Chevrolet Axes Colorado’s Base Model

Chevrolet is cutting down its lineup by discontinuing the cheapest variant of the Colorado.

The decision came a month after Nissan announced it is stopping the production of the four-cylinder Frontier, making the base model of the Chevy Colorado the cheapest among all the new pickup trucks at $24,000.

While Ford’s Ranger may carry a price tag of $24,410, the delivery fees push its starting price to more than $25,000.

The Colorado lineup’s base price, meanwhile, goes higher at $26,395 (inclusive of delivery charge) for the 2021 model year. However, both the Ranger and Colorado are still cheaper than the Toyota Tacoma at $27,145.

Aside from the removal of the entry-level variant, Chevrolet is also introducing a few more changes in the Colorado. These include a redesigned grille and a new tailgate design for the coming model year. The automaker is banking on these styling updates to keep its hold of the #2 spot in the midsize truck segment, just slightly ahead of the Ford Ranger.

The automaker is set to begin production for the 2021 Colorado at General Motors’ plant in Wentzville, Missouri, where it is also expected to assemble new features such as a black bow tie logo on the Z71’s grille.

The midsize pickup segment is one of the few segments that didn’t suffer significant economic damage due to the global health crisis, thanks to huge incentives offered by manufacturers to customers. It’s unclear whether the trend in sales will continue for the rest of the year, but experts are optimistic that upcoming models can continue to attract buyers.