2023 Chevrolet Colorado & 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're putting a mid-size truck through our full-sized test, the Chevrolet Colorado... And we're all ears for troubleshooting by sound... We lay out the facts of electric vehicle charging... Ending with a hybrid high note for the Toyota Corolla Cross...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: Getting a rocky mountain high in Colorado doesn't exactly mean the same thing that it used to.

And in similar fashion, this high ridin' Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss has gone in a much different direction than when the Colorado first hit the streets 20 years ago.

So, climb aboard for a better view of this all-new 3rd generation of Chevy's midsize pickup.

♪ ♪ Midsize pickup trucks are once again a big thing, and part of the reason is the effort that Chevrolet has been pouring into the segment recently.

2023 marks not only the start of a new generation of the Chevrolet Colorado but takes it to new levels of capability with three distinct off-road versions, each with their own chassis setups.

Our focus here is on the Trail Boss, which is making its way down from the Silverado for the first time.

It's really the middle ground when it comes to off-road focused Colorado's with Z71 just below and ZR2 more extreme.

But it's not off-road focused enough to hinder the great ride the Colorado has become known for, or keep the interior from being a place you want to spend extended time in.

There are some oddities though; no physical light switch, you must go into the standard Google-enabled 11.3 inch central touchscreen, if you want anything other than auto; and despite an overall high-tech feel, there's no auto setting on the climate controls, and no proximity sensors for automatic unlocking of the doors from outside.

On the plus side for Colorado, rather than just applying different logos, there are four distinct interior themes, ranging from rugged to refined.

This Trail Boss takes the basic approach, with durable gray plastics and cloth seats.

An 8.0 inch fully digital gauge display is standard in all Colorado's.

No more V6 or diesel options, as all now come with the Silverado's 2.7 liter turbo 4-cylinder engine, but there are actually three versions of it.

Standard in the Trail Boss is this 310 horsepower unit with 390 pound-feet of torque.

The ZR2 ups the torque output to 430 pound-feet, while WT and LT Colorado's get a lower output 237 horsepower version.

Max tow rating is 7,700 pounds, and all work with a revised 8-speed automatic transmission, with upgrades to smooth out upshifts, make downshifts quicker, with better low-speed response to aid in off-roading.

Styling influence of Silverado is well present, though there's just one 131.4 inch wheelbase available now, as all Colorado's are Crew Cab only with a 5-foot bed.

Overhangs are shortened in front and the spare tire mounted higher in back to improve approach and departure angles.

Trail Boss takes it a step farther getting chunky looking fender arches over 18 inch wheels with 32 inch all-terrain tires, a limited-slip rear differential, a 2.0 inch suspension lift, and a 3.0 inch wider stance.

ZR2s add another inch of lift on top of that.

Up to five drive modes are available, the majority of which are off-road specific.

Chevrolet has also tried to make the short bed more functional with 8-tie downs, and bike tire grooves built into the front of the bed; plus, a measuring area, tailgate storage, and the ability to keep the gate in a mid-position to support longer items.

At our Mason Dixon test track, smooth and steady was the order of the day, with a gentle launch off the line and a steady ramble, and 7.0 seconds to 60 miles per hour.

It never felt like it was struggling to build speed, but it didn't really overwhelm going down the track either.

Gear changes were as advertised, smooth and quite quick with just a slight drop off in power.

Our best quarter-mile time was a 15.5 at 90 miles per hour.

Lifted suspensions and off-road tires usually don't play well in a handling course, lending a soft feel and slow response to inputs; and that was mostly the case here.

Still, it was drama free.

In braking runs, that softness allowed a good amount of nosedive, and you could sense the ABS working hard; but stops were straight and true, averaging 120 feet from 60 miles per hour.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 17-City, 21-Highway, and 19-Combined; we averaged a fine 20.2 miles per gallon.

That's just slightly below average for the Energy Impact Score; 15.7 Barrels of Oil consumed yearly, with 7.7 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

If you want to stick with rear-wheel-drive, you'll have to get WT or LT trim, which starts with WT at $30,695 and 4-wheel-drive a $3,300 option.

Four-wheel-drive is standard on Trail Boss and above, with Trail Boss starting at $38,495.

Another reason for the growing popularity of midsize pickups is that full-size trucks have become so big and expensive.

