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Get A Quick Chevrolet S10 History Lesson: Video

Slip into a Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, and you’ll discover just how larger today’s midsized pickup trucks are. They’re roomy with serious pickup truck performance, nipping at the heals of their larger, more powerful—full-size—stablemates. But before the Colorado and Canyon, there were the Chevrolet S10 and GMC Sonoma, two compact pickups from Chevy and GMC. But they disappeared in 2004 with sales falling as consumers optioned up for the full-size offerings, which had improved significantly in both comfort and efficiency. Replacing them were the larger Colorado and Canyon. 

While their demise happened almost 15 years ago, the predecessor to the Chevrolet S10 and Sonoma started life as a rebadged Isuzu decades before that. Chevy slapped a bowtie on the front and called it the LUV—short for light utility vehicle. That happened in the early 1970s, and it was the predecessor to the S10, which Chevy debuted in 1982. It was larger than the LUV it replaced; however, it still fell into the compact truck category. 

1991-GMC-Syclone-001

The video, another Up To Speed short from Donut Media, gives a deep-dive in the S10’s illustrious history, even touching on the GMC Sonoma and infamous Syclone—a Ferrari-stomping pickup truck with a turbocharged V6 making 280 horsepower, sending the workhorse from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. Today that seems slow, but in the early 1990s, that was supercar levels of performance. 

The video also touches on several of the S10’s more iconic offerings, such as the S10 Baja, Top Gun, and others. The Baja was a beast of an off-road vehicle, with skid plates, special bumpers, an aggressive appearance, and an off-road suspension setup. It was a true off-road king long before the Ford F-150 Raptor sauntered onto the scene. 

Looking back, the S10, Sonoma, and other compact pickup trucks were an oddity. They were small yet versatile vehicles that bred a loyal, if small, following. Today’s trucks are huge compared to 30 years ago. The Chevrolet S10 and GMC Sonoma are relics of a bygone era. Trucks that small are unlikely ever to happen again.

Anthony Alaniz was a GM Authority contributor between from 2018 thru 2019.

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Comments

  1. Had an S10 crew cab 4×4 and a Sonoma extra cab Sport with ZQ8 suspension. Loved them both. If GM still made a truck that size that looked that good I’d have one.

    Reply
  2. ‘Unlikely to come back again _ don’t bet on it. Small LUV’S are still being built and sold around the world. The planets dangerous carbon levels will require a return of mmore compact utility vehicles.

    I still own and drive my 98’ S-10 with 235,+++ miles on it and it still gets 21mpg in town and up to 31 mpg on the road. What gets that kind of mpg, today.

    Reply
    1. Hi, I’m Roger from Belgium and I own a 1996 Chevy S10 2.2l (probably the only one in Belgium) with (only) 127.000 mls on it, fuelcons. is 25mpg average city/hgw, it still looks like new, I wish GM will build them again. The only thing I don’t know is ” when I have to check the timingchain/tensioner” and another question is” why do Americans buy foreign cars?”. I’m not a Trump fan but Americans should buy American made, shame on them! Europeans will not buy American made cars, there is a boycot on American cars in Europe and high import taxes(also on Harley’s). Why I buy American made,( Chevy & Harley ), my wife is from Georgia and my father in law was in Normandy during the landing WW II and in Bastogne and for all those men who was with him.

      Reply
  3. I had a Chevrolet S10 extended cab 4by4 it was very nice Truck it was a 2002 5speed with dark tinted windows I love that Truck if I can get another good one like That I will be more than happy to have it?

    Reply
    1. I have 309 of them in my yard I love S-10s that is all I work on, I have every make and model from 1982-2004

      Reply

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