2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer

The subcompact 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer comes in for substantial revisions this year and benefits from a facelift and tech-forward new interior with a digital gauge cluster and a big new 11-inch touchscreen. While the refreshed looks and new tech are welcome, our main criticisms of last year's car revolved around the unresolved ride and rather weedy engines. Sadly, these two sticking points that we hoped would be fixed have been left untouched for the new model year. With only 137 or 155 horsepower on offer from 1.2-liter and 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engines, performance is underwhelming, and there isn't any major fuel economy benefit. The ride quality is still choppy, so the 2024 Trailblazer isn't given any advantage over capable class rivals such as the Mazda CX-30, Volkswagen Taos, and Kia Seltos. It might bear the resurrected name of Chevy's respected '90s mid-size SUV, but the new Chevrolet Trailblazer's revisions haven't fixed all of its most glaring faults. Will its excellent safety credentials and roomy cabin redeem it? Let's find out.

After only three years on the market, the Trailblazer receives a facelift with a refreshed nose, now with the Chevy bowtie logo on the grille crossbar, and a modified bumper and foglight housings. Its appearance now closely resembles that of the mid-size Blazer SUV. All trims get LED headlights and new wheel designs, with the RS swapping last year's 18-inch alloys for a new 19-inch design. Standard equipment is improved, with features such as cruise control, a proximity key with keyless entry and start, and a new high-resolution backup camera now fitted across the board.

Unlike last year, the more powerful 155-hp 1.3-liter engine is now also offered in conjunction with FWD on the base LS. The biggest news is inside, where the dashboard has been redesigned to accept a new eight-inch digital gauge cluster and a big 11-inch touchscreen, both of which which are standard on all trims. There are two new exterior colors as well, called Cacti Green and Copper Harbor Metallic. The new Chevy Trailblazer goes on sale in the USA at a base price of $23,100.

The price of the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS is $23,100, followed by the LT at $24,300 and the Activ and RS, both at $27,100. These prices are for the trims in their basic configuration, which is to say, with front-wheel drive and, in the case of the LS and LT, with the 137-hp 1.2-liter engine. Replacing the 1.2-liter engine with the 155-hp 1.3-liter engine costs only $395 on either of the base two trims, but this engine is standard on the Activ and RS. AWD can only be had in conjunction with the 1.3-liter engine at an additional cost of $1,605 on the two base trims or $1,600 on the Active and RS. These prices are MSRP and exclude the $1,295 destination fee.

The base car is a little too bare, so we'd opt for the LT, which looks smarter with its LED foglights, two-tone wheels, rear privacy glass, and roof rails, while also adding heating for the side mirrors and front seats. The weedy 1.2-liter engine should be upgraded to the more powerful 1.3-liter, and we'd add AWD as well to get rid of the CVT and get the better nine-speed automatic transmission instead.

The interior of the Trailblazer looks completely different this year, with a new dashboard design to accommodate the new on-board tech, which comprises an eight-inch digital gauge cluster and 11-inch touchscreen - the latter a full four inches bigger than before. It's stylish and modern, while there are new upholstery options for the seats and a few additional features here and there. The liberally used hard plastics are by no means upscale, but the materials used generally feel solidly screwed together and are textured in such as way as not to leave a cheap impression. It's a pleasant space in which to spend time and quite surprisingly roomy to boot. Thanks to its 7.5-inch ground clearance being substantially more than that of a regular sedan, the step-in height is nice and high, and access to the cabin is easy.

We hinted at above-average interior space, and the measurements bear out the initial impressions. There is enough space for tall adults in the front, but the real surprise is the second row, which offers more legroom than even spacious rivals such as the Honda HR-V and VW Taos.

This is all the more surprising, considering the Trailblazer's wheelbase is shorter than most other cars in this class. There is a lot of headroom, too - only the Taos has more - making this an ideal subcompact for a growing family with lanky teenagers.

