Confirmed: Chevrolet Colorado to get manual transmission

Turns out that General Motors neglected to mention a particularly interesting detail when it unveiled the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado last week: the bowtie brand’s new midsize pickup will be offered with a manual transmission.

Available only on entry-level WT extended cab 2WD models equipped with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder, GM feels the stick shift will likely be a low take-rate item, but one that could ultimately help draw a broader swath of buyers into showrooms.

“If you look at the past data, [the manual transmission] probably not a financially sound decision,” GM North America President Mark Reuss told Automotive News. “But we’re creating something here that hasn’t been created before. So we’re going to take some risks.

While the manual will be a decidedly limited-availability option on the Colorado, the other players in the midsize pickup segment — the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier — offer a three-pedal setup in a much wider range of bodystyles, trim levels and engines.

Aside from the row-your-own option, GM may also cater to pickup enthusiasts with a new Colorado variant positioned as more of a hard-core off-roader than the Z71 trim level.

“The dealers already have been asking for an off-road model,” said Jeff Luke, General Motors’ top truck engineer. “We’re considering it.”

While Luke didn’t provide any concrete details concerning the all-terrain Colorado, it would likely be modeled after the ZR2 trim level of the Chevy S-10, which featured additional ground clearance, strengthened axles, tougher shocks and specialized tires.

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