The Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab is offered in only two trims, with the LT trim available with both the drivetrains while the Z71 comes standard with the 4WD. The LT trim is offered with a lot of standard fitments which include a rearview camera, leather steering wheel, power driver seat, cloth upholstery, and alloy wheels. The Z71 on the other hand offers a rugged styling along with more cabin functionality and creature comforts. 

Which trim should you buy?

As long as you intend to drive the Colorado diesel more into the wilderness than on the tarmac, it is better to stick to the LT trim, as the Z71 appreciates at price considerably and yet only offers a limited number of additional features. 

Under the hood of the Colorado diesel, Chevy offers a 2.8-liter Duramax turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine along with the gasoline powertrains. The engine is rated to produce a healthy 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque which is sent to the rear wheels as standard through a six-speed automatic transmission. One can also opt for the 4-wheel drive drivetrain to increase the practicality of the truck in less than ideal road conditions.

There is no doubt that the diesel powertrain is the most potent of the available three powertrains with the Colorado. The acceleration may be a bit sluggish, similar to the base inline-4 gas engine, as it takes almost 9 seconds for it to reach 60 mph from standstill but the immense torque output of the diesel available very low down the rev band results in a class-leading 7,700 lbs of towing capacity with the payload capacity to being rated for at just 1,600 lbs.

The Chevy Colorado shares most of its mechanicals with the GMC Canyon and hence both offer almost identical numbers in the acceleration and towing performance section. The GMC truck is offered with a slightly premium cabin and hence is the pricier of the two. The Gladiator is much more expensive than the GM trucks but offers much higher power and torque output along with the standard 4WD drivetrain which results in superior acceleration performance, though it lacks tugging and hauling capabilities. 

How does the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab handle?

The 2021 Colorado diesel is no doubt a heavy truck but it does not feel the same from behind its wheel. This is because of the light and pretty accurate nature of its steering wheel, which makes it easy to maneuver in tight city lanes. That being said, the steering does not offer much feedback which makes it difficult in the off-road conditions and brings in the anxiety of keeping the truck on its all four wheels.

The handling and grip are pretty solid for a truck of this class and can be further improved by opting for the optional off-road tires, which in return increases the road noise inside the cabin. The cabin of the Colorado isn’t what you called luxuriously but the ride quality is very comfortable while cruising long distances on the highway and also manages to take on bumps and potholes rather effortlessly. 

2021 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab Braking Performance

The braking performance of the 2021 Colorado diesel is pretty average for its class considering its hefty curb weight. The 12.2-inch front and 12.8-inch rear disc brakes offer quick response with adequate feedback from the pedal to stop the truck in a 60-0 mph panic braking situation in around 123 feet of braking distance. Though this braking performance is not half bad for a 4,500 lbs vehicle, the high-speed braking isn’t the greatest and will travel farther than its rivals.

The GMC Canyon too utilizes the same brakes setup as the Colorado and also has an identical curb weight, but the Canyon takes a couple of feet less than its corporate sibling in the braking test. The Jeep on the other hand has a much longer stopping distance in the same 60-0 mph test in spite of featuring larger brakes at both the front and rear ends, probably due to the higher weight.

The choice of opting for the diesel powertrain is usually made for the higher efficiency along with the improved towing capabilities. Therefore, the Colorado diesel does not disappoint in both these regards as the EPA rates it for 30 mpg on the highways and also gets a 25 mpg combined rating. The 21-gallon fuel tank aids it is offering a pretty decent driving range of over 600 miles while cruising on the highway. 

The identical powertrain of the Canyon returns exactly the same figures here as well and hence both the trucks offer similar driving ranges. The Jeep Gladiator on the other hand has a marginally better city fuel efficiency but much lower highway ratings. Therefore the overall combined EPA rating is marginally lower than the Colorado and Canyon. To compensate for that, Jeep employs a larger gas tank which brings its driving range on par with the other two. 

The cabin of the 2021 Colorado is pretty rugged and built to last in nature as most diesel buyers would end up using it as a workhorse for their businesses. The design is pretty basic and there are plenty of hard plastics all around the cabin. All the cabin controls are laid out practically and ergonomically and although the higher Z71 trim features better materials quality, most of it is still pretty industrial. 

Cabin space is pretty good at the front as even the taller drivers will find the perfect seating position for them with abundant headroom and legroom on offer. That being said, the rear seat is a bit tight as the legroom is a bit compromised with the front row taking up so much space. The rear seat can also be folded up for additional covered storage space in addition to the 41.3 cu-ft of cargo capacity offered with its standard bed at the back. 

