Following a reasonably comprehensive face-lift in 2016, Holden has announced what's in store for their most popular model — the Colorado ute — for 2020.
Although, there is a caveat; only the Australian market's line-up has been confirmed. We've contacted Holden New Zealand to check whether Australia's changes will be echoed on this side on the ditch, and we await their reply.
The biggest news in the announcement is that Australia's Colorado will get a new sub-model; the pictured LSX. It had been recent limited-edition add-on to the range, but now it's graduated to being a permanent fixture — slotting beneath the top-spec Z71.
Only available as a 4x4 double-cab, the LSX adds in a 'black pack' treatment from end to end. From the 18in wheels, fenders, side-steps, and grille, to a chunky sports bar and black tailgate with 'Colorado' white lettering. It also gets a soft tonneau cover and plenty of badging, among other minor changes.
In short, this is the ute for those wanting something with road presence, but minus some of the bells and whistles (and price).
Given that the LSX isn't currently offered in New Zealand, it's unlikely that we'll see it joining the line-up (although, we can certainly see it going well here if it did pop up). Instead, it's the balance of the announcement that will be potentially relevant to a Kiwi audience.
The Colorado LTZ is set to gain a handful of new features. These include heated leather seats up front, a spray-in 'DuraGuard' tub liner, and a 'soft-drop' assisted tailgate as standard. There's also an LTZ+ model, which adds a tow-bar as standard.
Sadly, the Colorado looks set to miss out on safety features like Autonomous Emergency Braking. It's still a relatively rare feature in the ute space, but one might've expected to see it on the Colorado for 2020 given that it makes an appearance on key rivals like the Mitsubishi Triton and Ford Ranger (the latter having just made it standard across the range).
There haven't been any mechanical changes, either. The Colorado's current 2.8-litre turbo-diesel Duramax engine remains, with its 147kW of power and strong 500Nm of torque. This is good for 3.5-tonne of towing capacity across the range.
Over the ditch, pricing starts at AU$31,690 for the single-cab LS. The new LSX is priced from AU$49,190, with the range-topping Z71 priced at AU$57,190.
With Australia's line-up now announced, we hope to hear from Holden New Zealand in the coming weeks for details on our local line-up. However, for now, Kiwis will have to hold on (pardon the pun) for local confirmation.