Drive Review: Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8 LTZ Auto

I’ve always admired the new Chevrolet Trailblazer. Not because it’s just another SUV, but because it’s an underestimated SUV. Having to compete against the chart-topping Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest – both of which are recently renewed – is no easy task by any means. So if the Trailblazer is not making headway into the dominance of the aforementioned, is it actually worth considering? Is it an SUV that can hold its own when the chips are down?

This is the top-of-the-range Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8-litre diesel. The full name of this SUV is a mouthful – hence it only appears in the title. Being the top model means that, for starters, the visual impression of the vehicle is as such that it is imposing, obtrusive, and unapologetic. The boldness of the Trailblazer ensures that it is a vehicle that will hold its own in any company.

Compared to the latest Fortuner, the Trailblazer looks the more rugged. Though it is due for replacement, it doesn’t have to stand back for anything.

The 2016 Chevrolet Trailblazer is close to 1.9m high, so it means that getting into the SUV is a bit of a climb. But once inside it’s a very average affair – nothing that stands out to make the interior look and feel special. However, it complements the rugged exterior. The touch of the materials and plastics will ensure that the dials and buttons will last for some time.

A nice touch is the huge digital climate control dial in the middle of the centre console. Yes, at first glance it looks a bit much and it does come across as cluttered, but it doesn’t detract from the system’s usability. The touchscreen found on top of the centre console displays all the info from the different media platforms, but the screen is on the small side. You have to make double sure of where you’re touching, otherwise you might enter a function you did not want to access.

Overall the interior is not bad but it is evident that the car’s last upgrade was over two years ago. When judged as to the role the Trailblazer will ultimately fulfil – that of being an all-terrain vehicle – then the interior makes absolute sense and then the simplicity of the layout and materials mitigates its robust appearance.

Other nifty features on this Trailblazer include Bluetooth, a USB and AUX port, leather seats, auto climate control, and electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, to mention a few. Plus, the Chevrolet Trailblazer boasts with seven seats; with the third row folding away into the floor.

Out on the road the Chevrolet Trailblazer is a real bruiser.  It literally eats up the road ahead of it and shows no sign of letting up onwards to a top speed of 180 km/h. The suspension soaks up the road and it ensures a compliant ride, but the steering-feel is a bit numb around centre.

The Trailblazer has a dry weight of 2100kg, so it only makes sense to have this heavy-hitter powered by a big engine. In this case, a turbocharged 2.8-litre diesel engine that produces 144kW and a punchy 500Nm from as low as 2000 r/min.

The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox but the relationship between these two is a bit troublesome at times. In traffic, the gearbox lacks that bit of confidence when having to hook the next gear. But the moment you’re out on the open road that confusion makes way for more determined gearshifts, and then almost nothing can halt your progress.

One can change gears manually by flicking the gear stalk up and down, but there really is no need to do so. The Trailblazer can navigate its gears; it’s just stop-and-go driving that disrupts its flow.

A colleague asked me if I thought the Trailblazer was better than the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest. No, it isn’t, the others boast sophisticated suspension layouts for quieter and smoother city driving and modern connectivity features. They also bring new safety features to the market that the ageing Trailblazer can’t quite match. That could all change when the new Trailblazer arrives…