Chevrolet is clearly looking to capitalize on that with big truck style, and heaps of performance for the off-road crowd with the mid-size 2023 Chevrolet Colorado.

And, it looks like it will indeed be riding high in its segment for some time to come.

♪ ♪ There's a lot of confusion about electric vehicle charging these days; with various plug configurations, charging speed, as well as the frustration of finding an available charging station and hoping it works when you get there.

Well, that uncertainty is certainly making some buyers hesitant to choose an EV as their next ride.

So, we thought we'd cut through the clutter and plug into the facts on charging up.

♪ ♪ The standard receptacle on all EVs not named "Tesla" is called a J1772 port.

A level 1 cord adapter for household electrical outlets is included with most new EVs.

This will net you about five miles of range for every hour spent plugged in, so it's best suited for long-term parking.

Stepping up to level 2, the same J1772 connector is again used in most cases; but the power feed jumps up to 240 volts, and delivers 10-to-20 miles per hour of charge.

This is the most common type of EV charging in the US with about 61,000 public charging stations and more than 140,000 charge ports available.

The next level up is DC Fast Charging which, as the name suggests, operates on direct current and at much higher voltages.

So, it can replenish upwards of 200 miles of range in under an hour.

If your vehicle's charge receptacle has a flap or removable plug to accept a larger connector, then it is fast charge capable.

Most EV models use the CCS or Combined Charging System connector.

These can be found in more than 7,500 locations nationwide with about 15,000 ports.

Tesla uses their own proprietary connector, now called the North American Charging Standard or NACS for all three charge levels.

Tesla's public Supercharger network only numbers about 2,200 locations in the US, but they generally have more chargers at each station.

So, there's more than 24,000 Supercharger ports available.

That may sound like a lot, but to meet future demand it's estimated we'll need about 1.2 million public charge ports and 26 million private chargers installed within the next few years.

GABE KLEIN: We're adding about 500 a week lately, uh, in terms of ports.

So, we're up to, this morning, like, 163,885-- not that I'm counting every day.

We're gonna see a lot of level 2 ports.

It's going to be about 85, 90 percent of the charging in this country.

But, even though that's true, you still need those DC Fast Chargers so when you're out on the highway, you're making that great American road trip.

JOHN: Most EVs have on-board inverters that convert AC power to DC for the battery.

DC Fast Chargers convert AC to DC before it gets to the car, so they deliver DC power directly to the battery, which is how they charge faster.

Tesla makes adapters available for its customers to use other types of plugs; but until recently, the opposite hasn't been true.

Making big news in recent months, though, is the move by many major car makers to partner with Tesla for access to the Supercharger network.

They'll do this with plug adapters beginning this year but will likely build new EVs with native NACS ports as early as 2025.

Another common frustration for EV drivers is encountering charger equipment that is out of service, malfunctioning or just hard to figure out.

GABE KLEIN: We stood up to ChargeX Consortium with three national labs, and now we have over 75 companies that are involved: Ford, GM, all the big ones and a number of small ones.

And we're figuring out not only how do we make more reliable but more usable, because sometimes somebody will go up to a charger and they just can't figure out how to use it.

We need to make it simpler, easier, make the interface easier.

JOHN: So, while some teething pains remain with America's EV charging infrastructure, the user experience is rapidly improving with the end game to soon make charging up an EV as natural as driving one.

JOHN: A check engine light is not a good thing, but sometimes trouble is all in the ears.

Be it from the engine, suspension, brakes, or whatever; it's usually not a good sign when your car makes a new sound.

But sound can also help solve car problems.

Well, let's give Audra Fordin a listen on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ (engine whines) AUDRA FORDIN: Have you ever started your car and heard a new unpleasant sound?

Well, snap, crackle, pop, and grind may be fine for some breakfast cereals, but it is definitely not something you want to hear coming from your engine.

Today, we're going to listen to some sounds that you might suddenly hear, and what they could mean.

Let's start simple... (brake grinding) If you step on your brake and you hear a screeching sound, like that, chances are you need new brake pads.

The squealing or screeching is thanks to a metal sensor that makes contact with the rotor when your pads are getting close to the end.

If your pads only squeak once, like the car sat overnight, well don't worry about it.

The rotors may have been wet or had some surface rust.

