The Chevrolet Trailblazer was launched today in China at the SAIC-GM Guangde Proving Ground. The sporty compact SUV complements Chevrolet’s Equinox midsize SUV and Tracker small SUV in China, the brand’s second-largest market.
The Trailblazer has a stylish exterior and interior, GM’s latest eighth-generation Ecotec engines, and intelligent connectivity and safety features. Five variants, including two Redline models and two RS models, range in price from RMB 139,900 to RMB 179,900.
“SUVs are among the most popular vehicles in the China market, especially with the younger generation,” said Scott Lawson, general director of Chevrolet for SAIC-GM. “However, customers are looking for more personalized choices – and the Trailblazer delivers on customer individuality and preferences.”
Chevrolet is meeting the demand by adopting the Redline/RS dual-appearance and dual-interior design strategy across its portfolio. The Redline series projects an expressive sporty and fashionable image, while the RS series provides a more refined and powerful persona.
“True SUV” Personality
The Trailblazer was inspired by the Chevrolet FNR-CarryAll concept SUV, which represented an exploration of Chevrolet’s latest SUV design language.
Like other Chevrolet SUVs, the Trailblazer expresses lean muscularity through its powerful wheel-centered form that directs the eyes to the wheels as well as emphasizes ground clearance, conveying a “true SUV” personality.
It has a modern silhouette with taut bodyside lines and a bold hood shape that from the side resembles a closed fist. It creates a profile that’s both modern and powerful. The distinctive roofline has a floating look. Designers ensured that customers would instantly recognize the Trailblazer as a Chevrolet through the adoption of the brand’s contemporary design cues such as a distinctive dual-port grille.
The Trailblazer’s distinguished sharp split LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and LED taillights further enhance the styling as well as safety. Its nearly 1-square-meter panoramic skylight contributes to the feeling of spaciousness in the interior. It also offers 26 FitME storage spaces and up to 1,375 liters of cargo space.
Balance of Power and Efficiency
The Trailblazer adopts GM’s eighth-generation Ecotec 1.3L intelligent direct injection turbocharged engine that meets the China 6 emission standard. The engine delivers maximum power of 121 kW @ 5,600 rpm and maximum torque of 240 Nm between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm.
Buyers have a choice of a new nine-speed Hydra-Matic transmission or a new continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The nine-speed transmission’s all-wheel-drive (AWD) system can be manually switched between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive within 0.2 second to handle different road conditions. It allows the Trailblazer to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds while providing fuel consumption of 6.7 liters/100 km.
The Trailblazer equipped with a CVT that features an innovative steel chain design can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds while offering fuel economy as low as 5.9 liters/100 km.
Advanced Connectivity and Safety
The Trailblazer comes with Chevrolet’s new MyLink+ in-vehicle infotainment system. It not only supports Apple CarPlay, Baidu CarLife and Bluetooth, type-C interfaces, and USB and SD card slots, but also offers smart navigation, entertainment, music, news, real-time weather and traffic through in-vehicle apps.
It comes with a range of advanced safety technologies, including Auto High Beam Assist (AHBA), Following Distance Indicator (FDI), Forward Collision Alert (FCA), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Collision Mitigation (PCM), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Change Alert (LCA), Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).
Trailblazer customers are entitled to 100G of free OnStar 4G LTE data service every year and SAIC-GM’s new quality assurance warranty of eight years or 160,000 km for major components, including the engine and transmission. The warranty remains effective if the vehicle’s ownership changes, ensuring a high residual value.
