SUV Review: 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS

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It’s a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, isn’t it? Automakers, especially but not exclusively the Big Three, have been shedding their formerly profitable car lines, claiming consumers have shifted their attention to all manner of crossovers. So, it becomes rather obvious that, lacking a car model to consider, these same consumers start buying more crossovers.

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And not just from the traditional segments, either. One of the most active is the “in-betweeners,” a relatively new sub-segment of crossovers that slot in size between the subcompact and compact models. Think Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Qashqai, etc. Now, courtesy of General Motors, come the new Buick Encore GX and its fraternal twin, the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the subject of this review.

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Hypothetically, where a year or two ago one might have walked into a Chevy dealership and, looking for an economical, family-sized compact sedan, glommed onto the Cruze, that same person would now likely be scoping out the Trailblazer. Different, well, because one’s a sedan and the other a crossover. Plus, GM’s marketing department will clearly target a younger audience and their so-called active lifestyles. Yet in many ways there’s a similar vibe, just that the Trailblazer comes with a healthier profit margin for the company.

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The compact hauler starts off at $23,698 for the base front-wheel-drive LS, with another $2,200 for AWD. Moving up the price ladder past the LT and Activ, one comes to this top-of-the-line RS ($30,398 before options), the sportiest-looking and most youth-oriented model, what with its “performance-inspired” mesh grille with black Chevy bowtie and unique front splitter elements “to define its sporty demeanor.” It’s a stylish look, the two-tone RS taking some of its styling cues from the larger Blazer , which in turn gets its cues from the Camaro.

That said, the Trailblazer is about as mild-mannered as vehicles in its segment get. And despite the macho connotation of its name, this Chevy will be more adept at tackling a Costco parking lot than the Rubicon trail. Like most of the competition, it’s a soft-roader mall assault vehicle, though the Activ trim level attempts a tougher demeanor with shock tuning — supposedly to enhance performance and ride comfort when traveling on gravel roads — as well as extra ground clearance and Hankook Sport Terrain 17-inch tires.

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In one key area, though, there’s a decided uniqueness about the Trailblazer, something uncommon within the small crossover community, and something GM hasn’t been particularly upfront about — its models are powered by turbocharged three -cylinder engines; a 1.2-litre for front-wheel-drive versions and another 100 cubic-centimetres for the AWD models. Speaking about the latter, kudos to GM’s powertrain engineers; that tiny 1.3L punches out a substantial 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque, more or less equivalent to the output of a regular normally aspirated four-cylinder. It’s mated to a nine-speed automatic.

Yet, considering GM has no shortage of four-cylinder engines throughout its model range — both turbocharged and normally aspirated — one has to wonder why not just stuff one of those under the Trailblazer’s hood. Suggesting the lighter engine makes the crossover more nimble is weak at best. As for the fuel economy of the AWD turbo-three — 8.9 L/100 km in the city and 7.8 on the highway, according to Natural Resources Canada — it’s quite good, though not class-leading. Other automakers get similar, if not better results from the larger four-cylinders they put in their crossovers.

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To be fair though, unless you’re attempting something like trying to merge onto a highway or passing a slower-moving vehicle, in which case the engine note is rather discordant, you really wouldn’t notice the lack of a fourth cylinder. Don’t expect scintillating acceleration, though: the Trailblazer will take the better part of 10 seconds to achieve 100 km/h. Pushing the Sport button modifies steering effort and shifting for a supposedly sportier feel and response, but the improvement is very mild. Under less strenuous circumstances, such as cruising along at a steady speed, the engine is quite smooth.

Like the Blazer and Traverse, the Trailblazer’s all-wheel-drive system is selectable, which allows you to decide whether to activate the AWD system in off-road or inclement weather situations, or to deactivate when not required to achieve better fuel economy. As for ride and handling, the Trailblazer is a bit stiff — not quite harsh, but definitely firm over bumpier tarmac. The steering has a light touch to it, and communication with the road is about average.

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Inside, the Chevy’s cabin features a dual-cockpit interior design with an integrated centre stack. It’s a smart layout, with easy-to-reach buttons and knobs, clear gauges, and an intuitive touchscreen infotainment system. There’s a fair amount of black plastic throughout, both hard and soft, though seat stitching and red anodized trim bits help alleviate the monotony.

The centre console provides 3.5 litres of open storage and 4.4 litres of storage under the armrest, as well as dual cup holders. The infotainment allows you to use two Bluetooth-paired phones concurrently, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and available SiriusXM with 360L featuring exclusive content, including commercial-free music, interviews, shows and performances. There is no integrated navigation system, however, something older buyers tend to appreciate.

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Front-seat legroom and headroom is generous, and even rear-seat legroom is reasonable for most. The Trailblazer features 40/60-split folding second-row seats, which enables the vehicle to accommodate objects up to 8.5 feet long. Overall cargo capacity is rated at 1,540 litres with the second row folded. For additional convenience, an optional hands-free liftgate is offered.

I recently took the Encore GX to task , thinking it would be a lot easier to like if it had a higher-output engine, preferably a four-cylinder, in its pocket to help the Buick further distance itself as an upmarket product. I don’t think I’m being hypocritical in saying there’s not quite the same concern for the Chevy version, the market expectations being somewhat lower. Price, too.

Still, lacking a compelling reason from GM as to why it went with the three-cylinder setup instead of a more conventional four-banger, I can’t help but feel this won’t play as well as the company hopes with fussy consumers. If you can wrap your head around this powertrain peccadillo, the Trailblazer is certainly worth a look. Bottom line, though: if you’re wondering if it’s as good as the new Kia Seltos or Mazda CX-30? In a word — no.

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