Rough and ready Trailblazer

It doesn’t take a genius to know that there’s a sizable market for midsize SUVs. The class that was pioneered by the Toyota Fortuner, followed later on by the Isuzu Alterra and wildly successful Mitsubishi Montero Sport, is a fairly straightforward engineering challenge: use a shared platform among various models to maximize economies of scale, give it a mandatory diesel drivetrain for fuel-conscious buyers, a 3rd row bench seat since buyers really do tend to fill it up with passengers, and make sure it looks handsome, if not exactly gorgeous. Thus we have the Fortuner-Innova-Hilux, the Alterra-old D-Max, the Montero-Strada, the Everest-old Ranger, and now the Colorado-Trailblazer in the mix.

It’s only fair to have higher expectations for the Trailblazer since it’s the newest truck on the block, and for the most part it does deliver a satisfying, if not superior, experience to both driver and passenger. The first thing you’ll notice looking at the Trailblazer side by side with any of its competitors, and validated by some seat time, is that it’s noticeably bigger. This is good news for buyers who like to get the biggest vehicle they can get for their budget, and driving it does give the impression that you’re towering over small cars and CUVs, and standing a few inches taller than your neighbor’s Montero Sport.

The extra girth pays off big in passenger and cargo room. The driver and front passenger seat are comfortable for even larger-sized people without compromising legroom or headroom at the back. Three people will have no reason to complain in the 2nd-row bench, and four will even fit in a pinch. The 3rd row is actually quite livable considering this is the bleacher-section of most 3-row SUVs. Even with the 3rd-row seat up, there’s still decent space at the back for a couple of suitcases.

Power from the 2.8-liter VGT CRDi is commendable, if not exactly the quietest stable of 200 horses to come forth from a diesel engine. The diesel clatter is quite pronounced from both outside and inside the vehicle and will have no one singing the merits of the “cheaper” fuel until you actually get going. Short of installing a small, gasoline V6 in the truck, it’s hard to beat the Trailblazer’s verve in real-world driving conditions where you only need to feather the throttle to get things going at a brisk pace. The standard 6-speed automatic is a good match, with smooth, well-timed shifts and the option to shift for yourself via a manual gate. Tested fuel economy was a fair 10-11km/l in mostly urban driving conditions. There’s also a cheaper 2.5-liter variant with a not-insubstantial 163hp and 380 Nm of torque. As with the other four-wheel drive SUVs in its class, it’s a part-time system. Switching between drive modes is done via a knob behind the shifter.

The Trailblazer rides on sturdy underpinnings that can be taken off the beaten track for light off-road excursions. The Chevy’s front unequal-length control arms and rear 5-link system use coil springs for a nice balance between ride comfort and payload capacity, and on the road even lightly laden the Trailblazer doesn’t suffer from small, high-frequency jitteriness that’s the bane of most trucks. Still, don’t expect a car-like driving experience from something so large and robust. Even navigating through tight city streets or provincial roads gives the impression of being at the controls of a docile, lumbering beast that just so happens to have a fair number of creature comforts. Namely, leather seats, auto climate control with 2nd- and 3rd-row ventilation, premium stereo, and so many storage locations scattered throughout the cabin that you’re bound to lose smaller items if you’re forgetful.

If I could think of one feature that I would love to change in the Trailblazer, it would come down to the instrument panel. It’s touted as being Camaro-inspired, but the tiny gauges and 90’s-era radioactive green lighting just look out of place in something so robust and, well, truck-ish. Perhaps a midlife update in a few years will address this concern. IP faux pas aside, it’s hard to find fault elsewhere with the cabin given that the hard plastic of the dashboard is to be expected for the class, and there’s just so much room to sprawl around if you’re lightly loaded. A minor concern for space-obsessed buyers is that you don’t get a completely flat load floor like with the Montero Sport if you tumble the 2nd row forward and fold the 3rd row down. Instead, you get a shelf-like storage area as the 3rd row folds over the rear axle, with a sizable valley in between the 2nd and 3rd rows for smaller items. It doesn’t look very neat, but there’s still a lot of room to stow all your gear in.

Starting at a shade under P1.4M for the base 4x2 with the 2.5-liter and topping out at P1,733,888 for the 2.8-liter 4x4, the Trailblazer is well worth considering if you’re in the market for a midsize, truck-based SUV.