New Colorado top of towing class

Australia will have a new king of the tow vehicles -- at least in the dual-cab ute segment -- with the arrival of the all-new Holden Colorado workhorse in June.

Fitted with a new 132kW/470Nm four-cylinder, turbodiesel 2.8-litre engine mated to the optional six-speed auto transmission, the new Colorado ute will boast a class-leading 3.5-tonne towing capacity, better than next-best rivals Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 (3350kg) and Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton (3000kg )

Even when powered by the 110kW/350Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine (only available on the entry-level, single cab 4x2 variant) with the five-speed manual transmission, the Colorado still boasts impressive 3000kg towing.

The new Colorado will not just offer a monster towing capacity however. In dual-cab form it has a more spacious, comfy five-seat cabin than before, and a range of equipment unheard of on a workhorse ute until a few years ago, including air-conditioning, power windows, Bluetooth phone connectivity, iPod-compatible audio system, and two 12V power outlets.

Standard safety features including electronic stability control, ABS, and four airbags should also ensure it’s among the safest utes on the market.

The new Thai-built Colorado ute, will be available in single cab, space cab and crew cab variants across four equipment grades in either 4x2 or 4x4 guise. Pricing will start from $26,990 for the DX 4x2 single cab variant, rising to $51,990 for the range-topping 2.8-litre diesel LTZ crew cab with automatic transmission.

While not yet a match in refinement and comfort for the more traditional heavy-duty tow vehicle options including Toyota LandCruiser and Range Rover Sport, the Colorado promises a similar 3500kg towing ability at around half the price (on top-spec variants) of some of the premium off-road wagons.

Thanks to improved safety and car-like performance and comforts, dual cab utes are increasingly being chosen by recreational and family buyers as more affordable and in some cases, more practical alternatives to SUV wagons. They’re now the third most popular vehicle type in Australia behind small cars and small soft-roaders.