Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet Trailblazer, a powerful Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) from General Motors (GM), is currently in production at the American manufacturer's Rayong-based production facility in Thailand. According to company officials, the production of this SUV is in full swing as it added the third assembly line at its facility in May 2012 to develop this model. The second generation Trailblazer is based on the Colorado pick-up truck, and both of them share the engine configurations. On the other hand, the first generation of the SUV was designed on the platform of GMT360, a truck.

Chevrolet Trailblazer's latest edition was unveiled by GM at the Dubai Auto Show held in 2011. Chevrolet Trailblazer is expected to be delivered in around 50 auto markets of Asia from its production unit in Rayong. It is anticipated that the car will make its presence felt on Indian roads either in late 2012 or in initial months of 2013. The model will be offered with two diesel engines of different configurations, which are expected to set benchmarks in its segment.

Chevrolet Trailblazer will be launched in the Indian industry from Thailand via Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits. These CKD kits will be assembled at the company’s production centre based in Halol, Gujarat. The procedure planned by General Motors will keep the price of the car quite competitive in the market and, thus, the car will be available between Rs. 17 and 21 lacs. Reportedly, the model will be placed against Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Mitsubishi Outlander, which currently rule the premium SUV segment in India.

Chevrolet Trailblazer is a hotly anticipated car among Indian auto enthusiasts; however, the chances of this car hitting the roads in the country are still in doldrums. The main reason conceived behind this is said to be Chevrolet’s only SUV in India, Captiva, which is waiting for a facelifted avatar to be introduced in the domestic market by the end of this year. The revamped version of Captiva was showcased at 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo held in the national capital and the company has planned to assemble it in India, which will reduce its high price tag. Owing to this, General Motors is required to scratch the price of Trailblazer in order to place it below the new Captiva, whose price is currently fixed at Rs. 22 lacs. However, this will be considerably difficult for the company as Trailblazer is fitted with a much more powerful engine than the one incorporated in the new Captiva and is bigger in size than its higher priced sibling.

Engines and Specifications of Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet Trailblazer will be offered with an option of two diesel engines, namely a 2.8 litre 4-cylinder Duramax turbo engine and a 2.5 litre engine. The 2.8 litre is used in the Colorado pickup, which is also included in line-up of the manufacturer. This powertrain will be capable of churning out maximum power of 180 bhp and peak torque of 470 Nm. It is expected that the base variant of the Chevrolet Trailblazer will be assimilated with a 2.5 litre engine, which will have the potential to generate a maximum power of 150 bhp and torque of 350 Nm.

Chevrolet Trailblazer’s two engines are expected to be incorporated with either a 5 speed manual transmission or a 6 speed automatic gearbox. The fine torque produced by the engine of Trailblazer will be delivered to all four wheels, which will provide the SUV an improved overall performance.

Performance of Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet Trailblazer is a conventionally built SUV that is designed on a ladder chassis similar to that of Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner. This type of drive chassis enables any vehicle to support tremendous amounts of weight without any strain. Keeping in mind the constant hike in fuel prices, General Motors India will design the Indian version considering the fuel efficiency. The engine of the Trailblazer is assimilated with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) technology, which will enable it to deliver high mileage and low carbon emissions.

Chevrolet Trailblazer’s 2.5 litre diesel engine is anticipated to cover a distance of 13 kmpl, which is fairly acceptable from the engine of a powerful SUV. On the contrary, the 2.8 litre diesel powertrain of this model is expected to deliver fuel economy of 12 kmpl. With decent mileage, the engine of Trailblazer attains a remarkable top speed of 170 kmph and will be able to smoothly take the car to 100 kmph from initial within a short span of time.

Exterior, Interior & Safety Features of Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet Trailblazer is a luxurious SUV which will have ample space for seven individuals. In order to make the seating arrangement more efficient and well-organised, the middle row can be split in 60:40 ratio, whereas the last row can be divided in 50:50 ratio. Considering its exteriors, the car boasts of several advancements which will certainly make it a head-turner on Indian roads. Features like new roof rails, projector headlights, pillarless rear windscreen, toned down roofline and a two-part grille will be some of the exterior features of the Trailblazer. Besides these, advancements like chrome bar in the air dam with wind ducts on both sides of the bumper and rising beltline will add to the appealing nature of the model.

