In a recent GM press release GM revealed where its new smaller than full-size pickup, the Colorado, sells best. It turns out it is Los Angeles, California. We would not have guessed that.
How in the world did the Colorado establish such a foothold in the land of the Prii and the home of the Teslerati? GM’s Tony Johnson, marketing manager for the Colorado, explains it, saying, “L.A. was a big target for the Colorado, where people can use the utility of a pickup, but don’t necessarily have the space for a full-sized truck. The in-roads we’ve made there are proof that it is the right fit for that market.” We’ll take GM’s word for it that they knew L.A. would be a big market, but if we look at the GM media site, there are exactly 29 exterior photos of the Colorado. Not a single one shows the truck in an urban setting.
All indications are that GM nailed the market’s sweet spot with the new Colorado. Not only is it Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year, but in just a few months it already has passed the Nissan Frontier to take over the number two spot in its segment. It won’t be long before the Toyota Tacoma is in the Colorado’s rear view mirror sales-wise. Toyota’s truck manufacturing capacity is being expanded, but after it adds a third shift late this year it will be maxed out. Toyota will still sell all the Tacomas it can build, but the Colorado and its GMC twin the Canyon will eventually surpass it in sales and be the number one mid-size truck.
One other funny GM truck announcement that we saw today included this important fact, saying that the Colorado is “…named after the mountainous state of Colorado.” Who knew!?
