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The new Chevy Colorado only comes with a four-cylinder engine. Blasphemy, you say? Sacrilege? It’s the dumbing down and slowing down of Chevy’s mid-size truck?

Ahh, contraire. Instead, this little 2.7-liter four-banger makes mores more torque than last year’s 3.8-liter diesel, and more horsepower the 3.6-liter V6. For 2023, the four-cylinder is all you get. And that’s a good thing.

Does the four-cylinder Colorado have enough power?

A 2023 Chevy Colorado shows off its aggressive styling as a mid-size truck.
2023 Chevy Colorado | Chevy

Yes, the new four-cylinder Chevy Colorado makes enough power. The new 2.7-liter four-cylinder makes more horsepower and more torque than last year’s engines. The 2.7-liter Turbo High-Output and Turbo Plus versions make 310 horsepower. Last year’s big V6 made 308. The base version of the 2.7 makes 237 horsepower. And, don’t forget, the new 2.7-liter is lifted from the much larger Silverado, where it’s acquitted itself well, even earning a sub 7.0-second 0-60 time from TFL Truck.

All versions of the 2.7-liter are turbocharged. That means there’s no power loss when you’re at altitude in higher cities like Denver, Colo., or Big Bear, Ca. In any version of the new Colorado, the 2.7 is mated to a new 8-speed automatic that can keep the engine on boil better than the older versions, per Chevy. Unfortunately, the old 2.5-liter four could get a manual, and the new version is auto-only.

What engine is best on the Chevy Colorado?

The 2023 Colorado comes with three versions of the 2.7-liter. Undoubtedly, the Turbo High Output with 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque is the big dog, here. It’s standard on the ZR2 and optional on other trims.

The Turbo Plus isn’t far behind, and it’s standard on the Z71 an Trail Boss trims, and optional on others. Only the WT, or Work Truck, and the LT trims get the regular 237-horsepower version.

Can a 4-cylinder Colorado pull a trailer?

The new four-cylinder Colorado can tow up to 7,700 pounds. That’s exactly the same as last year’s diesel-engine version. And, you don’t need the high-output version to tow that much weight. The Turbo Plus with 270-horsepower, and 390 lb-ft of torque, on the Chevy Colorado can both be outfitted to tow 7,700 pounds. The base version, however, with 237 horsepower can only tow 3,500 pounds.

What else is new for the 2023 Colorado with the four-cylinder?

2023 Colorado
2023 Chevrolet Colorado | GM

The 2022 Chevy Colorado midsize truck has soldiered on for several years as a good-looking pickup with just a few changes since the 2015 model year. Chevy has decided it was time to update the truck with a total refresh for 2023 to keep pace. The midsize truck segment is one of the most dynamic, and competitive, with several trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and the Ford Ranger all aiming at the same buyer. The new 2023 Chevy Colorado will be wholly new, bigger, and more powerful.

From front to back, the truck gets a full re-do. Chevy said that the designers focused on design, performance and technology. In the preliminary information and pictures the brand has released, it looks like they have succeeded. The 2023 version isn’t just a reskin; It comes on a new chassis with a 3.1-inch-longer wheelbase that will give it better overhangs for off-road work and will likely contribute some big-truck-like stability and utility.

The only downside of the 2023 Chevy Colorado is that we’ll have to wait for it. Chevy says that production will start in Missouri in the first half of 2023.

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.