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2015 Chevy Colorado gets its GearOn before Chicago

Complementing the Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show is this, the 2015 Colorado GearOn Edition, which as the name might suggest, takes full advantage of the company's truck accessory catalog. Available on the volume LT trim and in both crew and extended cab varieties and with both the short and long-bed options, the GearOn Edition adds plenty of nifty extras designed to increase the truck's versatility and help accommodate bikes, kayaks and other outdoorsy items. The GearOn bars package, divider package and tie-down rings are supplemented an "EZ" lift and lower tailgate, side steps, gloss black 18-inch wheels, a body color grille, and blacked-out Chevy badges. And although it's not specifically called out in the attached press release, the paint on this special edition looks different than anything else in the truck's catalog. We dig it, especially with the black accents. Prices, meanwhile, start at $31,250, which is not even $1,200 more than a Colorado Extended Cab LT 4x4. We'll have more on the Colorado GearOn when it makes its debut later this week at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, including live images to add to the pair of stocks distributed by Chevy. Until then, scroll down for the press release on the limited-edition truck. Chevy Colorado GearOn™ Edition Brings More Adventure Versatile accessories package maximizes cargo capability; enables more fun DETROIT – Chevrolet today introduced the 2015 Colorado GearOn™ Special Edition, which blends the capability of the all-new midsize pickup truck with the versatility of the GearOn accessory system – and additional popular features. It makes its public debut Feb. 13-22 at the Chicago Auto Show. The Colorado GearOn Special Edition goes on sale this spring with a starting price of $31,250. It's offered on LT models in extended or crew cab configurations, with the long or short cargo bed and available 4WD. "Chevrolet Colorado answers the call for customers who have passions of all types and the GearOn accessory system enables them to bring more adventure wherever they go," said Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager. "And with Colorado offering segment-leading efficiency and capabilities, it's a combination that maximizes adventure without compromise." The GearOn accessory system is designed for easy configuration with a multitude of mounting accessories for everything from bikes, kayaks, skis and stand-up paddle boards to a bed-mounted tent.

It's possible to go 111 miles on electricity in the new Chevy Volt

Wayne Gerdes at CleanMPG put the 2016 Chevrolet Volt in Premiere trim through a few closely watched on-the-road tests over a few days. One of them was a run from full charge to EV-only exhaustion, and at the end of the trip Gerdes had traveled 111.0 indicated miles on a single charge, 111.9 according to his Garmin. What's the catch? He guessed his average speed was about 20 miles per hour, which was 15 and 20 mph around town and "a few miles" at 50 mph on the highway. The EPA says the new Volt should go 53 miles on battery power. In the 2011 Volt, rated at 38 electric miles, Gerdes got 75.5 miles on a charge. The upshot is that at urban driving at average speeds should get drivers the EPA rated 53 e-mpg without fuss. He wasn't so impressed with performance in Charge Sustaining Mode, though. During one run that covered 101.2 actual miles in CSM, using 1.691 gallons, the Volt got 59.8 mpg. Speaking of driving in CSM only, Gerdes said it's less efficient here than in competitors from Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai, but that's one of the few performance-related complaints he had. Elsewhere around the PHEV, Gerdes liked improvements to the eight-inch display and rear-view camera, build and design quality, the much quieter ride, and the switch to regular fuel. The six-foot Gerdes found the cabin space still cozy, especially in the back where ingress and egress could be a challenge for people of a certain stature. He lamented the fact that he couldn't find instantaneous fuel and energy consumption or among the many readouts, and would prefer the sedan kicked into glide mode sooner. In spite of that, he declares the Volt II "a full blown electric car." Head over to CleanMPG for the rest of his assessment.

'84 MotorWeek Cherokee, Bronco and Blazer comparison indulges your SUV nostalgia

These days, truck-based, full-frame SUVs are somewhat of a rarity on the auto landscape due to the rapid rise in popularity of easier-driving, car-based crossovers. Although, without the gradually building popularity of these chunky, high-riding vehicles decades ago, it's unlikely that America's roads would be filled with so many CUVs today. In its latest dig into the archives, MotorWeek has found a 1984 comparison test of a trio of these early Sport Utility Wagons, as long-time host John Davis called them, that helped get acceptance of this segment going. This is a red, white and blue test of the SUVs from American automakers at the time and pits the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Bronco and Jeep Cherokee (specifically in Wagoneer guise) against each other. Driving manners and interior usability are considered in the evaluation, but Motorweek actually takes these vehicles off road, too. Among the bigger revelations is the improvement in on-road ability in the past 30 years. While specific 0-60 times aren't given, all three models take around 10 seconds just to get to around 50 miles per hour in the 500-feet on-ramp acceleration test. Check out this clip to see just how far this segment has progressed in the past three decades or just get a blast of nostalgia from these now vintage models. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Chevrolet Ford Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles Classics Videos Ford Bronco chevy blazer