Test drive: 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Activ

When Chevrolet reintroduced the Blazer title in 2019 it got here with some disappointment that the midsize crossover utility automobile carrying it wasn’t designed with any intentions of being an off-roader like its legendary predecessors have been.

The brand new Trailblazer is a little totally different.

The chiseled brick-shaped subcompact crossover slots between the Trax and Equinox in Chevy’s lineup and is about the identical measurement as a Jeep Compass or Bronco Sport.

It is very a lot positioned as an city economic system automobile with a beginning worth of $21,195, however there may be one mannequin within the combine that likes to weekend within the nice outdoor.

The Trailblazer Activ comes geared up with all-terrain tires, distinctive bumpers, protecting physique cladding and a suspension tuned to deal with unpaved roads, if not boulder-strewn trails.

Entrance-wheel-drive is commonplace for $26,695 with a 155 hp 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine and nine-speed automated transmission, however an all-wheel-drive mannequin can also be out there for $28,195 and the extra sincere alternative.

Floor clearance is elevated from 7 inches to 7.5 inches on front-wheel-drive Activs and eight inches with all-wheel-drive, which places it in the identical league because the Compass Trailhawk and lower-end Bronco Sports activities.

It is not fairly as succesful within the tough stuff as both of these, however can take a fairly good licking on a bumpy gravel highway. The throttle response is a bit laggy and the all-wheel-drive system requres a second to achieve buy on very slippery stuff, however should not go away you stranded if you do not get too loopy.

That is assuming you remembered to show it on. As with the Trax and Equinox, the Trailblazer defaults to front-wheel-drive for effectivity everytime you begin it and you might want to press a button to reengage AWD.

Its mixed gasoline economic system score of 28 mpg is just one mpg higher than the bigger, extra highly effective Equinox, nevertheless, so the function solely helps a lot. (The front-wheel-drive Activ is rated at 31 mpg whereas the entry-level front-wheel-drive Trailblazer L is supplied with a 137 hp 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that returns 29 mpg.)

These outcomes can be achieved on pavement, after all, and the Trailblazer Activ performs properly there. Even with the lifted profile and knobby tires, wind and highway noise are wonderful for its class and the trip and dealing with combine excellent. Go for the towing package deal and the little man can tow a bit 1,000-pound trailer.

The inside is handsomely appointed with a soft-touch dashboard insert and material trim on the door panels, and there is extra rear seat legroom than its tidy exterior dimensions would counsel. Cargo house behind the second row trails the Compass and Bronco Sport, however a flat-folding entrance passenger seat permits for 8.5-foot-long gadgets to be saved inside.

The Trailblazer comes commonplace with automated emergency braking, lane-keeping help and a backup digicam, whereas adaptive cruise management, rear parking sensors, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a wi-fi charging pad and a Bose audio system improve are among the many non-obligatory creature comforts on provide.

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It could not really reside as much as the Trailblazer title, however the Activ places in a great effort and a minimum of makes it simpler to go down trails which might be already there. If that is undoubtedly not your factor, there’s additionally a sporty Trailblazer RS out there for a similar worth that borrows the designation from a protracted line of Chevrolet efficiency fashions, in order that’s one other can of worms.

Maybe it’s best to save them for a fishing journey with the Activ, as an alternative.

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2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Activ

Base worth: $26,695

As examined: $30,780

Kind 5-passenger, 4-door all-wheel-drive SUV

Engine: 1.3-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder

Energy: 155 hp/174 lb-ft

Transmission: 9-speed automated

MPG: 26 metropolis/30 hwy