Chevrolet Trailblazer review, test drive

Off the beaten path

A nearby lake is selected as our first waypoint for the day. It’s not too far from GM India’s Talegaon factory where we’ve been handed over the Trailblazer, but we have to go over all sorts of kuchcha village roads to get there – ideal to give the suspension its workout first.

The suspension is a combination of double wishbones up front and a five-link setup at the rear, with coil springs at all four corners. As mentioned earlier, the Trailblazer is a body-on-frame SUV, so it’s built to take quite a beating. At slow speeds, the suspension and tyres soften the blow of the series of potholes that make up the initial bit of the path leading up to the lake. First impressions are positive, but with rising speeds, the Chevy starts to get increasingly unsettled. The ride gets choppy and the effect is amplified in the back. It’s certainly no Pajero Sport on these broken stretches.

The final approach to the lakeside isn’t what you’d classify as hardcore, but it’s enough to get a fair idea of what the big Chevy is capable of. Off-road, that is. At this point, you should know, the Trailblazer will be available only in 4x2 and automatic transmission form, at least initially. While it’s true the full 4x4 version would have been more in keeping with the Trailblazer’s rugged persona, most SUV buyers in India rarely venture off-road. The Trailblazer for India does boast Hill-Start Assist, Hill-Descent Control and the ability to wade through 800mm of water – useful on our waterlogged city roads. It may not have a low-range transfer case, but even this 4x2 Trailblazer feels quite capable in the rough. Wheel articulation is more than sufficient and there’s little drama while climbing a hillock. In all but really slippery conditions, the engine’s good low-end torque (you get as much as 51kgm from just 2,000rpm!) should help pull the Chevy out of most situations.