Chevrolet Trailblazer’s list of features will also include muscular 20 inch new aluminium wheels that will be imposed on Cooper Zeon LTZ tyres that will project an aggressive look to the car. In addition to these, the projected Outer Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs) with LED turn signals and complete LED package will provide a eye-catching look to the SUV. Enhancements like thick B Pillar and chrome fillings will be also seen in the car, which leaves no room for analysts to criticise its exteriors. The wide grille of Trailblazer is smartly sketched with chrome and it also holds the trademark Chevrolet bowtie.

Chevrolet Trailblazer’s hood is designed with character lines that flow from its kidney grille and reach the top. With the front sloping roof of this model, its tinted windscreen appears to be quite small. The raw approach of Trailblazer is further enhanced by its solid chrome fillings, which are also included in the lower portion of its bumpers. These fillings are further extended to the side wind ducts of the car, which are also sketched using chrome. With these layouts, the efforts of General Motors to sprinkle chrome at exteriors can be clearly observed.

Chevrolet Trailblazer’s interiors will be provided with advanced comfort features which will grab the interest of its passengers. All the seats of this model are strategically designed and offer the same level of satisfaction and comforts to all occupants. The new SUV by General Motors is considered as the perfect blend of comfort and utility. From the sides, Trailblazer exhibits the perfect outfit of an off-roader, characterised by high ground clearance and an elongated rear windscreen that also touches the sides of the car. The quarter glass is quite small, which reduces window frames and gives the touch of a crossover to the model. It was found that professionals appointed for designing the car in Brazil were keen to provide a ‘body-in, wheels out’ design to it. This made the car look sportier due to high approach and departure angles, which will now be its USP.

Chevrolet Trailblazer is expected to possess a number of advanced safety features, which will together ensure the complete safety of its passengers. These advancements include hill descent control, panic brake assist, dynamic rear braking proportioning, engine drag control, traction control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). With these advanced features, the SUV will be at par with other contenders of same segment in terms of safety.

Competitors of Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet Trailblazer will deliver stiff competition to the big players of premium SUV segment. The segment is currently ruled by Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Mitsubishi Outlander. Toyota Fortuner is available only in a D-4D intercooler turbocharger, 4 cylinder, in-line diesel engine which has a displacement of 2982 cc. The 16 valve DOHC engine of Fortuner has the potential to churn out a maximum power of 168 bhp at 3600 rpm, whereas it attains peak torque of 343 Nm at a fairly low 1400-3400 rpm. In order to deliver a hassle free drive, the Fortuner is incorporated with a double wishbone suspensions in front and 4-link with lateral rod system at rears. Although the engine size of Fortuner is bigger than that of Chevrolet Trailblazer, it has relatively less output. However, both the cars offer ample space and can easily seat seven passengers.

Chevrolet Trailblazer will also square off against Ford Endeavour, which is available with an option of two engines, namely a 2.5 litre and 3.0 litre engine. Both the TDCi engines of this model are assimilated with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) technology that enhances its performance. The 2.5 litre engine has a displacement of 2499 cc, which generates maximum power of 140 bhp at 3500 rpm with highest torque of 330 Nm at a fairly low 1800 rpm. On the other hand, the 3.0 litre engine has a displacement of 2953 cc which churns out maximum power of 152 bhp at 3200 rpm. Besides, the peak torque generated by this engine stands at 380 Nm at a low 2500 rpm. Ford has offered a number of advanced safety features within Endeavour that make the car a safe means of local transit. These include Ford dynamic safety engineering, door intrusion side beams, collapsible steering column, dual stage driver and front passenger airbags and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Among the abovementioned features, some have been incorporated within the Trailblazer as well.

Chevrolet Trailblazer will also compete against Mitsubishi Outlander, which is one of the most robust cars in this segment. The car is assimilated with a 2.4 DOHC 16 valve MPI MIVEC engine which has displacement of 2360 cc. Maximum power generated by the engine of this car stands at 166 bhp at 6000 rpm, while it attains peak torque of 226 Nm at 4100 rpm. The engine incorporated in the Outlander is slightly smaller than the one provided in Trailblazer but it generates more power than the latter.