Cold pads, especially performance brakes, might squeak until they've heated up.

Next up is another squeak.

This one is coming from the suspension.

(suspension squeak) If you hear something like that over every bump, odds are your suspension needs a good once over.

It could be something as simple as a loose nut or a bolt.

Make sure all your parts are torqued to spec, and especially if you have aftermarket components.

If you're still driving on original components, it may be a sign that they're starting to wear.

So, reference your odometer and your owner's manual for a checkup.

Getting close to 100,000 miles?

Don't be shocked if your shocks or struts need to be replaced.

Alright let's listen to the next sound.

(belt squeal) Another squeal, but this time it's consistent with the engine's idle, and that is coming from under your hood.

The engine has belts that ride all of the pulleys and the accessories like your air conditioner, your water pump, and your compressor.

As these belts start to wear out, they might squeal, and if that happens, chances are you just need some new belts.

Now, this can be done at home, but without proper tools or proper know-how, well, you'd be better off having a mechanic take a look.

And the same could be said for our next sound.

(engine ticking) A ticking, or knocking, consistent with your rpm, could be very simple, like a bad batch of gas.

So, make sure you're filling up with the right grade, and then give it a go.

If it persists, have your spark plugs checked out.

They might be worn, or just not in sync with the rest of the system.

In some cases, though, a little bit of noise, like mild ticking, or clicking, might be normal, like from fuel-injected vehicles.

They produce a slightly audible click from the injectors.

If in doubt, listen intently to try to track down the general area of the noise, as best as you can, and then explain it to your mechanic in as much detail as you can.

These are just some of the sounds you may hear.

The moral of the story is: if you hear something new, don't wait to find out what could be causing it, because that could leave you stranded or with a very hefty bill that could have been avoided.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Dave's cameras rolling and the wheels are turning right into this week's QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: Earlier this year, we flew out to Southern California to drive the latest Porsche Cayenne.

As it turns out, they weren't done, inviting us to drive two new plug-in hybrid performance models: The Cayenne S E-Hybrid and the Turbo E-Hybrid.

The catch?

Heading east instead of west to Barcelona, Spain.

We started off in the top-performing Turbo E-Hybrid.

Hot laps on the track meant we could experience all 729 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque, mostly derived from a 4.0 liter, twin-turbo V8 engine.

The rest is provided by a 130 kilowatt electric motor, energized by a 25.9 kilowatt hour battery.

If you want to keep things quiet, expect up to 55 miles of electric-only power; plenty of range, just remember to plug in when you can.

On-road and on-track, the included two-chamber, two-valve adaptive air suspension improved both ride quality and handling, and the standard Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus kept the power where it needed to be.

Keep in mind that the Turbo E-Hybrid replaces the Cayenne Turbo, and it's available in both SUV and coupe style... As is the Cayenne S E-Hybrid.

It combines the same battery and motor with a smaller, but still potent turbocharged 3.0 liter V6, totaling 512 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.

Switching into the E-Power driving mode makes running everyday chores a breeze.

KYLE SCANLON: If you need to just pop out for some groceries or do a quick errand, E-Power mode has got you.

You don't have to use any of your fuel and there's plenty of miles on the charge to do a nice round of errands, you know, wherever it is that you happen to live.

And if you live 10 miles away from town, I think you're going to be just fine.

You're not going to run into any issues, there shouldn't be any range anxiety because Porsche has designed this to have enough miles on it that you are not going to have to worry about that while under the E-Power mode.

JESSICA: Porsche's E-Performance Cayenne's are impressive- unfortunately, so are their prices.

Arriving Spring 2024, the S E-Hybrid starts at $100,000 with delivery and $106,000 for the coupe.

The Turbo E-Hybrid starts near $149,000 and $153,000 for the coupe.

We'll have more on these incredible luxury performance utilities and more QuickSpins, soon!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: We all know how awesome it is to get an upgrade; well, we just replaced our 2022 Kia EV6 with this 2023 Kia EV6 GT and my oh my, what an upgrade!

While, the EV6 was a very attractive SUV by any measure, it clearly sheds the commuter car vibe for a much more purposeful design here, with the GT's lower stance and performance hardware on full display.

And not only is it a more powerful EV6, it's the most powerful Kia ever, with 576 horsepower coming from a dual-motor setup featuring a 160 kilowatt front motor and 270 kilowatt rear.

