The General held a "Bed Party" and it was massively well attended! The nightie was taken off a new accessories system dubbed GearOn at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in early November that attracted more than 100,000 industry leaders and 60,000 buyers from the U.S. and around the globe. In truth, General Motors first debuted its Chevy Sport Concept at the 2014 Texas State Fair to jump-start the reveal of the GearOn Accessory System, highlighting a line of accessories for its new midsized pickups that have been designed and engineered into the vehicle. The Sport Concept was set up with a pair of mountain bikes and a weekend's cache of gear. Made for the all-new and award- winning '15 Chevy Colorado and '15 GMC Canyon, the add-ons pump up the jam for the work trucks that often see double-duty after hours and on the weekends for buyers with an active lifestyle and a spirit of adventure.
| GearOn Utility Rack: Included as part of the GearOn Utility Rack Package, Utility Rack Stanchions raise the bar on Cargo Management Systems, permitting overhead storage of longer cargo that ordinarily would be placed in the bed.
Casting into the waters of the $33-billion-a-year appearance and performance package market, The General has developed 40 accessories and 9 bed products for the trucks that are the first new models in 12 years. GM also has a wide range of accessories for cars, SUVs, and trucks.
"What's exciting is that we warranty the parts, aligning to vehicle coverage," explains Jennifer Goforth, global accessories engineer, who oversees close to 4,000 accessories across all GM products. "The GearOn system is a Bed Party for functionality!
| GearOn Bed Divider: Included as part of the GearOn Divider Package, this bed divider helps partition the cargo bed and hold gear in place.
"With Colorado and Canyon, we began working on accessories from the beginning, making it a collaborative effort between engineers and designers—and then marketing," offers Goforth, calling the development of the accessories an example of "best practice." "What happens when an owner buys aftermarket can impact the vehicle in some negative way, rather than an application that was designed for the vehicle, tested, and backed by Chevy. For Colorado, we wanted accessories to be different and worked to identify customer wants and needs, collaborating and brainstorming for pickup bed functionality."
| Tonneau Cover—Soft Roll-Up: Shield cargo while helping to protect the bed from harsh weather with this Soft Roll-Up Tonneau Cover. It’s constructed with (or without) integrated crossbows and easily rolls up to allow full access to the bed. It’s available in black with a Bow Tie logo.
GM knew the midsize market is 12 million strong and "we also knew that some of our buyers are going from a fullsize truck to a midsizer and that many are also coming from crossover vehicles, so having the functionality in this sized package was really important," adds Goforth. GearOn is for many different types of sports gear—from mountain bikes to water and winter sports. Many buyers purchase their trucks for work, and the utility system is perfect for the work week as well as the weekend with tie downs, cross rails, utility racks, and a cargo bed divider. What's unique is the ability to store goods below and bikes above.
| Tie-Down Rings—Bed Mounted (left): Movable Cargo Tie-Down Rings are designed to help anchor cargo securely in your truck bed and provide the foundation for other GearOn accessories.
The GearOn system has been weather-tested, corrosion-tested, and load-tested at a component-level validation and vehicle-level validation for squeaks and rattles, as well as for crash worthiness and events like panic braking. Also appealing is the opportunity to get the GearOn at the time of sale as several different systems and have it rolled into the price of the vehicle and installed by the dealer—plus, it keeps the warranty intact!
"It's not just mountain bikes, but just about any passion you can name, from kayaking, fishing, dirt bikes, and more," says Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager. "It's a truck for those who need the versatility of a pickup to support their work and lifestyle interests but don't need a fullsize truck to do it."
| GearOn Pickup Box Carrier Cross Rails: These Tiered Storage Cross Rails provide the foundation for other GearOn accessories. They enable the tiered storage of accessories in the bed of your Colorado.
Johnson was extolling the virtues of the '15 Colorado (and stablemate Canyon) that is available in extended- or crew-cab models, with a choice of a 2.5L four-cylinder or 3.6L V-6 engine. The Colorado's 2.5L is the segment's most efficient, says Chevy, with an EPA-estimated 27 mpg on the highway (two-wheel-drive models), and the 3.6L V-6 is the most powerful, at 305 hp. It also boasts the segment's highest trailering rating—7,000 pounds, when properly equipped, along with a maximum payload capacity of 1,590 pounds. Johnson added that at the back end of the Colorado (and Canyon) are truck features that offer conveniences not found in competitors' vehicles, including an easy lift-and-lower tailgate and rear bumper assist steps, which ease cargo loading.
| The Chevrolet Colorado Sport Concept, revealed at the State Fair of Texas, jump-started the exposure of the GearOn Accessory System.
Innovative and adjustable, GearOn allows customers to stow larger items such as bikes and kayaks above the bed, leaving room for smaller gear, such as coolers and tents, inside the bed. GearOn was at the heart of the Colorado Sport concept's package of lifestyle and personalization accessories, but separate and additional accessories are all available from Chevy dealers. They include: assist steps, cargo rings, splash guards, tiered storage, bike rack, cargo divider, and wheel lip moldings. The Colorado Sport was also set up with unique concept wheels that are now being evaluated for future production.
| As seen by this concept show truck, the Colorado can be nicely accessorized for adventure, whether it be a sandy beach camping trip, a snowy mountain expedition to the work spot, or a nice trail run to the secret fishing hole.
