Posted by Mark Williams | September 4, 2014

Available this fall, the new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon will offer the best fuel economy of any gas V-6 pickup truck sold in the U.S. Initial EPA fuel economy estimates have the new midsize achieving 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway in the 4x2 extended-cab configuration, while the 4x4 models will offer a best mpg of 17 city and 24 highway. Combined EPA ratings for both the Colorado and Canyon will be 21 mpg for 4x2 models and 20 mpg for 4x4 models.

These numbers may not look mind-blowing, but remember that these trucks are the first to enter this segment (after many have left) in decades. No V-6 engine will have more horsepower, however, several will offer more torque at a lower rpm. It's worth noting the new pair of midsize pickups will weigh more than 1,000 pounds less, be 12 inches shorter and cost about $10,000 less than their full-size pickup counterparts (depending on configuration). Naturally, we expect more good numbers when we see the four-cylinder power ratings and fuel economy ratings (not to mention the coming baby Duramax in 2016).

According to Automotive News, early ordering for the Chevrolet Colorado is said to be much greater than originally anticipated, with close to 30,000 units ordered by dealerships for the fall debut. GMC Canyon ordering is also ahead of expectations, with more than 10,000 midsize trucks pre-orders to date. Of course, these pre-orders are no guarantee that the small pickups will be a popular seller but, then again, Ram found its dealerships made a strong push to pre-order the new EcoDiesel Ram 1500, which is still one of Ram's best sales success stories, with an average number of days sitting on the lot between 10 and 15.

We'll know more after we drive the Colorado and Canyon later this month. To read the press release, click here.

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