New 1.2 and 1.3L turbos could prove to be the bowtie brands best kept secret. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – November 20, 2019 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer A quick shot of the lineup in Big Sur on Highway 1 along the California Coast. Los Angeles, CA -- Scheduled to arrive this coming Spring, the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer is a compact SUV with a two-tone roof, dual exhaust, sport terrain tires <-- Why, I have no idea??? - and a stiffer suspension. 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Exterior Design The Trailblazer follows the theme set by its larger sibling, the Blazer with the signature dual-port grille and a simulated front skidplate. The ACTIV trim includes a larger grille opening with wraparound headlamps. The RS features a mesh grille with black Chevy bowtie and unique front splitter elements. The profile shows off a nicely raked windscreen and rear hatch. New off-road fender and rocker panel cladding with a thick C to D-Pillar body panel that disappears into the two-tone floating roof design complete the overall look. Out back, wraparound taillamps, dual exhausts <-- Again why???, and lower bright plastic cladding simulated skidplate. Best Chevrolet Interior layout and appearance ever imho. 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Interior Design Inside, the Trailblazer features a nicely designed dual-cockpit with an integrated center stack. Thanks to shape and high-quality finishes with ornate dash stitching. It is the most coordinated Chevrolet interior I have seen yet. The center console provides includes up to 3.5L of open storage and 4.4L of storage under the armrest, plus dual cupholders. Behind the front seats, the Trailblazer includes a standard 60/40 split folding second row seats. Cargo volume is 54.4 cu. ft. with the second row folded. I do not yet have passenger and cargo volumes in detail. A hands free powered liftgate, is also available. 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Drivetrain Powered by either a 1.2 or 155 hp 1.3L turbo mated to a CVT with selectable stop/start. A nine-speed AT is also available on Trailblazers equipped with the 1.3L and Selectable AWD for more traction or more efficiency. FWD modes: Normal: Daily commuting ride comfort Snow: Greater throttle tip-in on snow- and ice-covered roads Sport: Changes steering effort and shift maps AWD models add a unique calibration for more rear-wheel torque at lower speeds to improve the driving experience on moderately steep and unpaved surfaces. 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Safety All Trailblazer trims arrive with the following advanced safety equipment: Forward Collision Alert w/ Auto Emergency Braking and Front Pedestrian Braking IntelliBeam Headlamps (Auto High Beam Assist) Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning Rear Vision Camera Teen Driver Rear Seat Reminder OnStar4 Optional active safety and driver assistance features include the following: Adaptive Cruise Control – Camera vs Radar? Rear Park Assist Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert Rear Cross Traffic Alert HD Rear Vision Camera 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Chassis The Trailblazer ACTIV trim is equipped with specially tuned dampers to enhance vehicle performance and ride comfort when traveling on gravel roads. Hankook Sport Terrain 17” tires feature an aggressive shoulder design and an all-season tread. 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Infotainment The Trailblazer will feature Chevy’s latest infotainment providing two Bluetooth-paired phones concurrently. The audio system has available wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and available SiriusXM. The system even learns customer preferences and shares recommendations based on listening habits. The 2021 Trailblazer is expected to arrive in U.S. showrooms this coming Spring. Specific trim and option pricing will be announced closer to launch. 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Early Conclusions An upgraded SUV with today’s consumer demands moving further away from the sedan makes perfect sense. The new interior is quite pleasing to look at vs Chevrolet’s recent past offerings. The Exterior is a little awkward with that large surface area of sheet metal behind the C-Pillar but is ok otherwise. The Chassis tuning will probably be fine as Chevrolet plays it close to the middle and has done so successfully. The 1.2 and 1.3L new drivetrain(s) are what gets me excited. I do not know if h 1.2L is an I3 or if either are now 40+ percent thermodynamically efficient. If they are, the new Trailblazer “could” be a low to mid’30s highway mpg rated SUV and place it firmly at the top of the Compact CUV segment. It is larger than let’s say the Hyundai Kona but smaller than the Tucson so was its design set to do, split hairs or is its size a brilliant move? I guess it all depends on price. That will be announced well into the new year. #Chevrolet #Trailblazer #LAAS2019
The printbook is out for its cousin - the Buick Encore GX, and here are the numbers for the Buick. The Chevy is built from the same GEM (Global Emerging Markets) platform, so any differences would be in fractions of inches. The difference in cargo may boil down to the Chevy being a couple of inches longer in the tail (like Kona vs Seltos), but it could also be the placement of the board over the spare tire as well. Exterior (in inches): Wheelbase: 102.2 Length: 171.4 Width: 71.4 Height: 64.1 (with luggage rack) Ground Clearance: 7.5 Interior (in inches, w/o moonroof) Headroom F/R: 39.7/38.1 Legroom F/R: 40.9/36.0 Shoulder F/R: 55.4/53.6 Hiproom F/R: 51.9/47.5 Cargo volume is listed for the Buick as 50.2 behind first row (rear seats folded) and 23.5 behind second row. Fuel capacity is 13.2gal (50 liters) Curb weight and GVWR are both TBA Engines in the Buick listing show: "Standard Turbo" 1.2L 137 hp @5000, 162 lb.ft @2500 "Premium Turbo" 1.3L 155hp @5600, 174 lb.ft @1500 In the Buick application, the 1.2L is for the FWD only and bolts to a GM CVT box (RPO MRG) - probably the one they're using the Malibu. The 1.3L bolts to the 9T40 9 speed automatic (RPO M3F) for AWD models. No info on the ratios for the 9T40 automatic, but the 9T50 is a stronger version of the same box and has these ratios: First: 4.69 Second: 3.31 Third: 3.01 Fourth: 2.45 Fifth: 1.92 Sixth: 1.45 Seventh: 1.00 Eighth: 0.75 Ninth: 0.62 Buick lists axle ratios as 5.45 for the FWD CVT and 3.17 for the AWD 9T40. I think a 3.17 with a 0.62:1 top gear, with typical CUV-size tires, we're looking at a low engine rpm on the highway.
