Our sister site, Ford Authority, just captured a very strange Chevrolet Colorado test mule. The prototype, clearly of the the North American market variety, features a truncated wheelbase and box, changes that result in the cab’s rear doors becoming placeholders, rather than functional swing panels.
Meanwhile, that shortened pickup box is welded together with the cab, along with placeholder front and rear bumpers with strange-looking poles bolted on to them. Those poles drop down as outriggers for the purpose of rollover testing on the test track. As if all that wasn’t weird enough, things get stranger still.
This particular Chevrolet Colorado mule was caught entering Ford’s Dearborn Test Track. Ford Authority then captured the model lower its outriggers and engage in some aggressive driving maneuvers for the purpose of rollover testing. So, what in the heck is a GM product doing testing at Ford’s testing facilities? The short answer is that it’s not.
In other words, this is not a GM product. Instead, Ford Authority’s sources specify that this is actually a mule for the upcoming Ford Bronco. Instead, the Blue Oval decided to use parts from the Chevy Colorado’s top hat as the ultimate camouflage, and to throw sleuths – such as our colleagues at FA – off the scent. What’s more, the vehicle’s overall footprint matches the general dimensions of the early Ford Bronco mule that was spotted earlier this year wearing a Ford Ranger cab.
Second, some other outlets are reporting that this may be a mule for the future Ford Courier – an upcoming compact pickup truck of the unibody variety to slot underneath the Ranger. As the close-up photos at Ford Authority clearly show, this mule is no unibody affair. There’s clearly a latter-style frame peeking out from this mule, both in the front and between the wheels.
So, don’t be fooled by this alleged Chevrolet Colorado “shorty,” as it’s very likely a mid-stage Ford Bronco, rather than a GM product. To see these spy shots in all their glory, click/hit/tap here.
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Comments
Clever.
It’s hard to tell because it’s a chopped up Colorado, but the wheelbase seems really short.
Maybe too short for the Bronco?
Yeah, it’s hard to tell, but we did some digital measuring and the wheelbase is identical to that of the early-stage Bronco mule:
http://fordauthority.com/2019/03/no-fords-new-bronco-will-not-look-like-this/
Ford has been very protective of the new Bronco styling even more so than the Corvette team to this point.
I expect that ti will be something very different as we have heard about removable doors etc. I expect it may be more wrangler than Explorer.
Shame the first Colorado Mule in a while is not even a GM one. LOL!
Thanks for the update.
It may be the way the “frankensteined” (not a word?) Colorado looks, but it seems fitting four doors
in that space would be tight. Maybe just an illusion?
I’m assuming there will be a two-door version for heritage sake?
The body is a throw away. I know there will be 4 doors as that is what will sell in volume but they are wanting to compete with the Wrangler so a two door is possible.
Scott, obviously that “body” is a throw away. Everyone knows the new Bronco will not look like a dissected Chevy!
Also, 4 doors is a must for volume. A 2 door version will be offered as well. If that doesn’t sell, then they will discontinue that and the Bronco will be just another 4-door boxy-box with more off-road capability.
I guess 🙂
Wow. Impressive “false flag”.
Maybe when the new Bronco rolls over all the time like the old Bronco…. customers will be confused and sue GM by mistake?
The original Broncos were solid axles front and rear as most 4×4’s were at one time. They all rolled over fairly easy.
Yeah, they could sue GM and GM could file for bankruptcy. Wait, that’s already happened.
You must be a VW fan, Italian Chrysler and in the future, German Ford.
So be it.
There’s your Jimmy, everyone.
Looks like a Watts linkage on the rear end. That’s pretty cool for a truck platform, definitely a step up from the usual panhard rod rear end.
Count the lug nuts. Bronco mule.
Which wheel? 5 in front, 6 in back
You are right, I didn’t blow it up enough. Just saw the front. Still say it’s nothing to do with GM.
Look again, different wheels but they have 5 lug nuts front and rear.
Not a Bronco mule.
