Spied: Chevrolet's Butch New 2019 Blazer

Oh man, they even got the paint right. Who knew retro design cues could feel so authentic?

Hold on, that’s not the upcoming midsize Chevrolet Blazer — it’s a 1979 model (in alluring Cheyenne trim). Obviously, General Motors expects the public to hold fond memories of the Blazers of yesteryear, otherwise it wouldn’t affix the brawny, rugged name to its newest crossover. Yes, crossover. The Tahoe, which replaced the two-door K5 Blazer back in the mid ’90s, remains the top choice for drivers looking for bowties and body-on-frame construction.

However, there’s plenty of space between the newly downsized Equinox and sprawling Traverse. Into the breach drives the Blazer.

As you see here, the model retains the blocky proportions seen in the previous generation, as well as a traditional two-door layout and sliding rear window. Wait, that’s a 1983 S-10 model!

Sorry about that, but you get the picture. With a long-running name comes plenty of heritage, and some folks might not be too keen on the idea of a unibody, front-drive crossover with optional all-wheel drive carrying this particular nameplate. Thankfully for General Motors, these types are vastly outnumbered by folks who just want a damn crossover and find the Equinox a little too small.

The actual new Blazer, seen above, rides atop the shorter of the GM “Chi” platforms, shared by the GMC Acadia and Cadillac XT5. Looking at that sharply slanted rear glass, it seems this model won’t have a third row, leaving the classroom-hauling capabilities to the Traverse, Tahoe, and Suburban.

Yes, it’s a far cry from the blocky, square-rigged SUVs of the past, but Chevy already has those. Fuel economy requires a graceful face, and the model’s styling needs to stay in line with that of the brand’s smaller and larger crossovers.

It’s too bad about the bulky padded camo hiding the vehicles’ flanks. We can see, however, a set of high-mounted horizontal taillights looking quite similar to those on the Equinox.

It’s likely buyers will see a 2.5-liter four-cylinder in base trim, with uplevel models gaining a 3.6-liter V6. In other words, a carryover from the Acadia. GM’s nine-speed automatic seems the most probable transmission candidate.

The upcoming Chevrolet Blazer should appear later this year as a 2019 model.

[Images: Wikimedia ( CC BY-SW 4.0), Brian Williams/Spiedbilde]