FAR and away Holden’s best-selling model in Australia, the Colorado ute managed to hold onto fourth place in the segment sales charts in 2018 despite a substantial 15.6 per cent dip in deliveries compared with the previous year.

This was against the backdrop of a segment that was up 4.7 per cent for the year, capping off a disastrous 2018 for Holden, with buyer abandonment of the brand resulting in a 32.7 per cent sales decline overall.

A slump like this will no doubt lead to some belt-tightening at Holden, but the good news for fellow belt-tighteners is that the most affordable way into a brand-new Colorado dual-cab – the base LS trim tested here – is unlikely to leave you feeling short-changed. We really liked it.

It sounds cruel, but if you’re in the market for a Colorado, haggle hard as you’re likely to do well out of the current level of dealer desperation. Make an offer and they’ll likely bite your arm off.