In General Motors jargon, the Blazer nameplate can trace its roots back to 1969. That’s the year the K5 Blazer went official, a full-size SUV with two doors that went out of production in 1994. Twinned in name with the S-10 pickup-based Blazer (1983 to 2005), South American specification of the Tahoe (1990 to 2000), and TrailBlazer mid-size crossover, the moniker is back for yet another mid-size crossover.
Introducing the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, riding on the C1XX front- and all-wheel-drive platform of the GMC Acadia. And similar to the Acadia, the engine lineup consists of two options: naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 3.6-liter V6.
Even though the moniker doesn’t have anything to do with any of the Blazer’s predecessors, Chevrolet did one thing right with it. And that’s the styling, which borrows the front-end design and cabin layout from the sixth-generation Camaro.
Following the reveal, Chevrolet invited the motoring media to sample the newcomer in every aspect except for the driving part. More to the point, the vehicles featured in the following clips are near-production prototypes.
Ignoring the Chevrolet-like quality of the plastic found throughout the cabin, the reviewers were impressed with the Blazer in more than one aspect. First, there’s the styling, then there’s the practicality (64.2 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume and 4,500 pounds of maximum towing capacity), to which you can add the twin-clutch AWD system that works wonder in the Buick Regal in terms of on-road dynamics.
But then again, it’s a shame there’s no proper 4WD system available. Designed to attract the hip and adventure-oriented customer, the Blazer comes with the 9T50 automatic transmission as standard.
Other cars from the General Motors lineup equipped with this gearbox haven’t been praised by the media, so don’t expect anything better with the Blazer. Adding insult to injury, the Ford Motor Company refused to use the 9T50 in any of its passenger cars or utility vehicles.
Look forward to the 2019 Blazer at a dealership near you in the first quarter of 2019. Oh, and by the way, the Blazer is made in Mexico instead of Spring Hill, Tennessee where the Acadia is manufactured.
Even though the moniker doesn’t have anything to do with any of the Blazer’s predecessors, Chevrolet did one thing right with it. And that’s the styling, which borrows the front-end design and cabin layout from the sixth-generation Camaro.
Following the reveal, Chevrolet invited the motoring media to sample the newcomer in every aspect except for the driving part. More to the point, the vehicles featured in the following clips are near-production prototypes.
Ignoring the Chevrolet-like quality of the plastic found throughout the cabin, the reviewers were impressed with the Blazer in more than one aspect. First, there’s the styling, then there’s the practicality (64.2 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume and 4,500 pounds of maximum towing capacity), to which you can add the twin-clutch AWD system that works wonder in the Buick Regal in terms of on-road dynamics.
But then again, it’s a shame there’s no proper 4WD system available. Designed to attract the hip and adventure-oriented customer, the Blazer comes with the 9T50 automatic transmission as standard.
Other cars from the General Motors lineup equipped with this gearbox haven’t been praised by the media, so don’t expect anything better with the Blazer. Adding insult to injury, the Ford Motor Company refused to use the 9T50 in any of its passenger cars or utility vehicles.
Look forward to the 2019 Blazer at a dealership near you in the first quarter of 2019. Oh, and by the way, the Blazer is made in Mexico instead of Spring Hill, Tennessee where the Acadia is manufactured.