Overview of the Holden Colorado
When Holden lost the naming rights to the Rodeo nameplate in 2008, its ute adopted Colorado. An all-new Colorado launched in 2012 as the first mid-size ute to be built from the ground up in General Motors' century-long history. Despite resulting from a US$2 billion investment, some aspects of the Colorado disappointed before being mostly rectified by a key update in September 2016. In 2018, a flagship version called SportCat was created by Holden Special Vehicles.
HOLDEN COLORADO GENERATIONS (SINCE 2008)
2008-2012
2012 onwards (2016 update)
RUNNING COSTS
Fuel Consumption
2.8L 4-cylinder turbo diesel: 7.5 to 9.0 litres per 100km
= Highly economical.
= Good economy.
= Average fuel use.
= Heavy consumption.
Servicing
Every 15,000km or nine months, whichever is sooner. Each service currently costs between $299 and $599. Holden Colorado parts and accessoriescan be found on Gumtree.
SIMILAR MODELS TO HOLDEN COLORADO
Ford Ranger
Isuzu D-Max
Nissan Navara
Toyota HiLux
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: HOLDEN COLORADO (2012 ON)
Like any modern, common-rail turbo diesel engine, the one in the Colorado requires the correct maintenance and servicing if it's to remain reliable.
Failed fuel injectors can be a big expense, so if the vehicle is approaching the 100,000km mark or so, these need to be checked out carefully.
If the vehicle has a big tow-bar fitted and a manual transmission, try to find out what it has towed and by whom. If possible, talk to the previous owner and ask if they've ever towed a really heavy load and whether or not they towed using fifth gear. This gearbox doesn't like being loaded up in the overdriven fifth gear, which can fail - taking the rest of the gearbox with it.
Squeaks from under the Colorado are likely to be dry bushes that can be lubricated simply and cheaply, and check for signs of water entry around the high-mounted brake light. The seals of these can fail and allow rainwater into the cabin. Water stains on the headlining are a sure sign this is happening.