Hi Chris: Thanks for that detail lead! The Buick Encore provides 94.3 cu. ft. of passenger volume and 25.3 cu. ft. of cargo volume behind the second row including some under cargo floor storage. While the Encore/Trailblazer has a longer wheelbase than the Kona, the passenger volume is almost identical. 94.3 for the Encore vs 94.1 for the Kona but with significantly more cargo volume. I purchased a 19 Kona SEL for my daughter-in-law two months ago and have a 2020 Kona SEL in the drive as a loaner right now. The Kona is extremely well equipped although its cargo volume behind the rear seats could use a few more cu. ft. 2020 Buick Encore GX Cargo Volume Chevrolet Trailblazer - 54.4 cu. ft. of cargo volume w/ second row seats down Buick Encore GX - 25.3 cu. ft. of cargo volume w/ second row seats up Hyundai Kona - 19.2/45.8 cu. ft. of cargo volume w/ second row seats up/down From the Encore GXs performance specs, they do not discuss the 1.2L in any detail. The Encore GX will arrive with either a standard 1.2L turbo or premium 1.3L turbo. Here is where it gets a little tricky. "And will deliver up to 155 hp, 174 ft-lbs. of torque, and offer a GM-estimated 31 mpg combined." Is that 31 mpg combined number for the 1.2L or 1.3L and surely in FWD with the CVT? Wayne
The 1.2L turbo with FWD will have buyers from two groups - 1) rental fleets and 2) America's Greatest Generation aka The Blue Hair Brigade, living in areas festooned with palm trees and where AWD is unheard of, where these little GX's will be piloted at 17mph in the left lane, with one or more directionals flashing, brandishing the ubiquitous "I love my grandchildren" plastichrome license plate frame. They are usually out at 6am, milling about like ghosts on a Pac-Man screen, in search of the nearest Dennys, where they can get an egg-white Grand Slam for $2 on the early bird special, eat one piece of turkey sausage and take the rest home for lunch and dinner. For this demographic, the 1.2L turbo and CVT suits the mission just fine. The 1.3t with AWD is going to sell very well in areas that see frozen precipitation, and in areas where gullible people will choose it based on alleged safety benefit, based on the urging of a concerned dealer sales associate.
Back in 2011, Chevy had the 1.4L turbo in the Eco-Cruze. Featherfooters were getting 50+MPG in the Cruze. Are the 1.2 & 1.3L turbos, continuations of the Cruze powerplant development? I was hot for an Eco-Cruze, but eventually got an Elantra, which has saved me much in original costs AND in repairs (engine repairs, too?).
The new 1.2 and 1.3 turbos are a new engine family - closer to the current 1.4L in the 2019 Cruze and the current Spark. They're smaller and more thermally efficient, including exhaust manifolds built into the head to help warm up faster in cold weather. I'm not sure how they tolerate longer oil change intervals without sludge buildup with head temperatures so high.
Well....... reliability data for these Chevy engines will appear in 1-2 years, & we'll see what toleration level they have. Lot of power,too.... maybe too much? Are you ready to be a prophet? The 2017 to 2019 Chevy Trax has a 1.4L turbo that may not be reliable. The Trax unpopularity, shows no reliability data for the 2019, but engine problems occur in the 2018 & 2017 years. Do the 1.2L & 1.3L have any connection to the Trax 1.4L development? As I stated, I'm glad I bought the Elantra, instead of the Eco-Cruze.
Dexos is a 'synthetic' oil, so it should have a higher temperature resistance. Then I suspect the oil change monitor in my Chevies was conservative with the called for change. My 2013 Sonic with the 1.4L developed a crack in the oil filter housing after three years. Supposedly, as I didn't have time to deal with it myself before selling it.
