Walkinshaw reveals corner-carving Colorado

WALKINSHAW Automotive has revealed a pair of hardcore tuning options for the Holden Colorado ute, shifting the tradie-loving workhorse from load-lugging mild to corner-carving wild.

However, rather than revive the memory of the somewhat manic supercharged Toyota TRD HiLux, Walkinshaw’s performance tweaks to the big Holden-badged ute are limited to the suspension.

The move by Walkinshaw to expand beyond Holden-badged passenger cars and SUVs – the group already provides go-fast accessories for models including the Commodore large car, Barina hatchback, Captiva soft-roader and Cruze small car – now means Walkinshaw has a foothold in one of the fastest-growing segments of the Australian new-car market.

While the performance upgrade is currently limited to the two main criticisms of the Colorado – its lacklustre ride and handling – Walkinshaw general manager Tony Harris said engine performance upgrades are also under consideration.

“It certainly is something that is a possibility,” Harris said.

“For us, this (Colorado modification) is our first foray into this segment. We specifically focussed on some of the criticisms, some of the negativity about the vehicle, and we wanted to deliver an outcome that was positive to allow us to establish a footprint in this segment.

“The realms of possibility are still out there for us as to how far we can go with this program.”

Walkinshaw will offer two packages for the Colorado, an Xtreme Low Rider kit that lowers the ute’s rear by about 30mm, and an Xtreme High Rider version that raises the ride height at the front by about 50mm and the rear by about 15mm.

Both include specially engineered suspension modifications running to revised spring rates, Bilstein struts, front and rear dampers, bump stops and unique valve coding.

Other changes include bespoke Graphite Black 19-inch alloys clad in Continental ContiCrossContact rubber for the Xtreme Low Rider and Cooper Zeon LTZ off-road rubber for the Xtreme High Rider, a decal package, and cover for the balance of the Colorado’s new-car warranty.

Both packages are priced at $6990, with optional LED daytime-running lights costing an extra $795.

Walkinshaw Automotive claims the products have been designed and engineered to meet the same standards and levels of quality consumers would expect from an original equipment manufacturer.

“The package has been through a rigorous testing program to ensure there is no impact on the vehicles GVM or load carrying capacity, ESC or speedometer calibration,” the company said.