This is a Colorado made in Thailand. I was there for 3 weeks last September and they have both the short box and long box versions made and sold there and in 10 different Asian countries. It could also be a Colorado made in South Africa, or Brazil. In some countries, the gas engine is not even offered, only a turbo diesel. In Thailand, a gas engine is offered because many people convert them to run on propane ( LPG ) because in Bangkok, every second gas station sells auto grade propane and it is half the pump price of diesel fuel. Over the past few years, the Thai government pushes a CNG or a bio-gasoline, ethanol based fuel and charges less federal tax for it, so the factory gasoline engine is required to take advantage of those fuels that have lower tax on them. Traveling from Bangkok, Thailand to the border of Cambodia, propane is readily available. In Bangkok, the 500cc Put Puts that haul passengers, use propane. Small grocers and local parcel delivery guys in Bangkok also use them to haul cargo. Last time i checked, diesel fuel in Bangkok was about 28 Baht per liter and there is 32 Baht per U.S. dollar over the past few months. There is 3.7854 liters to a U.S. gallon.
I have seen the Asian Colorado/Dmax trucks, and I don’t think any of them are that short.
I just checked a few GM sites in different countries. Ford could have bought this as a used older model Colorado or Isuzu Max, that Chev made 8 or 10 years ago in some offshore plants. I tried to find a pic of the identical box/cab one piece but could not find it. When i was in Thailand in 2003, they had some Isuzu models that had a different box. It was only 2 year later that Chev started selling the same truck as Isuzu in Thailand. There have been at least three different versions of the Colorado/Isuzu Max since 2003.
That is not a non-North-American GM/Isuzu truck, the body is clearly of the North American Colorado which has been hacked by Ford. The international Colorado trucks still have 6 lugs per wheel, not 5 like the hack job in these photos.
Mark I am not sure where you are getting these ideas but they are not even close to speculation.
This is a hacked up North American Colorado body hacked up on a Ford platform to let them test this chassis with out giving the Bronco styling away.
The Bronco styling has been kept more secretive than even the C8.
Between this and the turbo engine comments you are a bit off on what is going on even as a goo guess.
SCOTT, YOU KEEP CLAIMING AT LEAST 4 TIMES ON SATURDAY THAT WHAT I POSTED WAS WRONG INFO. YOU ARE A TROLL WHO HAS NOT SEEN THE FORD PLATFORM, SO YOU HAVE BEEN BUSTED AS JUST A TROLL FULL OF BS.
South Africa don’t produce the Colorado. GM sold up and vacated SA a view years ago. The old GM manufacturing plant in Port Elizabeth now belongs to Isuzu.
So they’re basically saying the Bronco is going to be a rollover risk?
No they are testing to make sure it is not a roll over risk greater than any other SUV.
Definitely not GM anything overseas or not. It’s a 5 lug.
Ladder-style
the 5 lug wheels and rear axle shot give away that this is not a colorado
Looking at the rear suspension, I can see trailing arms that point to a coil spring suspension. Isuzu (which is what this mule is) use a leaf spring rear suspension. Nissan with it’s NP300 Navara is the only Japanese truck with a coil spring rear suspension. Bronco has always had coil suspension. A re-badged Isuzu is sold as a Chevrolet Colorado in other parts of the world or as a Holden Colorado in Australia.
Sorry, but no, that is not a re-badged Isuzu mule in the pics. Do you REALLY think Ford would bring over an overseas truck, hack the body, and put it on their own test chassis? No.
Nor is it a complete overseas Gm/Isuzu mule.
It’s a Ford chassis with a hacked-up North American Colorado body on it It is very clear because the North American Colorado body is different than the Isuzu/Asia market truck. And, once again, the GM/Isuzu trucks all have 6 lugs. The hacked up mule in these pics only have 5 lugs.
Occam’s razor, my friend.
DRAX, After spending a few months in Thailand both in 2003 and 2004 and again in 2018, my speculation is that the possible Ford mule in the picture is from a used Colorado/Isuzu MAX from a long time ago built in Asia. The body in Asia on the latest Colorado is the same as in North America. GM keeps stating that they are different, but i think they are just blowing smoke when they say that. GM says the frames are different as well. I’m going back in September and this time i’ll take a tape measure and lots of pics underneath the Thailand built Colorado. One thing is for sure, the taxi guys who use the Colorado in Bangkok load them up with at least 15 people, so the frame could be a much heavier type than sold in North America.
