COLORADO AVALANCHE: A HOCKEY TEAM AND 2 NEW TRUCK NAMES

General Motors will rename two pickup trucks, the compact Chevy S-10 and the GMC Sierra C3 performance model, Ward's has learned. Letters and numbers are out. Rugged geographic names are in.

The Sierra C3 would be redubbed the Sierra Denali, probably beginning with the 2002 model year.

The S-10 is expected to be renamed the Colorado next year when an all-new 2003 model debuts. Colorado is in keeping with other rugged Chevy truck names such as Silverado and Avalanche. It would hold the distinction of the only vehicle named after a state. Put a Colorado and Avalanche side-by-side and what do you have? Two trucks? Or a hockey team?

VW was using the name Colorado internally for an upcoming SUV. But a VW spokesman says it was only a code name, and it's since been dropped. GM recently registered the name with the U.S. Patent Office.