2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer Review

The 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer comes with two powertrain options, with decent fuel economy. The overall performance and comfort doesn’t get too affected by the not-so-powerful engines, but they might not be enough to please car connoisseurs.

Engine and gear

The turbocharged and intercooled DOHC  inline-3 engines feel incompetent, especially so if you’re expecting an agile ride. The 1.2-liter turbo engine offers an output of 137 hp, and the 1.3-liter one produces 155 hp. If you’re looking for versatility, we’d suggest the 1.3-liter variant, as it comes with AWD. However, the acceleration doesn’t improve much. Even with the 1.3-liter engine, it takes 9.4 seconds to go 60 mph.

Suspension

Here you’ll find the usual stuff any subcompact sports utility vehicle gets. It comes with front suspension McPherson struts and rear suspension compound cranks. 

Ride & Handling

The engine might be too slow for the highways, but it showcases adequate grip while driving on city roads. However, if the road isn’t buttery smooth, expect the ride quality to be somewhat harsh or firm.

Vibration

Cabin vibration is there, but what’s also there is a mechanism to control it. The all-wheel drive variant of the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer implements its active noise cancellation feature to minimize the rear seat vibrations.

This subcompact crossover SUV received 5-stars from the NHTSA, and it’s been chosen as the Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS. In terms of reliability, Trailblazer gets a score of 83/100 from J.D. Power. 

Brakes

The latest Trailblazer gets an 11.8-inch vented disc and 10.4-inch disc respectively, for front and rear brakes. The vehicle is also equipped with anti-lock brakes (4-wheel ABS) and 4-wheel disc brakes as part of its standard safety equipment list.

Airbags

The usual stuff here. It has front-impact airbags, side-impact airbags, overhead airbags, and knee airbags, to keep the driver’s and the passengers’ safety in check in case of a collision.

Electronics

Based on the trim level, the available features include a 7 or 8-inch touchscreen display, and either a four-speaker stereo, six-speaker, or Bose seven-speaker stereo. 

Traction control

The vehicle is equipped with driveline traction control, a safety addition that detects when the tire starts to spin more and takes action to slow down the spin rate.

Engine size

Trailblazer gets two engines, one is a 1.2-liter engine producing 137 hp, and another one is of 1.3 liters producing 155 hp@ 5600 rpm. 

Gas per mileage consumption

When powered by the 1.3-liter 3-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive, the EPA-estimated fuel economy stands at 29 mpg and 33 mpg respectively, for city and highway. For the AWD variant, the fuel economy for city/highway is 26 mpg/30 mpg. The FWD 1.3-liter engine would be our recommendation if you want to maximize the crossover’s fuel efficiency.

Driving seat

The driver’s seat is conveniently positioned at a high level, something typical of an SUV. There are multiple features available for ensuring maximum comfort, such as multi-level heating and power-adjustable lumbar support. 

Dashboard

The dashboard looks neat, thanks to the use of soft, premium materials with embellishments on them. However, you will find a lot of hard plastic used in different parts, but they never feel tacky or feel out of place with the overall sophisticated appeal.

Passenger seats and extras

The passenger seats are quite comfortable, even the rear ones. The front ones have a headroom of 40 inches and legroom of 40.9 inches, and for the rear seats, the numbers are 38.4 inches and 39.4 inches respectively. The backseat gets a folding center armrest and rear ventilation ducts.

Overall height and space

The 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer is 173.7 inches in length, 71.2 inches in width, and 65.7 inches in height. The wheelbase is 103.9 inches.

Trunk space

The trunk area is more spacious than what you would expect from a subcompact crossover. The 25 cubic feet of cargo space is spacious enough to load luggage for your next trip. To maximize the available space, the Trailblazer comes with foldable rear and front seats. So even if you need to carry big items, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Chevy offers multiple packages such as Convenience Package, Driver Confidence Package, and Adaptive Cruise Package, where different features are clubbed together.

We would urge you to skip the base trim for sheer lack of content and take a look at LT. However, the lackluster engine can be an issue, so you can opt for the more powerful 1.3-liter engine and AWD for an additional $2000. Activ and RS get standard heated steering wheel, but on LT it’s an optional extra. 

AWD/FWD

Front-wheel drive comes as standard, and all-wheel drive is available as an option. Opting for all-wheel drive results in a significant drop in fuel economy, so if you’re planning to cut down fuel expense, staying with the FWD would be a better option, but of course, you’ll have to bear with a slow engine.

Warranty

The Chevy warranty isn’t something to boast about. You get 3 years or 36,000 miles of limited warranty, along with 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain warranty. Direct competitors are way ahead in the game, as both Kia and Hyundai offer 10 years of powertrain warranty. But one additional item Chevy brings to the table is free complimentary maintenance, which will be accessible only on your first visit.