The Trailblazer's trunk space of 25.3 cu-ft is near the top of the class, and it's only marginally beaten by the likes of the VW Taos and Kia Seltos. Its trunk volume with the 60/40-split rear seat folded down expands to 54.3 cu-ft, and while that total utility figure falls a bit behind the best of the rest, it's more than enough to satisfy most subcompact crossover buyers. And, it has a trick up its sleeve that few rivals do - a folding front passenger seat with a hard plastic protective seatback for loading long items, so it's still an immensely practical car. Unfortunately, a cargo cover isn't standard; you have to pay $225 extra for it.

In-cabin storage options are satisfactory, although the door pockets are rather slim, while the rear passengers in the LS and LT have to make do without a center armrest or cupholders. The ACTIV and RS get a fold-down rear armrest with two cupholders set into it, and this item is optional on the LT only and not available on the LS at all. All trims share a roomy glovebox, front cupholders, a driver's seatback pocket, and two center-console storage bins.

You don't get a huge choice in terms of interior colors, but Chevy does vary the detailing somewhat to provide a bit of variety across the lineup. The LS and LT come with a choice of Jet Black or Jet Black/Medium Ash cloth upholstery and a urethane steering wheel. The ACTIV comes with Jet Black or Jet Black/Artemis leatherette upholstery called Evotex, with yellow piping on the front seats and yellow stitching in the front cabin - on the seats, doors, and dashboard, along with bronze dash trim, a chromed shifter bezel, and a premium wrapped steering wheel with satin-silver trimming and a black bowtie logo. The RS replaces all the bronze and yellow highlighting with red, gets a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel, and blacks out most of the interior brightwork. Jet Black/red is the only available color scheme here.

Standard features aren't bad for the class, even on the base LS. It features manual operation for the liftgate and seat adjusters, power accessories, keyless entry and go, cloth upholstery, a compass display, cruise control, single-zone manual air-conditioning, an eight-inch digital gauge cluster, and a flat-folding front passenger seat. Higher trims add items such as heating for the side mirrors, steering wheel, and front seats, leatherette upholstery, a power driver's seat, and a rear-seat armrest with cupholders.

The brand-new infotainment system now comes with an 11-inch touchscreen that replaces last year's seven-inch display, and features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM with a three-month Platinum trial subscription, two USB ports, Wi-Fi capability, and a six-speaker audio system with an amplifier. Two rear-cabin USB ports and a wireless charging pad are optional from LT level. A seven-speaker Bose audio system is optional on the top two trims only.

The base engine in the Chevrolet Trailblazer LS and LT is a turbocharged 1.2-liter inline three-cylinder with 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. It comes only with front-wheel drive and a CVT. The other engine option isn't much more powerful - a slightly larger 1.3-liter three-pot with 155 hp and 174 lb-ft. This engine is optional on the LS and LT and standard on the ACTIV and RS, with either a FWD or AWD drivetrain configuration, the latter losing the CVT and replacing it with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Performance is anemic, and even with the 155-hp engine, the Chevrolet Trailblazer's 0-60 sprint takes around 9.3 seconds according to independent tests - that's soundly beaten by most rivals except the similarly slow HR-V. Top speed is limited to 130 mph. The Trailblazer isn't made to attempt rugged trails, but the ACTIV at least makes an effort with its off-road-optimized suspension, skid plate, and all-terrain tires. But the fact that the ACTIV can, nevertheless, be had in FWD and features the exact same 7.5-inch ground clearance as the other trims show that Chevy is not serious about its bushwhacking capabilities. Trailering is possible with the optional tow hitch, but towing capacity is limited to 1,000 pounds.

The base engine is weak and the 155-hp engine isn't much better, but at least its decent spread of mid-range torque makes it feel more sprightly than its poor performance figures suggest, and it's just about nippy enough not to get in its own way in town. Out on the highway, it's a different story, and the car needs a heavy right foot to make headway, with virtually no reserve power for overtaking and climbing hills, especially when laden or towing. It doesn't redeem itself elsewhere either because the ride quality is as choppy as it was last year, while the soft brake pedal doesn't inspire much confidence either. It must be said that the nine-speed automatic is better to use than the CVT, but it can be slow to shift down when power is needed. Handling is neat enough, with moderate roll and good grip, but this hardly makes up for the car's other shortcomings on the road. We're disappointed that Chevy's 2024 update has not improved the powertrains and suspension.