That's 256 more horsepower than what we were dealing with in our EV6 Wind.

But, with the same 77.4 kilowatt hour battery, the GT is rated for just 206 miles compared to 274.

Though, as we've quickly learned over 1,500 miles so far, those miles are packed with a lot more smiles, and it's plenty to get most of us through a weekend's worth of errands.

In our short time so far with this EV6 GT we're finding that, just like in our outgoing EV6 Wind, the range estimate is pretty spot on.

Now, I will say, we're watching those miles tick off a little faster due to our inability to ignore that little voice telling us to trigger GT Mode and go full send.

But to be fair, that happens in gas-powered cars too.

It's going to be a great year plugging into this one!

We'll update you on our Acura Integra's progress on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: Toyota offers a hybrid powertrain in just about everything they make, so it did seem odd that last year, when they debuted an all-new SUV version of their long-time best-selling Corolla, a hybrid was nowhere to be found.

Well, it didn't take long for Toyota to correct that situation, delivering this Corolla Cross Hybrid for 2023.

♪ ♪ With prices for everything seemingly going up daily, we can all use a little more cost efficiency in our lives.

That's a mission that Toyota has been undertaking for some time now and continues to do it with this 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.

The Alabama-built Corolla Cross arrived just last year as Toyota's attempt to bring their best-selling nameplate into the SUV era and give them an additional entry into the most popular automotive segment going right now, small crossovers.

There are some RAV4 styling cues here, but the Corolla Cross is mostly its own deal, and the Hybrid is more than just a fuel-efficient option, it has added performance too.

So, it's offered only in Toyota's S line of trims S, SE, and XSE, where the standard Corolla Cross is available in base L, LE, and XLE.

There are some differences outside, most notably unique front and rear fascia's; the front with a much more aggressive look, with larger grille and blacked-out trim.

Great packaging has it feeling roomier inside than most small 5-seat Utes, straddling the line between subcompact and compact.

And seats are way more comfortable than your typical urban-minded utility.

In fact, the entire interior feels quite upscale, and the layout will be very familiar to those stepping up from an actual Corolla.

Those who put off buying a Corolla Cross until now will be rewarded with upgraded infotainment, as all Hybrid's will come with Toyota's latest 8.0 inch touchscreen multimedia system, standard.

Getting to the heart of the matter, the Corolla Cross Hybrid's fuel-sipping ways are courtesy of the 5th generation of Toyota's Hybrid System which outputs a combined 196 horsepower through its trio of electric motors and naturally aspirated 2.0 liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine, one of those motors operating strictly the rear axle for standard all-wheel-drive.

At our test track, there was a nice little chirp of the tires off the line, but that's where the excitement ended.

So...while, a 7.5 second trip to 60 may not raise your blood pressure, it's a full 3.0 seconds quicker than the standard Corolla Cross we tested last year.

We'll take that!

CVT automatic means engine revs and engine noise both hang relatively high throughout the whole quarter-mile, which took us 15.6 seconds to complete, finishing at a reasonable 90 miles per hour.

The Hybrid also gets a "sport-tuned" suspension, and indeed it felt light and nimble through our cone course, very neutral too, with no noticeable understeer or oversteer.

Steering was light but still provided good feedback.

But the real reward comes in Government Fuel Economy Ratings which are 45-City, 38-Highway, and 42-Combined.

We averaged a great 43.3 miles per gallon of Regular; that's a 40 percent increase over the 30.9 miles per gallon, we averaged in the standard Corolla Cross last year.

But, that does come at a cost, though it's difficult to make direct comparisons with separate trim families, but pricing starts at $29,320 for the Hybrid, about 3-grand over a base all-wheel-drive non-hybrid.

Top XSE comes in at $32,400.

As influential as Toyota is in spreading the hybrid doctrine, it was indeed odd that the Corolla Cross arrived last year without a hybrid option.

Smartly, it didn't take them long to right that wrong, as it was always part of the plan, and the Corolla Cross has benefitted from it greatly.

The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is not just more efficient, it's more capable, and a much better small utility all around.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time when we warm up in a smoking hot hatchback, the new Honda Civic Type R. Then, cool down in a sleek new Buick, the Envista.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

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