General Motors was not in very good shape after dodging the bankruptcy bullet during the 2007 world financial crisis, but it still had to refresh its vehicle lineup, such as the 2009 Colorado pickup.
GM worked together with Isuzu to develop the Chevrolet Colorado/Isuzu D-Max lineup and, in 2003, it represented a very good deal in the compact pickup segment. It even used the same chassis to built the smallest Hummer on the market, named the H3. Usually, after four or five years, the carmaker had to show a mid-life cycle refresh for the Colorado. Yet, it didn’t. Its money was going down the drain and its European branch, Opel, worsened the situation. Eventually, Chevrolet brought the updated Colorado in 2009 with three body versions. The Regular Cab was the base model or the workhorse from its family.

There was a new front fascia for the Colorado, which was inspired by its bigger brother, the Silverado. Depending on the trim level, it featured a body-colored horizontal bar between the headlights that crossed over the grille and supported the bow-tie badge. On the upper trim level, the carmaker offered that bar along with the bumpers in chromed finish. The Regular-Cab version featured two doors and a six-foot (1.83 m) bed in the back. In the 2WD version, it offered a lower ground clearance than in the 4x4 version. Its steel-wheels were fitted as standard while light-alloys were on the options list.

Inside, the carmaker offered a base model with automatic transmission for the U.S. market but with cranked windows and a manual air-conditioning system. Even though it was designed mainly as a work truck, Chevrolet offered the option for higher trim levels that included better sound systems and power-windows.