2026 Chevrolet Colorado: What's New

I always liked the third-generation Colorado that landed for 2023, but it had one nagging flaw I couldn't talk my way around: you had to pay extra on the base truck just to get the safety gear Toyota was handing out for free. For 2026 Chevy fixed exactly that, and threw in a smarter off-road trim while they were at it. It's a quiet carry-over year on paper, but the two changes that matter are the two I'd been griping about.

What changed for 2026

• Chevy Safety Assist standard on all trims, including WT — adds AEB, Lane Keep Assist, Following Distance Indicator, and Forward Collision Alert
• Trail Boss becomes a standalone trim (previously a package on LT), priced at approximately $43,200; includes 2-inch suspension lift, 17-inch black wheels, skid plates, and Multimatic shocks
• Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto now standard from LT upward (previously required physical cable on some configurations)
• New colors: Radiant Red Tintcoat returns; Nitro Yellow discontinued after low take-rate
• ZR2 Bison unchanged — AEV rock rails, ARB front bumper, and Dana 30/44 axles carry over
• Engine lineup unchanged: 2.7L Turbo (237 hp) base; 2.7L Turbo+ (310 hp) from Z71/Trail Boss upward

2026 Chevrolet Colorado trim and pricing

Trim	Engine	MSRP
WT	2.7L Turbo (237 hp)	$33,400
LT	2.7L Turbo (237 hp)	$38,600
Trail Boss	2.7L Turbo+ (310 hp)	$43,200
Z71	2.7L Turbo+ (310 hp)	$46,800
ZR2	2.7L Turbo+ (310 hp)	$53,300
ZR2 Bison	2.7L Turbo+ (310 hp)	$55,600

All prices are base crew cab. Extended cab configurations are approximately class="relative z-10",500 less. All engines pair with an 8-speed automatic; 4WD is standard from Trail Boss up, optional on WT and LT.

How it fits in the market

Making Chevy Safety Assist standard from the WT up finally erases the last meaningful equipment gap with the Toyota Tacoma, which has handed you Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 on every trim since its 2024 redesign. That gap genuinely cost Chevy sales with the buyers who actually read spec sheets, and I'm glad it's gone.

The standalone Trail Boss is the change I'd actually spend money on. Buyers kept telling me they wanted a purpose-built off-road Colorado without stepping all the way up to Z71 pricing, and at $43,200 this is it — squaring up against the Tacoma TRD Off-Road Crew Cab (about $42,500) and the Ford Ranger XLT Tremor ($40,400) almost dollar for dollar.

One number I lead with when people cross-shop these: the Colorado still tops the segment for max tow at 7,700 lb with the Turbo+ properly equipped. The Tacoma's i-FORCE MAX hybrid has more torque (465 lb-ft vs 390), and I won't pretend that doesn't matter when you're loaded, but the Colorado owns the higher tow number. Every Colorado is built in Wentzville, Missouri, so there's no tariff exposure under current trade rules either.

Current incentives

• class="relative z-10",500 conquest cash for buyers coming from non-GM vehicles through May 31
• 4.99% APR for 60 months on most trims through GM Financial
• Trail Boss: $500 additional dealer cash above conquest through May 31
• ZR2: no incentive programs; limited allocation at most dealers

If you're deciding between this and the obvious rival, I put them head to head in Chevrolet Colorado vs Toyota Tacoma 2026.