Facelifts are a wonderful thing. Not only in the cosmetic sense – but more so when it refers to a car being updated, bringing it to the forefront of current technology and style.
The Holden Colorado’s facelift back in Q3 2016 was a huge leap forward for the model, but one major area where it’s feeling a lot fresher is inside the cabin. The pre-facelift Colorado was often on the receiving end of much hate, especially concerning the outdated interior.
Having spent nearly five months with the ute now, we’re quite impressed with how the cabin has been standing up to the test of time. There are next to no signs of wear on the leather covered seats, with only minor buckling occurring on the seat base. The hard plastic surfaces are super simple to clean with a wet rag and the car looks good as new again.
Likewise, the eight-inch touchscreen stays relatively fingerprint-free – much to the pleasure of those of us at CarAdvice Melbourne with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Its functionality has proven itself as well, with the inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – as well as standard satellite navigation – you’re not left wanting for more. Although a very personal thing, we think the design of the home screen needs a refresher though.
Ordinarily, Apple CarPlay is a novel concept that sees a lot of use in our office. But considering how capable the standard infotainment unit is (and how reliably Bluetooth pairs), there’s no real need to bring along a phone cord in order to use CarPlay, also resulting in less stolen lightning cables.
The Bluetooth call quality is good, and the voice control system is one of the best out there. It’s intuitive, quick to dispatch your command and almost always understands what you’re talking about – which is more than can be said about Paul Maric…
The materials used in the cabin are generally nice, especially considering the previous car, but won’t set the world on fire in terms of luxuriousness. Holden decided to keep the old leather steering wheel during the facelift, and while it may not look particularly nice, it feels nice in hand and is grippy when put into practice. The hardy plastic covering the dash top and doors is at least easy to clean as well.
Our Z71 often gets used while out on our video shoots, and some of the complaints we’ve heard from the team often refer to the lack of storage up front. Although there’s a deep glovebox for booklets and bottles, there’s not much quick-access space, with the cupholders being the go-to spot for phone, wallet and keys.
Once on the move though, it’s a pretty comfortable place to spend time, even on road trips. The seats are cushy and supportive and feature two stages of heating, but unfortunately no lumbar support. Seating position up front is nice and high, which makes vision out over the tray painless.
Back seat passengers are afforded plenty of foot and headroom, and there’s just enough knee room to be comfortable. The rear bench is annoyingly low though, so most passengers will have their knees up in the air. A cool storage spot hides underneath the rear bench, which houses just about enough room for a wrench and a hammer – lucky tradies.
Amenities for the second row is lacking though. There are no cupholders apart from those in the doors, and there’s no USB outlets – only one 12 volt point.
We’re quite impressed with the Colorado considering where they’ve come from and what the competition has to offer. As long as it keeps standing the test of time – the interior gets a big tick from us.
2017 Holden Colorado Z71
- Odometer reading: 25,610 km
- Travel since the last update: 2671km
- Fuel consumption on trip: 10.4L/100km
- Fuel cost since previous update: $223.67
Click the Photos tab above for more images by Tom Fraser.
MORE: 2017 Holden Colorado Z71 review: Long-term report three – off-road
MORE: 2017 Holden Colorado Z71 review: Long-term report two – accessories
MORE: 2017 Holden Colorado Z71 review: Long-term report one – introduction
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