Spied: Chevrolet's Butch New 2019 Blazer

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

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]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 75 comments
  • John Horner John Horner on May 03, 2018

    The fraction of new vehicle buyers who actually go off road is infinitesimal. Let Jeep sell Trail Rated vehicles to the few who care. Meanwhile there is big money to be made from people who will never read or post on TTAC.

    • Gtem Gtem on May 03, 2018

      Toyota's clearing 120k 4Runners annually at the moment, and you're right barely any go offroad. And as you mentioned Jeep is selling every last 4 door Wrangler they can build, typically with transaction prices in the $35k+ range. Both Toyota and Jeep likewise have a healthy crossover portfolio for buyers to choose from, yet they also recognize there's money to be made on more heavily image/lifestyle/capability-oriented offerings. I think a lot of "regular" people go to a Toyota dealership and see a Highlander and 4Runner, both for sale in the $36-38k bracket for a V6/AWD/4WD unit, and decide the 4Runner "looks tougher" or they think the rolldown rear window is really neat or something.

  • SuperCarEnthusiast SuperCarEnthusiast on May 14, 2018

    I will wait for the RST trim with the Camaro/Corvette V8 Supercharge inside and suspension package! Hope they limit the governor speed to 200 mph! Then the name "Blazer" will mean something special!

  • Ajla Maybe, but with them being unpopular at a macro level I doubt you'll be seeing them in the US. If this couldn't get over the finish line in New York then good luck in other places. I think urban planning advocates really need to focus on nonpunitive ideas going forward. "Let's make driving more sh*tty and/or expensive" just isn't going to find a broad audience.
  • Oberkanone I want to see knobs for volume control and tuning.
  • 28-Cars-Later Nope, but we're getting close again to the time of heads on pikes.
  • Jkross22 It's a good idea if you're in government, are unwilling to cut costs and see taxpayers as ATMs with legs. This requires astounding levels of cynicism and corruption, combined with a deep seated hatred of average people. Outside of that, no.
  • JMII I would think the insane traffic plus outrageous parking costs would be enough to keep most people far away from driving into Manhattan. I avoid most downtown city centers just because of those same reasons. For example I once had an opportunity to take a decent sounding job in Miami but said no thanks mainly because of the commuting nightmare. And they wanted me to wear a suit... my laughter shorted that interview rather quickly.
Next