The front has been heavily refreshed, with a new grille and sleeker headlamps.
At first glance, you may be fooled into thinking that the new Trailblazer is mainly a wheels-and-stickers upgrade.
Spending time with the upgraded SUV, however, reveals a plethora of improvements versus my pre-facelift daily driver.
Here are some of the features we discovered in the new Trailblazer:
1. Lighter, nimbler feel
This is due to the new steering system of the Trailblazer. The higher variants now get electrically assisted power steering.
This results in a much lighter steering wheel, making manuevering around traffic easier.
It also gives the Trailblazer a more car-like steering feel.
2. Quieter engine
The engine in our top Z71 Trailblazer variant is still the 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel with turbocharging and common-rail injection.
The engine was upgraded some time ago to its current 200-hp output, which is maintained in the current generation.
Torque is still at the top of its class, at 500 Nm. The engine and six-speed automatic transmission makes quick work of steep slopes and stoplight getaways.
3. Cabin improvements
Likewise contributing to the quieter cabin are thicker glass and additional sound insulation.
The cabin gives a more premium feel, particularly with the new soft-touch dashboard.
The cabin gives a more premium feel, particularly with the new soft-touch dashboard.
We miss the dual gloveboxes of the previous panel, but otherwise the new interior looks and feels more upscale.
Taking center stage is the new touchscreen audio control panel. It’s compatible with Apple CarPlay, so the screen can mirror the main iPhone apps, while allowing access to Siri hands-free controls.
4. Sharpened looks
The Trailblazer has been snazzied up with new 18-inch alloy wheels, done in black for the top Z71 variant.
The Z71, Chevrolet’s designation for its top-of-the-line trucks, also gets hood decals and additional badging on the front seat headrests.
The front has been heavily refreshed, with a new grille and sleeker headlamps. The lamps now feature available daytime running lights.
5. Electronic safety aids
The Trailblazer is equipped with standard ABS and EBD for the brakes.
The top variant also gets traction control, hill descent control, and electronic stability control.
Center stage is a new touchscreen audio control panel.
Hill start assist keeps the car in place after you release the brake pedal, to avoid rolling down a slope. It works in reverse gear, too.
Then there’s the new lane departure warning, blind zone warning, rear cross traffic alert, and forward collision alert.
6. Convenience features
The top Z71 gets a whole load of premium features, including leather seating, power driver’s seat, automatic lights and wipers, self-dimming rear view mirror, and power folding exterior mirrors.
Previous features, which made the Trailblazer a compelling choice, remain.
There’s the seven-seat cabin with theater-style seating for the second row. Too bad the middle row doesn’t slide forward, leaving the third row with limited legroom.
The Trailblazer has been snazzied up with new 18-inch alloy wheels, done in black for the top Z71 variant.
The Trailblazer can traverse 800 mm of water, and has 253 mm (nearly 10 inches) of ground clearance. Getting in always involves a hop or using the step board.
The Trailblazer’s upgrades help it keep up with the rapidly evolving truck-based seven-seat SUV pack.
Wrapping the powerful engine in a more stylish body and installing lots of creature comforts in the revised interior give it quite a boost in value.
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