The ongoing microchip shortage continues to take its toll on the auto industry, with some experts forecasting that it may likely remain an issue as far out as 2023. The situation has substantially disrupted the production of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickup trucks, so much so that Colorado sales fell to fifth place in the segment (from the typical second place) during the second quarter of 2021. But there is a shred of good news for GM’s midsize trucks: sources familiar with the matter tell GM Authority that the upcoming all-new 2023 Chevy Colorado and 2023 GMC Canyon are not delayed by the ongoing chip shortage… at least not yet.
Production of the current Colorado and Canyon at the GM Wentzville plant in Missouri has been interrupted several times so far this year as a result of insufficient microchips. Most recently, production resumed on September 27th after being idle since September 6th. Prior to that, production of the two midsize GM trucks at Wentzville was idled at the end of March until mid-April. The disruptions in production caused supply of the Chevy Colorado to fall critically low in the U.S., with inventory of the popular midsize pickup trucks running at an extremely seven days supply as of the first week of September 2021.
GM has implemented various techniques to make the most of the situation, including a build-shy strategy that involves building trucks without the necessary chips and then retrofitting the incomplete pickups before shipping them to dealers.
This struggle is not unique to GM’s mid-size pickup trucks, with an estimated 278,000 GM vehicles cut from production so far. In addition to reduced production and associated losses in sales volume, the shortage has also affected the availability of vehicle equipment and options, with GM cutting some features like engine stop-start and fuel management systems and wireless phone charging systems. Unfortunately, the build-shy strategy only works in some cases and not so much in others. For instance, production of 13 GM models is idle as of this writing.
Vehicle | Plant | Status | Restart Date |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Malibu | Fairfax, KS | Idle | November 1 |
GMC Hummer EV Pickup | Hamtramck/Factory Zero, MI | Idle | No date |
Chevrolet Equinox | Ingersoll/CAMI, ON | Idle | October 15 |
Chevrolet Bolt EV | Orion Township, MI | Idle | October 18 |
Chevrolet Bolt EUV | Orion Township, MI | Idle | October 18 |
Chevrolet Blazer | Ramos Arizpe, MX | Idle | October 15 |
Chevrolet Equinox | Ramos Arizpe, MX | Idle | October 15 |
Chevrolet Equinox | San Luis PotosÃ, MX | Idle | October 15 |
Chevrolet Onix | San Luis PotosÃ, MX | Idle | No date |
GMC Terrain | San Luis PotosÃ, MX | Idle | October 15 |
Cadillac XT5 | Spring Hill, TN | Idle | November 26 |
Cadillac XT6 | Spring Hill, TN | Idle | November 26 |
GMC Acadia | Spring Hill, TN | Idle | November 26 |
Back to the 2023 Chevy Colorado and Canyon: development of the two next-gen models is on track. Sources tell us that the only way in which the 2023 model year launch will be delayed is if GM has excess parts/materials for the current, 2022 Colorado and 2022 Canyon. Such a scenario, caused by the aforementioned production stoppages, would see the automaker extending production of the current trucks until it exhausts the excess parts.
The 2023 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon will ride on an evolved version of GM’s current GMT-31XX midsize body-on-frame architecture, which will be dubbed 31XX-2. The vehicle will get an all-new exterior and interior, along with an all-new powerplant in the form of the turbocharged 2.7L I-4 L3B gasoline motor currently offered in the Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500. In that application, the boosted four-pot is rated at a healthy 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque, though the 2022 Silverado 1500 refresh saw the torque figure jump to 420 pound-feet. GM’s 10-speed automatic transmission will handle shifting duty. The atmospheric 2.5L I-4 LCV and 3.6L V-6 LGZ, along with the 2.8L I-4 LWN turbo-diesel baby Duramax will not be offered.
The midsize pickup truck, which has consistently ranked in the top three spots in its segment from a sales volume standpoint, will also adopt GM’s new Global B electrical architecture – otherwise known as Vehicle Intelligence Platform, or VIP. Besides allowing for over-the-air (OTA) updates to vehicle components, Global B also enables the inclusion of state-of-the-art infotainment and active safety technologies.
The 2023 Chevy Colorado and Canyon will continue to be built at the GM Wentzville plant in Missouri. GM invested $1 billion into the facility specifically for the new midsize pickups.
GM Authority recently spied prototypes of the 2023 Colorado and Canyon undergoing testing. Check out the spy shots here:
2023 Chevy Colorado:
2023 GMC Canyon:
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Comments
I hope there’s no delay of the next Gen, I’m trying to hold off buying a new truck until I see it.
I am right their with u. But if they have to use up excess parts sounds like the new models will definitely be delayed. Look how many days they have been shutting down this factory. It sucks, I was hoping the new model would be released early being the new model should have been in 2022
Make your own in house microchips for your vehicles so you don’t need to rely on outside suppliers what will make easier for you in the long term.
This is easier said then done, even computer part manufacturers do not do this.
Tsmc, Global Foundries, and Samsung are basically it. At the big ones. Maybe Intel. Intel has broken ground on a new plant, but that won’t be in production until after this shortage is well over
The foundries cost hundreds of thousands if not millions to run daily and idling them is not like idling a car plant, or wood mill, there are thousands of clean rooms that have to be maintained for production along with the actual machines themselves. The daily cost is so high that it is cost prohibitive for other companies to have a foundry. On top of that, even when a silicon plate is produced, not all of them work, a certain amount is defective….it crazy to think about how reliant we are on a technology that can be so rocked and overwhelmed so easily.
So will 2023 bring a push button start? That’s what we are waiting for.
I was looking forward to buying a Colorado in 2023. Now they are saying they are only offering 1 engine.
I’ve always bought Ford vehicles until I bought a Chevy Traverse for with the 3.6 Lt in it.
I’m very pleased with this motor and was going to buy a 2023 with the 3.6 motor in it.
I don’t want a Turbo, that’s why I’m not buying or considering a Ranger.
It seems like GMis getting rid of all the good motors of the past ( 350, 4.3 and now 3.6 ).
I’m also waiting to see what the new Colorado/Canyon bring to the table. I’ve always been a GM guy but the Ford Ranger is starting to intrigue me the more I check it out. It has push button start and the control layout (Such as the 4wd selector) in the interior is hands above my 2016 GMC Canyon. I don’t know why they don’t just reveal the 2023 now. Ford revealed the 2023 Ranger already. Ford also has real leather seats instead of the fake leather (Vinyl) that GM put in the Canyon. Better hurry or I will jump ship.