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Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com November, 2015 The Chevy Colorado Diesel is just starting to arrive at dealerships. I recently had a chance to take a fully loaded Colorado Z71 Trail Boss with the all new 2.8L Duramax Diesel off-roading in the dusty Nevada desert. How does the special edition Colorado perform off-road? Does the Duramax help or hurt the midsizer? Should you upgrade your Colorado with GM's available performance parts? Let’s go and find out! Thankfully, being the first few days of November, I didn’t have to worry about the scorching heat of the Nevada desert. I was, however, warned not to wander off the road too far off the road and be on the lookout for rattlesnake. While I never did see any menacing wildlife, the prospect we might made our time with the Trail Boss all the more exciting. I’ve long been a fan of diesel engines for small pickups and SUVs. The low end torque focused nature of the diesel matches nicely with the low-speed driving most owners of these types of vehicles do most. Or at least, at least the type of driving they want to do most. So, to see the Colorado’s off-road model paired with the brand’s new small Duramax Diesel engine is satisfying. When we gave you our first on-road impressions of the 2.8L Duramax Diesel for the mid-size trucks it was on paved roads and smoother all-season tires. The Trail Boss takes the Colorado to an off-road slant, with large knobby tires, slick LED lights, a blacked out bowtie, and a tubular steel sail at the front of the bed. That’s just naming a few of the features. Traveling down what some might call a "road" in the middle of the Nevada desert, the Trail Boss Diesel I’m piloting reminds me a whole lot of the S-10 ZR2 I used to own nearly a decade ago. A fat low end torque curve and capable off-road parts leave me feeling confident as we traversed through narrow canyons and washed out dry river beds. Without a doubt, the 2.8L Duramax shines in this type of work. The key to off-road driving is slow deliberate movements. With 369 lb-ft of torque on tap at low RPM, piloting off-road at a measured crawl is a pleasure. The Trail Boss’s Wrangler Duratrac tires grip loose dirt and rock substantially better than the standard all-season radial tires that come on a Z71 model. The tubular side steps provide substantial rocker panel protection. Better yet, even if you already own a Colorado, you don’t have to buy a brand new Trail Boss to experience these upgrades. Just pick up a 2016 GM Performance Parts Catalog and turn to page 66. With a little time and money, you can turn your own truck into a Trail Boss, right in your own garage. The company offers off-road Wrangler Duratrac tires, black aluminum wheels, floor liners, color matched grilles, and even a transfer case shield. For performance oriented owners, a performance exhaust and air intake are also available. Best of all, every single one of these parts is covered within your vehicle's factory warranty. To add some depth and compare, I also drove a Performance Parts loaded Silverado High Country. While the Silverado exhibited a more plush ride, it’s wider girth made it substantially more difficult to maneuver on the tighter sections of the trail. Capable in its own right, the Silverado didn’t give me the same confidence that the narrower Colorado did. This is one circumstance where the just-a-little-bit-smaller outside proportions of the mid-size make all the difference. If you're looking for a utilitarian vehicle that can take you far off the beaten path, the Colorado Trail Boss should be right up your alley. Chevrolet has a unique offering with it's 2.8L Duramax that you can't find anywhere else. That sets the Colorado to become a popular off-road platform, ripe for modification. You can head down to your Chevrolet dealer and purchase your own Trail Boss straight from the factory, or if you already own a Colorado outfit it with the same parts from GM’s Performance Catalog. You can read the all new edition right here.
