Holden Colorado 7 revealed
The Holden Colorado 7 will take on the mighty Toyota Prado with two versions of the ute-based SUV that will go on sale around Christmas.
Close to a decade since the dated Jackaroo was killed off, Holden has revealed the Colorado 7 line-up at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, announcing at the same time that the bush-bashing people -mover has achieved a five star ANCAP crash test safety rating.
The Colorado will be available with one diesel engine, but two specification levels including the relatively well equipped LT and the more upmarket LTZ.
Holden has is yet to reveal the crucial pricing points for the model, due in showrooms in late December, but has released a long list of details.
Importantly, all Holden Colorado 7 models will come standard with a rear view camera to help protect pedestrians. Also standard is electronic stability control, front driver and passenger airbags and side curtain airbags that cover all three rows.
Not surprisingly, the Colorado 7 is closely related to the recently launched Holden Colorado one-tonne workhorse ute, which shares its underpinnings with the Isuzu D-Max. Unlike some large 4WDs, it sits on a ladder frame which is favoured for toughness but can affect a vehicle’s on-road manners.
It runs the same double wishbone front suspension but does away with the leaf springs at the rear, opting for a five-link set-up connected to coil springs but it is still a live axle.
The Holden Colorado 7 has a ground clearance of between 219mm (LT) and 231mm (LTZ) and has a part-time four-wheel-drive system that can be locked in using a button on the centre console. It also has low range and rear limited slip differential to help with tough off-road work.
Like the top-spec ute, the Holden Colorado 7 runs a 2.8-litre four-cylinder common rail turbo diesel supplied by Italian outfit VM Motori. This unit manages 132kW and 470Nm and is linked to a six-speed regular torque convertor automatic (Holden doesn’t mention a manual option).
This combination results in an official fuel economy average of 9.4L/100km (252g CO2).
A number likely to be of more interest to those who want to lug caravans and boats is 3000, the number of kilograms the Colorado 7 can haul. That compares with 3500kg for the Colorado ute.
As for those who need to carry around a large family, the Colorado 7 features seven seats, five of which can be folded down to create a flat load space. In this case, the Colorado has 1830 litres of storage space.
There are three-point seatbelts for all seven seats and three rear child seat anchor points.
Standard equipment for all Colorado 7s includes cruise control, body-coloured bumpers, side steps, front fog lights, aluminium roof rails, rear parking sensors (in addition to the rear camera), Bluetooth phone connectivity, USB input, roof mounted climate control vents for second and third rows and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with multifunction controls.
The LT sits on 16-inch alloy wheels and has cloth seats.
Stepping up to the LTZ adds 18-inch wheels, projector headlights, exterior chrome highlights, leather seats, a premium sounds system, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, higher grade interior trim elements and LED tail-lights.