Bigger Blazer Appears in Colorado

The jury’s out on whether General Motors will foist an SS version of its new-for-2019 Chevrolet Blazer on Americans, but some consumers stand to get an XL.

An extended version of the midsize crossover is in development, adding enough mass to the vehicle’s rear for the automaker to squeeze in an extra row of chairs. The vehicle would split the difference between the existing Blazer and full-size, three-row Traverse, but don’t expect to see it at a dealership anytime soon.

Unless you’re living in China or some other overseas nation, that is.

Spy shots published by GM Authority show the model, parked and wearing a protective camo coat, in Colorado recently. Amusingly, a security guard is seen chasing the photographer around the vehicle.

The crossover appears to be the pre-production embodiment of a concept revealed last year at China’s Guangzhou auto show. That vehicle, called the FNR-Carryall Concept (FNR = Find New Roads; “Carryall” being a name applied to the first-generation Chevy Suburban), was meant to preview brand’s future utility vehicle styling, and its face can certainly be found on the Blazer.

Really, the vehicle seen in these pics, as well as the concept, may differ from the Blazer only in terms of roofline and length. Measurements provided fill the middle ground between Blazer and Traverse. Seating is for six.

If you’re thinking GM has lost its mind if it thinks there’s sales to be found in the narrow ground between those two models, and without cannibalizing Traverse volume, think again. This vehicle is almost certainly reserved only for overseas markets, hence the concept’s appearance in China. There, there’s no Traverse on the roster, making this vehicle the country’s largest utility bearing the bowtie badge. Its name? “Blazer XL.”

Go figure, GM saw fit to unveil a Malibu XL in Guangzhou last year, too.

This new, bigger Blazer borrows a version of the C1 platform used by the gap-filling Cadillac XT6 and Traverse, and is expected to be built by GM’s Chinese joint venture in Shanghai starting next year.

[Images: General Motors]