2026 Chevy Colorado Towing & Payload

The 2026 Chevy Colorado is a versatile midsize pickup equally adept at tackling demanding jobsites, weekend lake trips, and off-road adventures alike. If you’re in the market for a pickup truck, there’s a good chance you’re looking to haul big loads — either in your truck bed itself or through trailering, or both of course. Understanding the maximum towing and payload capacities of a truck is crucial before making a purchase, so that’s what we’re here to give you the rundown on today.

 

Before we dive in, let’s get some baseline information. The latest iteration of the Chevy Colorado is powered by a 2.7L TurboMax engine across all trim levels. It’s capable of generating up to 310 horsepower alongside 430 pound-feet of torque, and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Colorado is also offered in one exclusive configuration, which features a four-door Crew Cab architecture with a five-foot short bed.

When properly equipped from the factory, the 2026 Colorado achieves a best-in-class maximum towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of up to 1,710 pounds. But these ratings vary greatly depending on your chosen trim level and drivetrain, and whether or not you opted for the Advanced Trailering Package.

 

Without this package, the Colorado can trailer up to 3,500 pounds across the board, excepting the ZR2 models which feature a standard hitch receiver so their max capacity is the same with or without the package. Equipping the available Advanced Trailering Package, on the other hand, unlocks the maximum 7,700-pound rating. The table below lays out this information for you.

Trim Level	Drivetrain	Standard Towing Capacity	Max Towing Capacity (with Package)	Max Payload Capacity
WT	2WD / 4WD	3,500 lbs	7,700 lbs	1,710 lbs (2WD) / 1,700 lbs (4WD)
Custom	2WD / 4WD	3,500 lbs	7,700 lbs	1,710 lbs (2WD) / 1,700 lbs (4WD)
LT	2WD / 4WD	3,500 lbs	7,700 lbs	1,710 lbs (2WD) / 1,700 lbs (4WD)
Trail Boss	4WD	3,500 lbs	7,700 lbs	1,570 lbs
Z71	4WD	3,500 lbs	7,700 lbs	1,590 lbs
ZR2	4WD	6,000 lbs	6,000 lbs	1,310 lbs
ZR2 Bison	4WD	5,500 lbs	5,500 lbs	Varies by equipment

 

If towing is important to you, you’re definitely going to want to opt for the Advanced Trailering Package. This is how you unlock the max 7,700-pound trailering capacity across most trim levels. Only the ZR2 – and, by extension, the ZR2 Bison – differ in this regard, as they are only able to trailer up to 6,000 and 5,500 lbs. respectively. The package includes a heavy-duty, frame-mounted 2” hitch receiver in order to achieve the higher rating, plus several additional features.

• An Integrated Trailer Brake Controller for precise brake force control directly from the cab, syncing braking across the truck and trailer.
• A seven-wire electrical harness and seven-pin sealed connector for connecting your trailer’s lights and brakes to your vehicle.
• An automatic locking rear differential, which will lock when sensing a significant difference in wheel speed, letting the rear wheels turn in unison to enhance traction.
• An in-vehicle Trailering App, which includes features like testing your trailer lights, security alerts and mileage tracking, reminders for tow/haul and trailer maintenance, and more.

The Colorado ZR2 models are different because they utilize factory lift kits, wider track stances, and much more. They come with the upgraded trailer hitch as a standard feature, but you can still opt for the Advanced Trailering Package for the additional features.