Chevrolet Trailblazer review, test drive

We’re shooting the last of the car-to-car action shots on the outskirts of Pune when I notice a Toyota Fortuner emerge in my rear-view mirror. I signal left and tuck into the slow lane to let the SUV overtake. But the Fortuner driver doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get by and only rolls up beside me a good few seconds later. The three passengers inside seem to be sizing up the Chevrolet Trailblazer I’m in. I see them give the big Chevy an interested nod before they finally power away. This goes to show that the Trailblazer has what it takes to get interest from the right quarters, and that’s heartening for Chevrolet because the brand has fallen below the radar and needs all the attention it can get.

The last few Chevrolet-badged products have essentially come from Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation’s (SAIC) stable. The Chinese partner for General Motors (GM) insisted on bringing its line-up (Sail sedan, Sail hatchback and Enjoy MPV), but they simply haven’t been up to scratch. The rest of the Chevrolet model line-up (Tavera, Beat and Cruze) is quite jaded too and there hasn’t been an all-new launch since the Enjoy in 2013.

But now, that’s all set to change and GM India is geared up for a fresh innings. SAIC sold its stake in GM India and hence, the Chinese automaker no longer has an influence over the India operations, leaving Chevrolet to plot its own course in India.

In the coming years, you can expect a new product offensive from Chevrolet, the start of which is the tough body-on-frame Trailblazer SUV you see here, that goes on sale this Diwali. True, it won’t be the model that’ll give Chevrolet huge numbers, but it’s the first true-blue Chevy and hence, as an image builder, it’s a strong choice of product. A day’s driving on a combination of good, bad and no roads certainly convinced us so.