Electrical Connection Winter 2016

102 / 116

1 0 2 E L E C T R I C A L CO N N E C T I O N W I N T E R 2 0 16
T he Chevrolet Colorado Xtreme concept unveiled at the
recent Bangkok motor show has strong Australian
connections, with Holden’s design team in Port
Melbourne crafting the vehicle which is not so much a flight of
fancy but a pointer to the upgraded ute due to arrive here later
in the year.
As well as being a showcase of the Australian design
team’s global capability – a role that has become all the more
significant with Holden set to close its local manufacturing
operations in 2017 – the Xtreme was developed to draw
attention to General Motors’ bow-tie brand in Thailand and
other parts of South-East Asia, where there is a huge appetite
for one-tonne utes, particularly Japanese brands led by Toyota.
The official line from Holden is that the Xtreme is strictly a
show car, but watch out for design elements – particularly the
front-end treatment – appearing on future models such as the
Colorado Series II facelift.
Spy shots of the Colorado range undergoing testing at
Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground in South Gippsland,
Victoria, also indicate that the forthcoming upgrade will
extend beyond mere aesthetics, with a suspension
overhaul anticipated.
As its name suggests, the Xtreme takes the Colorado into
more aggressive territory, painting it in matte-orange paint
(dubbed ‘Furness’) and packing it with head-turning harder-
core accessories such as black fender flares, massive 18”
all-terrain wheels and tyres (including custom bead locks and
an extra spare in the tub), a big rear sports bar (with unique
side plates), an integrated spoiler with high-mounted stop
lamp, and neat detail elements such as a colour-coded spade
and high-lift jack in the cargo bay.
Let us also not overlook the uprated suspension, front
‘Safari’ bar with integrated LED strip and winch, big black
bonnet scoop, custom tub liner with adjustable tie-down
tracks and integrated spare wheel mount and tool holders,
rear step with integrated corner step and tow bar, and a roof
basket with more integrated LEDs.
The cabin continues the orange and black theme and
carries new auxiliary gauges and accessories such as a
passenger grab-handle on the side of the instrument panel
and an inclinometer.
The dashboard also has an 8.0” colour touch screen
equipped with the latest MyLink infotainment system
Chevrolet
CHEVROLET COLORADO XTREME