First Sketch: 2012 Chevrolet Colorado

Last month, we learned that General Motors was planning a successor to the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks. Now, GM has teased us with a sketch of the truck and set a date for a concept version’s unveiling.

While the teaser sketch doesn’t reveal much of the new truck, and even though it is a concept, we can see that the production version will bring the Colorado into line with the rest of the Chevrolet family. The front fascia matches the patent rendering we’ve already seen and wears a smiling, split grille with the bowtie logo in the middle of the center bar similar to the one on the Cruze and Malibu sedans, Volt hatchback, and Traverse crossover. Its broad, upright shoulders and plateau-like hood look to be taken almost directly from the Colorado’s Silverado big brother. Chrome wheels and accents on the fog light surrounds, headlight bezels, and mirror caps finish off a clean and tidy exterior package.

The 2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon start at $17,855, before any incentives. Currently the duo is offered with a 185-horsepower 2.9-liter four-cylinder engine, mated to either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. There are two optional engines: a 242-horsepower 3.7-liter five-cylinder for those who want a little more punch, and a 5.3-liter V-8 making 300 horsepower for those who want a lot more punch.

The next Colorado will face some stiff competition, however. Ford has just released its new Ranger for consumption in all global markets except the U.S. Engine selections are between two diesels and a single gasoline option. The gas engine is a 164-horsepower Duratec 2.5-liter inline-four. The smaller oil-burner is a 2.2-liter straight-four with 148 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, while the larger 3.2-liter inline-five puts out 197 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque. Transmissions include a five- and six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic.

GM will show the Colorado show truck at the 32^nd Bangkok International Motor Show in Thailand – a country where pickup trucks make up 43 percent of the market; it also has plans to show the truck here in the states later this year. According to a GM official we spoke with, the automaker has no plans to abandon the mid-size truck market and a new version of the Colorado is coming. Although the next-gen truck for Thailand will differ from what we will eventually get here in the U.S. (and be sold minus the diesel engine option), the new truck will be similar in scope to the Thai production model.

Thanks to: Motor Trend