There is nothing GM under that hacked up body. You don’t need to travel to Asia to see images of those trucks and how the body style IS different. The internet is great for finding such images.
Ford did a hack job on their mule, it’s abundantly clear in the images that they are trying to hide what they really have under that hacked up North American Colorado body. You’re overthinking things.
DRAX, i never suggested that the Ford mule in the pics was a Colorado. I said that unusual body was used in Asia a few years ago as a Colorado. It’s possible that i didn’t make that clear in my previous post. Of course you and me any nobody else here, knows if it’s a Colorado frame from Asia, which GM claims is a different frame than used in North America. The farmers in Thailand load those things to the hilt, so it’s possible that the frame has a higher weight rating for the Thailand built Colorado than what is made here in the USA.
Again, GM/Isuzu never produced such a body anywhere and that is a North American Colorado grafted onto some other chassis. The Asia market Colorado has subtle differences in design, I guarantee you that is not one of them and that 2-door body was never produced. All you have to do is a simple Google image search and see for yourself.
Ford would not take the time, effort, and money to bring an international body to the US to graft onto something. It’s a North American Colorado body. Period.
Not like I’ve been involved with these trucks for years or anything…so believe what you want, no use in repeating ourselves over and over. Take care.
Drax. Sorry but you are wrong about the 2 door body of the Colorado as built and sold in Asia when i was there in 2003 and 2004. Back then, the Isuzu MAX as sold in Thailand had some short and long wheelbase models. GM just put the Chev name on them during that time period, as it was an Isuzu truck, not a GM engineered truck. Since that time, the Colorado AS SOLD in Asia, has gone through at least 4 generations. I have seen them in person, obviously you have not seen them in person.
Mark Smyth, you are wrong about this being a Thailand built Colorado. I have been there many times and photographed one. The only interchangeable part is the cab. From the doors forward the body is different. Also the bed and taillights are not the same, either. You can see this at en.chevrolet.co.tl . This design goes back to 2012, before the new Colorado was introduced here in 2015.
Riche, See my post above yours and others previously that i have posted and look at the years i refer to being in Thailand. Not 2013, but 2003 and 2004. In 2003, in Thailand, Chev Colorado was not being sold until a couple of years later. They were only selling the Isuzu MAX. There were both long and short wheeIbase versions being sold of the Isuzu. THAT WAS 4 GENERATIONS AGO OF THE ISUZU. I SAW THEM. THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEING THERE FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS FROM LATE 2003. YOU SAY THAT I MUST BE ON DRUGS, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT SEE THEM IN 2003?
Where did I say you were on drugs? I said the Ford test mule was not a current Thai built Colorado. It’s am American built crew cab that has been modified. Obviously you have a hard time understanding what others write that doesn’t agree with you.
And also, Mark, if you go to the Chevrolet Thailand website it shows they only come with the Duramax Diesel engine. Not sure where you’re getting your information from. And if you look closely you’ll see the front end is different along with a completely different bed design. It’s very obvious from the taillights.
Riche, stop posting and read ALL my previous comments on the Colorado and the Isuzu MAX going back to when i was first in Thailand in late 2003 and the first few months of 2004.. Being there in Bangkok, with a population of about 11 million in 2004, with thousands of Isuzu’s going by me everyday, is where i got the info. My family owns at least 4 homes in Bangkok. As for thew 2019 Thailand sold Colorado, i did not check the website, but when i was there last in September last year, the companies that want to run them on the CNG and LPG propane sold in every second gas station there, can special order the gas engine. The pump price of diesel fuel is twice the pump price of propane and the ethanol based gasoline sold at the pump, the last time i checked. The Bangkok police use the 4 door Colorado as well as the military, where the American military share an air base at the old airport in Bangkok.
Baby Bronco?
Single Cab Ranger?
The new small truck Courier?