Or you can buy whatever truck you want and sell the bed and seats on craigslist, so you aren't really limited to this model and never have been. I do like that you can get this configuration straight from the manufacturer. They do have their uses: my concrete crew has a 1st gen colorado with an aluminum bed that all it does is deliver small stuff to their different job sites around town. Downtown it's a lot easier to park than their topkick.

It would be interesting to see at least one service bed offered from GM, made by a third party of course, and something lightweight like aluminum that is marketed toward service-type businesses, small contractors, landscapers etc that carry a few things but don't need the weight of a 3/4-ton. Of course the price difference would have to be noticeable, which isn't easy because $24k can already get you a half-ton.

BD ?
Its a new model, WHO is going to BUY the bed you took off?

Maybe 5 years from now when the Colorado rusts out you might be able to sell it, but who is going to buy it now?

@BD a Company called BOCAR does a lot of the Aluminium beads here . From 7ft upwards to roughly 14ft

Well if it's as poorly made as you suggest, you shouldn't have a problem selling replacement parts.

Tom#3 - for once you have said something that is true.

$300 might be close to the cost to make the bed but not enough discount for a bed delete.

Not a good deal. For $300.00 less then a complete truck, I get a truck with no pickup bed and no rear bumper. The tailgate alone is worth $300.00. What a great pricing scheme.

Q:"Its a new model, WHO is going to BUY the bed you took off?"
A:Easy- a body shop. Or a place like LKQ, who sells to body shops.

I would think this would be a better idea for fleet buyers who put a custom built bed for whatever they have. When buying lots for fleet the $300 would make a significant difference. Don't see many private buyers selecting this, nor expect to see many on the lots.

Most businesses that don't need a bed would rather save the $300 than mess with taking it off and selling it. Also with just the chassis it can be adapted to any type of use. I could see a smaller motorized camper made from this Colorado, U-Haul truck, refrigeration unit, stake bed, service body, and many other uses. The V-6 should be able to easily handle many types of loads that don't require an HD or larger. I don't think GM is counting on this being their top selling Colorado, but more like picking up additional customers like businesses that want to adapt a truck for their own specialized uses.

The reality is the beds you will not be able to give away.

We have that here. Like my BT50GT it doesn't come in a cab chassis. There are people who want a tray back highend pickup. So they take the beds off.

The same with rims. A person buys a vehicle and decides to replace the current rims on their vehicle like I did. Could I sell them. Nope. I gave them away as it was easier than disposing of them.

My suspension with only 15 000 miles on it. Could I sell it. Nope. I gave them to the recyclers.

The Colorado will encounter the same issues. Some mid to high end buyers will want a tray. So, they lose $300. They buy a tray and fit it. What do you do with something half the size of a car?

From another perspective, based on my experience, I would never choose the 'box delete' but just get the full truck and then remove the box. The cost savings from the 'box delete' is less than what a new take-off bed and bumper can be sold for. Even though there are many take-offs, the demand at auto body shops generally works in your favor. Prices for brand new factory beds are through the roof, so truck owners and body shops are all too happy to save some $$$.

When I removed my take-off, it was sold in a few days and the body shop sent a flat bed tow truck 35 miles and picked it up at my house. Looking at upgrading to a new tow vehicle soon and I will move the utility bed to the new truck. Selling the take-off bed/bumper will more than cover the cost of putting a simple flat bed on the truck to make it ready for market.

This option was offered on the previous-generation Colorado so it is nothing new. This chassis cab Colorado was never too popular in the United States of America.

To me it seems the popularity of the Colorado (Canyon) has GM thinking about it's "lifestyle vehicle" approach.

A trayback is aimed more at the business/fleet operator.

I would like to see Mark Williams do another review of the Colorado and get some feedback on what he thinks regarding it's capability.

Is it worth making a "HD" variant? It wouldn't be hard. If the chassis can manage the additional weight the suspensions are already being manufactured.

So, you can put a little dump body on the back or a more extravagant body to suit specific functions.

