2024 Colorado Trail Boss has Serious Off-Road Capability

The entire Colorado Model line was awarded Motor Trend’s 2024 Truck of the Year. From that, the Colorado ZR2 is already building a reputation as the off-road flagship of the model line. Its starting MSRP of $48,295 is considered perfectly appropriate for its capability.  But if your level of off-roading can’t quite justify that level of coin, McFarland Chevrolet wants to inform you about the Colorado Trail Boss, which also has a high level of off-road capability but with a starting MSRP of about $10,000 under the ZR2.

A Tough Truck for Rough Ground

With a name like “Trail Boss,” it isn’t surprising that it comes with standard 4-wheel drive. Perhaps less expected are standard:

• 32-inch all-terrain tires
• Automatic-locking rear differential
• Hill descent control
• 2.0-inch suspension lift, and a 3.0-inch wider track than conventional 4WD models. 

The tires, lift, and bodywork combine for a 30.5-degree approach angle, a 22.4-degree departure, and 21 degrees of breakover. The ZR2 boasts higher figures, but these are quite good for the price point. Another off-road goodie is the Terrain driving mode. Used in slow off-road conditions, it controls both acceleration and braking with the gas pedal. Thus, one-pedal driving makes slow rock crawling much more straightforward, keeping you from having to coordinate both feet or switch your right foot between two pedals. 

Chances are your Trail Boss will still spend most of its time on the pavement. Without the magic of the ZR2’s Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve dampers, the Trail Boss ride will be stiffer than you will find on the model line’s flagship or the Z71, which lacks the Trail Boss’s off-road hardware. But not excessively so.

Robust Power

The Trail Boss is powered by the middle version of the 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine that powers the model line. It produces 310 horsepower with a peak torque of 390 lb-ft @ 1,250 rpm. This engine is more powerful than the V6 of the previous generation, and also beats the V6 in the Nissan Frontier. The tires and other hardware bring the EPA-estimated mpg city / highway / combined figures to 19 / 23 / 21 combined. The payload is rated at 1,610 pounds and can tow a respectable 7,700 pounds. 

Looking Good, Outside and In

The Trail Boss exterior is trimmed in black, including most of the front front end, fender flares, mirrors, and door handles. The interior sports the same handsome dash design that graces all Colorado models with a standard 11-inch touchscreen and digital driver’s center. The Google Built-in operating system gives you Google Maps and the Google Assistant voice command system without requiring your cell phone. It also enables wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, letting you access everything you need from your phone while it remains in your pocket. 

The bottom line is that it may not be the model line’s top-ranging rock-hopper, but it still provides quite a bit of off-road capability for the money. See for yourself by visiting McFarland Chevrolet, where we keep plenty of Colorado models in inventory.