General Motors redesigned its mid-size pickups for the 2023 model year. Still based on the 31XX platform of their predecessors, albeit modified here and there, both the Colorado and Canyon feature four-cylinder turbo powerplants only.
Two engines, to be more precise, with the entry-level L2R being mechanically different from the more potent L3B. The L3B comes in two states of tune, the only difference between the standard and high-output versions being the software.
Pictured with Nitro Yellow paintwork and off-roady tires from Goodyear, the Colorado Trail Boss in the featured clip is rocking the standard L3B. In other words, the official ratings are 310 ponies and 391 pound-feet (351 Nm) on full song.
15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) lighter than the red-painted Canyon AT4, as well as roughly 8,000 dollars cheaper, the Colorado is much obliged to race a four-cylinder turbo Camaro Convertible at a mile above sea level. Andre Smirnov of The Fast Lane used rear-wheel drive for the first race, in which the pony car proved victorious despite a 15.9-second ET in the quarter mile.
Much lighter than the Colorado, the Camaro shamed the midsizer in the second race as well, clocking 15.52 seconds at 91.8 miles per hour (147.6 kilometers per hour) versus 16.88 seconds at 88 miles per hour (141.6 kilometers per hour).
Even with the traction control turned off and brake torquing for a better launch, that pickup simply doesn't hold a candle to the soon-to-be-discontinued Camaro. Indeed, the Mustang's direct rival is going the way of the dodo in January 2024. There are rumors according to which, an electric sedan will use its nameplate in the near future, although the Detroit-based automaker hasn't commented on this hearsay thus far.
Next up, Andre is challenged by Roman Mica in the Canyon to another set of quarter-mile showdowns. Equipped with more road-oriented tires and the high-output version of the L3B, the GMC-branded truck needs 16.22 seconds to cover the quarter mile compared to 17.06 seconds in 4WD Auto mode.
When it comes to emergency braking, the lighter Colorado is the better pickup, coming to a standstill in 110 feet versus 120 feet (make that 33.5 and 36.5 meters) for the Canyon. The GMC also makes easy work of the Chevrolet sibling from a rolling start, proving that more torque makes a world of difference in technically similar mid-size pickup trucks.
As a brief refresher, the high-output L3B offers the same 310 ponies as the standard tune. However, torque is rated at 430 pound-feet (583 Nm). This range-topping engine, known as RWQ in the order guide for the Colorado and Canyon, produces the same kind of power and torque as the 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the full-size Silverado 1500.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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