One could have overlooked the poor performance if it came with excellent gas mileage, but the Chevrolet Trailblazer's mpg figures disappoint. One would expect the 137-hp 1.2-liter FWD trims to be the most economical in the range, but this is not the case, with EPA estimates of 29/31/30 mpg for the city/highway/combined cycles. The 155-hp 1.3-liter is, bizarrely, more economical, with 29/33/31 mpg in FWD guise, dropping quite dramatically to 26/29/27 mpg with AWD - numbers that are comprehensively thrashed by rivals with far larger and more powerful engines. With a 13.2-gallon fuel capacity, expect a range of between 356 and 409 miles on the combined cycle, depending on the powertrain.

The NHTSA's safety review of the Chevrolet Trailblazer produced a full five stars overall and for all tests except the four-star rollover test. The IIHS has not yet tested the 2024 Trailblazer, but there are no reported structural changes, and the pre-facelift model was already extremely safe, with Good scores for all the main criteria and a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ award.

The standard safety equipment impresses, and besides the obligatory tire-pressure monitoring, ABS, and stability control, the Trailblazer comes with an improved high-definition backup camera this year and no fewer than ten airbags. Also standard are LED headlights, cruise control, Buckle to Drive, and the Chevy Safety Assist package that incorporates forward-collision warning, automatic emergency and front-pedestrian braking, a following-distance indicator, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a teen-driver function, OnStar & Chevrolet Connected Services, and automatic high beams. There is no skimping on safety, and these features are standard on all trims, even the LS. Rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring with lane-change alert can be added via the $395 LS/Driver Confidence packages, while adaptive cruise control is a $495 option on all trims but the LS.

JD Power has not yet rated the reliability of the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer, but last year's model achieved an excellent score of 85 out of 100 for quality and reliability, and we don't believe this year's changes will affect that much. Its recall history is also impressive, with nothing listed for the 2023 or 2024 model years at the time of writing. The 2022 Trailblazer was recalled once for a vehicle jack that may break in use.

The limited warranty of the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer is valid for three years/36,000 miles, and the powertrain warranty for five years/60,000 miles. The first maintenance visit is free.

The Trailblazer's exterior styling has always made it stand out, with sharp looks and modern detailing - and this has now been further improved for the 2024 model, with a redesigned front end that more closely resembles that of the larger Blazer SUV. The bowtie logo is now on the grille's crossbar, and LED headlights are standard on all trims this year, along with restyled foglight housings. The top two trims also get LED taillights. The LS makes do without roof rails or LED foglights, but all the other trims feature these. The ACTIV and RS get black bowtie emblems, and the RS is almost completely blacked out on the outside. Two-tone paintwork with a contrasting roof is available on the top two trims. Three different styles of 17-inch alloy wheels feature on the three base trims, but the RS gets 19-inch machine-finished two-color alloys. A set of 18-inch wheels is optional on the LT. A power liftgate is optional on all trims except the LS as part of the Convenience package. A panoramic sunroof is optional on all trims but the LS, but only in conjunction with the 1.3-liter engine and a list of additional extras.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer has its moments of brilliance, and the highlights of the package must surely include its sharp looks, roomy interior, up-to-date in-cabin tech, and excellent safety credentials. The ride is too choppy but it's bearable and can be forgiven in view of its good handling and driving ease. What cannot be overlooked is that the weak engines have not been improved, and the Trailblazer now lags well behind the class leaders in this respect. Not only does it perform poorly, but it's soundly beaten on fuel economy too, which is problematic. These flaws give it little hope against superb rivals such as the CX-30, Seltos, and Taos.