We even have HIABs that bolt on as well as dump bodies. But with the smallish 2 000lb and not over 3 000lb load capacity it makes it harder to make a lightweight dump body, let alone bolt on a crane or even a lift on the back.

http://healygroup.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/01-quicklift-w.jpg

http://www.gitsham.com.au/images/uploads/products/_resized_large/Colorado_RG_Tipper_4.JPG

http://photos.carsguide.com.au/car/0301/7382/2011_holden_colorado_used_3017382_7_l.jpg

http://www.gitsham.com.au/images/uploads/category-images/_resized_thumb/Colorado_RG_Tipper_2.JPG

http://www.bosston.com.au/Portals/0/Anatomy%20Images/canopy-parts-image-IXC1000-web-home-page.gif

http://www.tiptopequipment.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Holden-Colorado-Single-Cab-EURO-Tray-Rear-Rack-Trundle-Tray-Tonneau-Cover-buitl-by-TIP-TOP-EQUIPMENT-1800-35-35-95-6-e1372302982150.jpg
http://www.jandihitch.com/tg_truck.jpg

I could see this as a farm/ranch rig with stake bed. I bet they offer 4x4 sometime down the road. Are the 1/2 ton rigs offered like this?

Does it matter that the bed delete sells in volume? All GM is doing is not attaching a bed to this truck. Agree that most dealers are not going to stock too many Colorado without beds, but how many dealers stock plain white work trucks. A fleet buyer comes in and orders a bunch of white Colorados without beds because the fleet wants to put their own bed for their specific use. A custom body and couch builder wants to build their own custom beds and sell them or do a conversion for a specific market. This is an option for those who don't want to bother with a bed, just as Big Al said the bed is half the size of a car and there is not a huge market for late model beds. A custom builder might not only attach their own bed but could beef up the suspension and the capabilities of this Colorado and make it into a deliver truck or something similar to a conversion van--the possible uses are numerous. I could see GM offering a bed delete with an optional diesel engine which would be perfect for commercial use.

Its Saturday and I am going out new truck shopping.
All prepared with an adult diaper and my smart phone app.

Just to let my friends here at PUTC know you have helped and influenced me a lot transforming me into an expert on all makes of trucks.
I don't need a new truck, my old truck is still like new and it still does the job but money is burning a hole in my pocket and PUTC got me excited about a new truck.
It's going to take a really good truck to excite me and the stars are going to have to line up the right way for me to take it home.
I just wish I could find a salesman that's not fake, like they pretend to be nice and friendly thinking that is going to shake me. They need to understand I am the master of fooling them today using my good looks and charm and it takes one to know one.
I make no bones about it I am going to look at a new Ram 4x4 with the 5.7 Hemi and I want to look at a Colorado IF any dealer has one on stock.
I already did drive a Ram and I know what to expect, but never did a test drive on the Colorado yet, but I know the Chevy Dealer is going to push the Silverado on me instead, but I will hold my ground on the Colorado.

Lovely; could hang a Wonderful Woody box off the back.....something in Mahogany perhaps or Cherry, or even better African Ebony.

All good, GM, but the commercial market is just flooded with product these days with midsize vans especially.

Daimler, Nissan, Ram and Ford all have very attractive product on dealer lots already, including some pretty impressive drivetrain packages.

While I'm super impressed with the Colorado/Canyon as a product, I think GM may end up getting hurt by the market response from business owners.

From a purely business standpoint (not consumer interest) business is still pretty damn soft.

The news media keeps yapping about how great the economy is doing but it looks pretty flat around here. Low interest rates are a clear sign that the economic growth is simply not there yet. As soon as business improves the Fed will raise rates. They have not done so and they keep putting it off.

Unemployment numbers are misleading as hell, because they don't include the impact of folks choosing retirement, folks who quit looking and people who've gamed the system for federal disability benefits (in record numbers).

After adjusting for all that the real unemployment rate (U-6 in govm't speak) is 11 bleeping percent.

Unless there's some real growth in the total workforce numbers, then we're not going to see businesses making the investment in rolling stock, period. GM better hope for a robust interest from consumers until business picks up.

If GM offers the Chevrolet Colorado chassis cab with a pickup truck bed, I will consider the Colorado chassis cab for my next truck.