Blazing the path for Chevrolet: The all-new Trailblazer

MANILA, Philippines - There’s big news in the SUV D-segment, and it’s that the new Chevrolet Trailblazer is coming to town! Unlike Santa Claus, this SUV will reward both the naughty and nice, as the vehicle is designed to be both bold yet refined and mild-mannered. In other words, it promises to provide the best of both worlds—of the rough off-roader and the car-comfort seeker—in a single package that is bound to blaze the market path for Chevrolet.

 With “Rugged Sophistication” as its main mantra, I cannot help but compare it to the classic Steve McQueen, who is an icon of the typical boy-meets-renegade, tough American, but who also (as a racing enthusiast) was the endorser of world-class, elegant watches such as Tag Heuer Monaco and McQueen Rolex. And perhaps it is this odd combination of delightful characteristics that makes the Trailblazer scream out its presence in the booming SUV market.

“The Trailblazer is strong and capable. Ready for rugged off-road conditions but equally well-mannered for city and long-distance road trips,” said Martin Apfel, President of GM (General Motors) Southeast-Asia. “It will be built in Thailand, and will soon make its way into the rest of the world,” he added. This Trailblazer model however, will be different from the one sold in North America.

The Trailblazer was developed in tandem with the new Chevrolet Colorado, and GM has invested US$300million in its Rayong, Thailand assembly plant to produce the two new vehicles. It was created by GM South America’s Design Center in Sao Caetano do Sul in Brazil and shares a number of design cues with its Colorado sister.

The Star had the privilege to experience first-hand the new Chevrolet Trailblazer in all its shining metal-glory at a media ride-and-drive in Thailand, courtesy of The Covenant Car Company, Inc., the local distributor/importer of Chevrolet. The itinerary consisted of a drive to Chokchai Farm, ASEAN’s biggest agro-farm, in Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima on day 1, followed by a drive to Kirimaya Resort and Spa—the most exclusive spa in the area—in Khaoyai. These locations were especially selected to showcase the different hats that the Trailblazer could wear.

Bequeathed with the four-cylinder, Euro-4 compliant Duramax family of highly efficient turbo-diesel engines, the Trailblazer comes in two variants: one powered by a 2.8L motor and the other with a 2.5L engine. The test unit I took on this adventure had a 2.8L engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This engine delivered 180 hp and 470 Nm of torque, which let us breeze through Thailand’s major highways and vast countryside, which might I say, curiously mimicked our own Philippine roads and driving conditions.

Upon our arrival at Chokchai Farm, we tested the SUV’s off-road capabilities via different trails that were especially carved out to demonstrate many of the Trailblazer’s features. First, we drove through a controlled course where we had to climb a steep mound, go down its other side and then immediately climb another steep mound. The Trailblazer easily conquered this with its 4x4 talents (which also offered shift-on-the-fly), and performed great with its high approach and departure angles (31 degrees in front and 26 degrees in the back).

Next, we drove through a vast field, surrounded by tall wild grass, and up and down rocky hills with loose stone. It was here that we got to experience the SUV’s Hill Start Assist (HAS) feature, which prevented the vehicle from rolling backwards by automatically engaging whenever a gradient of 3 or more was detected; and it was also here that we got to try a now-favorite feature of mine, called the Hill Descent Control (HDC). The latter can be activated by a button on the console, and once working, will allow the SUV to carefully descend on its own (without you having to step on the brakes at all) by using ABS technology to control each wheel’s speed! Therefore you may descend very steep hills with much ease because the car does not gain any scary momentum from gravity.

Meanwhile, what makes the Trailblazer extra-special on and off the road, is its robust body-on-frame (BOF) architecture, that provides for the toughness of a truck combined with car-like ride refinement, plus larger cabin space. This design also bestows the Trailblazer with the unique capacity of towing up to 3,000kgs (for the 2.8L variant), a fraction of which was playfully demonstrated to us, as we loaded onto a carriage and were towed effortlessly by the vehicle around the interesting premises of Chokchai Farm.

And as the day came to a close, we finally drove to Kirimaya Resort and Spa, which was an activity that represented the Trailblazer’s key message of ‘Comfort and The Family Experience’. The Trailblazer definitely did not fall short of providing car-like handling dynamics and exceptional drive comfort, (especially for the SUV D-segment) thanks to its independent, 5-link rear suspension system and the use of coil springs all throughout.

A very exciting SUV as it is, the new Chevrolet Trailblazer is bound to hit the Philippine market very soon this 2012, with pricing to be announced closer to the launch of the vehicle. Without any doubt, with its tough capabilities yet premium ride quality, the Trailblazer is certainly bound to please the ladies and exude some serious sex-appeal a la Steve McQueen.