The Jeep Gladiator is a much more spacious and comfortable offering when the rear seat is considered. There is much more legroom and even better headroom on offer due to its boxy cabin dimensions. That being said, the front row legroom is compromised in exchange for the rear seat space along with the cargo bed capacity which is a bit lesser than the Chevy-GMC twins which again offer identical interior dimensions. Some of the interior features in the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab are:

• 6-way power driver seat with power lumbar control
• Heated Front Bucket Seats
• Rear folding bench seats
• Cloth and Leatherette Seat trim
• Tilt and telescopic leather-wrapped heated steering wheel
• Automatic climate control
• Chrome interior door handles
• Wireless Mobile Charging Pad

What’s there to keep you entertained?

Since the LT trim is the base trim for the diesel Colorado, it features the larger eight-inch touchscreen as opposed to the seven-inch unit of the lower trim. The Z71 trim further enhances the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus system to a high-definition one. The system comes standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability along with the HD radio, satellite radio, and a mobile hotspot. As options, one can spec the system with an integrated navigation system and voice control. The standard six-speaker audio system can also be replaced with a much punchy seven-speaker Bose premium sound system. Some of the infotainment features include:

• 8.0-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus Infotainment System
• 6-speaker audio system
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability
• HD Radio and SiriusXM Radio
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Chevrolet Connected Access is capable
• Voice recognition
• Bluetooth streaming audio

Similar to its cabin, the exterior of the Colorado has a no-nonsense and rugged design which with the redesigned front fascia this year, looks even more aggressive. A thick black bar divides the front grille which features a golden bowtie on the LT trim as opposed to the blacked one on the Z71. The large boxy headlights on either side of the grille also get LED daytime running lights which feature projector beams only on the Z71 trim. 

At the rear, the EZ-Lift and Lower tailgate now see the name Colorado stamped on the tailgate while the rest of the design is pretty much the same as the 2020 model year which includes the corner step rear bumper and the black moldings and body cladding. Alloy wheels are standard for the diesel Colorado and while the LT trim can be upgraded to 18-inch ones over the standard 17-inch wheels, the Z71 does not get this option.

The Jeep Gladiator is a much longer truck as compared to the Colorado which justifies the spacious cabin it has to offer. It also gets a much higher stance to aid it in the wilderness where it is more likely to spend most of its time. The Canyon and Colorado are more suited for the urban jungle but can manage to venture into the dirt and mud for light fun, but things might get tricky as the going gets tough. Some of the exterior features in the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab are:

• Halogen projector-type headlights with LED signature DRLs
• Heated power-adjustable exterior mirrors with a driver-side spotter
• EZ-Lift and Lower remote locking Tailgate
• Cargo box light
• Black beltline moldings and door handles
• CornerStep rear bumper
• 17-inch Bright-Machined Aluminum Wheels

The lower price segment does not mean that Chevrolet would compromise on the safety aspect of their vehicles. This is justified by the pretty solid 4-star overall rating the Colorado received from the NHTSA along with the ‘Good’ ratings in most aspects of the tests conducted by the IIHS for the 2021 model year. The only low point for the truck has been its headlights which have been rated as ‘Poor’ by the IIHS. 

Also even in this modern-day and age, there aren’t many driver assistance features available with the diesel Colorado in order to keep its prices low and within the budget of most of its buyers. That being said, it covers all the basics rather well and a highlight of most of the safety features offered with Colorado diesel has been listed below. Some of the safety features include:

• StabiliTrak stability control system
• Forward Collision Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
• HD Rear Vision Camera
• OnStar and GMC connected services
• Teen Driver Mode
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

2021 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab vs GMC Canyon Diesel Crew Cab

Both the Colorado and Canyon trucks are essentially the same both inside and out apart from the aesthetics. While the Chevy offers a pretty basic design, the GMC employs a bit more premiumness to it. The interior material quality is also better in the Canyon and it also features a few additional features which the Colorado misses out on. This results in a higher asking price for the Canyon but everything else is pretty much identical. Therefore, unless you intend to use this truck for personal and family duties, it is better to save some money and get the Chevy. 

2021 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab vs Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab

The Jeep Gladiator is offered only with the crew cab body style and provides a much more spacious cabin that can comfortably seat three passengers at the rear. The performance is also superior to the EcoDiesel V6 engine under its hood, offering quicker acceleration than the Colorado. That being said, the Chevy offers superior towing prowess and fuel economy figures and also gets quite a few cabin features as standard. The lower starting price and better reliability of the Colorado diesel are other prominent reasons to consider it over the Jeep. 

For the buyers who wish to extract the most out of their midsize pickup trucks, the new Chevrolet Colorado Diesel Crew Cab offers the maximum value for their money. The truck not only is the most affordable one in the segment, to begin with, but it also gets plenty of grunt under its hood to provide the class-leading payload and towing capacities. 

The cabin is pretty spacious and gets enough creature comforts and technologies while the ride and handling are comfortable enough to be used as a commuter. The 2021 Colorado diesel may not shine in just one aspect but covers each aspect very well to offer an all-around package without having to shell out large sums of money.