically use the award as leverage for marketing to consumers. Plan on seeing the Motor Trend Golden Calipers alongside the Colorado alot this year.

 

How did the Editors of MT make their decision? Chevrolet says testing regimen went down like this:

 

 

 

To determine which truck deserved top honors, the MOTOR TREND test team subjected all of the contenders to numerous instrumented and real-world road tests. First up was standard MOTOR TREND testing, which included: 0-60 mph and 1/4-mile acceleration, 60-0 mph braking, and maximum lateral grip - all without payload or trailered loads.

 

A specific payload was then added to each truck and van, and the vehicles were then driven more than 250 miles to the Arizona/Nevada border to evaluate ride quality and loaded fuel economy. The vehicles were driven up and down the famed Davis Dam in Bullhead City, Ariz., for further assessment, including an instrumented test designed to simulate a passing situation while carrying a load.

 

The team then moved to a world-class automotive proving grounds for instrumented acceleration tests with nominal weight trailers. Truck and trailer were also driven through a short handling course to evaluate acceleration, braking, maneuverability and outward visibility. The final phase of evaluation involved a 21-mile road loop through hills of Arizona's Hualapai Mountains.

 

Following the team's intensive evaluation, the trucks were shipped to MOTOR TREND headquarters in El Segundo to undergo proprietary "Real MPG" fuel-economy testing. Using advanced exhaust gas and flow-rate analyzers, Real MPG measures tailpipe emissions every second during a three-hour, 88-mile drive around the Los Angeles area to record accurate real-world fuel economy.

 

Once testing was completed, select MOTOR TREND editors convened to determine which truck would be crowed Truck of the Year.

 

 

 

"When it came down to it, after over a week's worth of testing, we sat down, we hashed it all out. All the judges are asked to write down their top 3 picks - and third place was the Ford F-150; second place was Ford Transit, and by unanimous vote was the Chevrolet Colorado"

Edward Loh, Editor-In-Chief of Motor Trend

 

Read Motor Trend's Article on the 2015 Colorado here

 

View attachment: ChevyColoradoMTTOY08.jpg

Motor Trend Editor-In-Chief Edward Loh (left) presents General Motors CEO Mary Barra with the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award for the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. Motor Trend makes the announcement Wednesday, December 3, 2014, noting the 2015 Colorado emerged as Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year by a rare unanimous vote. The editors were impressed with Colorado’s clean-sheet design, “right-sized” package, excellent handling, and overall capability. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet)

 

View attachment: ChevyColoradoMTTOYTeam04.jpg

Motor Trend Detroit Editor Scott Burgess (l to r) presents the Motor Trend 2015 Truck of the Year award to General Motors Vice President Global Product Programs Doug Parks, Executive Chief Engineer Full and Midsize Truck Jeff Luke, Vehicle Chief Engineer Anita Burke, and Executive Vice President Global Product Development Purchasing and Supply Chain Mark Reuss at a special event Wednesday, December 3, 2014 in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet)

 


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