WORKHORSE. The new Colorado shows its pulling power at the Danasan Eco Adventure Park (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Chevrolet launches 2017 Colorado, Trailblazer
With the competition going full blast, Chevrolet Philippines unveiled the facelifted versions of the Colorado pickup truck and Trailblazer midsize SUV in a Media Ride and Drive event in Cebu last Sept. 13 to 15.
The trailblazer gets a new face.
The two vehicles were officially introduced at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa together with officials of The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), exclusive distributors of Chevrolet vehicles in the country.
The Colorado will compete in the pickup truck segment and among its rivals will be the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Strada, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50.
The seven-seater Trailblazer, meanwhile, faces stiff competition in the midsize SUV segment such as the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, Isuzu mu-X and Ford Everest.
The Colorado (left) and Trailblazer at the Danao City port.
Members of the media were allowed to take both vehicles through the challenging countryside of Cebu, with a number of off-roading activities scheduled to demonstrate why Chevrolet is confident these vehicles will set a benchmark for their segments.
Aside from the cosmetic upgrades made, such as the new-look front ends, both vehicles are also equipped with upgraded 2.8L Duramax four-cylinder variable geometry turbo-diesel engines that have been tuned to offer better performance, improved fuel economy and lower emissions. It produces a whopping 200 PS (197.26 HP) of power and 500 newton meter of torque. There is also a variant that uses an upgraded 2.5L Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger producing 180 PS (177.5 HP) of power and 440 Nm of torque. The high value 2.5L Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (FGT) is still available on lower specification models matched with a manual transmission.
The Colorado boasts of a 800mm wading depth, so this wasn’t a problem (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON).
The interior of both vehicles have also been upgraded to keep in step with the tough competition. Both also come with a host of active and passive safety features, depending on the variants. Among them are the Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Panic Brake Assist (PBA), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Anti-Rolling Protection and Trailer Sway Control.
Outreach program
During the event, Chevrolet and One World Play Project also made a special delivery of 500 ultra-durable One World Futbols to six disadvantaged schools in isolated parts of Cebu.
In addition to delivering footballs, media and Chevrolet dealers from the Philippines and across Southeast Asia lent their time to a special program in Danasan. They helped refurbish the roofs and repair the waterworks at Nicolas Tiongko High School and Lawaan High School and Elementary School. The schools were severely damaged by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.
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