Anticipation has been building around the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer for quite a while. The once midsize SUV of the past is losing some real estate but is getting upgraded as a modern crossover SUV. This SUV is a sporty vehicle on the outside, with an appealing two-tone paint option and a curvy shape. On the inside, drivers will gain safety features to make the head spin, and passengers will enjoy spacious, roomy seating. If you’re looking for a vehicle to get you to the beach or the ski lifts in comfort and style, the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer is worth a look.
What’s interesting is how the Trailblazer is being priced. The Trax, which is the compact SUV of Chevy’s lineup, is more expensive than the larger Trailblazer, which may give buyers pause. Who will buy the Trax if they can get more vehicles for less? Speculation will no doubt ensue, but whatever Chevy’s reasoning is for the pricing, the Trailblazer has some attractive features potential buyers will want to see.
Pricing, Trims, and Powertrain
The 2021 Trailblazer will be offered in five trim levels and starts at an MSRP of $19,000. It will come with two engine options: a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged with a CVT that will deliver 137 hp with 162 pounds of torque, or the 1.3-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged with a 9-speed automatic transmission that will provide 155 hp with 174 pounds of torque. The 1.2-liter engine will be paired with front-wheel drive only, but the option to add all-wheel drive is available for the 1.3-liter.
Trims will be defined as the base (or L), LS, LT, Activ, and RT. Each trim will come standard with front safety technology and LED daytime running lights, as well as the 1.2-liter engine with front-wheel drive. The attractive two-tone paint option will be available only on the Activ and RT trims, while the LS trim will come standard with the front passenger seat that folds flat.
Interior and Cargo Space
The layout of the command center is pleasing in terms of design, with attention to the centrally-located infotainment, vents, and even door pull designs, all echoing the same shape detail. More interesting is the center console, which has a more future-leaning appearance with tech, vents, storage, and shift knob located there. In the upper trim levels, the option for two-tone interior color will be an option, and it does give the interior a pop of the same sporty appearance to be found on the exterior.
Room for passengers should be far more enjoyable for taller folk relegated to the back seats, as Chevy is claiming to have the most room of any vehicle in its class. What’s more exciting is the choice to change the way the back seats fold. If you think about it, the 40/60 split makes more sense than the 60/40, which just means that the more slender portion of the seat is behind the driver, instead of the passenger seat. This opens up the options for storage in a whole new way if you happen to be a skier, snowboarder, or surfer, but also if you want to load anything into the space that opens when the front passenger seat is folded down.
Think about the last time you had to go out to buy a dresser or pick it up from a garage sale. If you had to fold down the whole back seat and flatten the front passenger seat to make it fit, you didn’t have any room for the person who probably had to help you do the loading. How much more convenient to have the seats split to accommodate larger items all the way to the front of the SUV, and to have seat room for another person, too?
This design is smart on Chevy’s part, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it become part of future designs of other vehicles, too. One last detail not to be forgotten is the adjustable bed for the rear cargo area. This cover for the spare tire well in the trunk can be placed in a few different positions, which will allow for more options in packing or covering things in the back.
Exterior
Starting with the front presentation, the 2021 Trailblazer has a prominent grille and front end design. It has a somewhat rounded, chunky appearance that makes it look fun to drive, and Chevy has made an effort to blend headlights, foglamps, and tailpipes into the lines of the vehicle to allow for less interruption of the natural gaze of the eye. Even the taillights blend rather than extrude from the body, an attractive choice in terms of the overall look. The midsection of the vehicle gains a waistline with a slimming, sculpted body over the doors, and the back end has a sharper finish with the pointed eye-like tail lights and the spoiler over the rear window.
The two-tone feature of the roof upgrades the look, though even the body with a single color will still have something of a two-tone look with the wheel wells and running boards fitted with black surround. Again, it lends to the sporty vibe, though the experience of whether or not this vehicle will drive that way is yet to be determined. Chevy offers three driving modes—normal, all-wheel drive, and sport mode—but there is no indication of which trim levels will receive these options.
Safety and Infotainment
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are part of the draw with the new Trailblazer, especially if you purchase the option for the wireless versions of these desirable features. Wireless charging will also be available, but all of these choices will likely be extras. Additionally, Chevy is partnering with Google and Amazon to include options like having packages delivered to your vehicle in certain cities, having your Alexa connected to your SUV to operate certain functions remotely, or having similar capabilities with Google services.
Whatever you can already do with your smartphone or Alexa at home, you may now be able to do with your vehicle. Imagine being able to tell your car to start by talking to your smartphone while still in a distant area of a shopping mall, or asking either Alexa or Google to tell you how many miles you can drive with the fuel left in the tank.
Other features like the power liftgate, front collision mitigation, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, pedestrian alert, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, rear camera, teen driver tech, and rear seat reminder for little ones in the back are all standard features. The safety suite can have additional features added, with most of those being related to back-end views and warnings, plus adaptive cruise control and side blind-spot alert.
The Trailblazer
The 2021 Chevy Trailblazer has yet to be driven by critics, but it is receiving excellent reviews on the appearance and comfort from those who have seen the new design. As a crossover SUV, this is still considered on the smaller side of the class. The option to have up to 54 cubic feet of cargo space is undoubtedly a mark in favor of the size. With great looks, size, technology, and safety, the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer is going to be a new favorite when it hits the lots.
