(April 9, 2023) Back in 2019 Chevrolet brought back the Blazer nameplate for its five-passenger crossover utility vehicle, that slots between the smaller Chevy Equinox and larger three-row Traverse. Blazer comes standard with front-wheel drive with available all-wheel drive and a choice of either a 228-horsepower turbocharged four cylinder or a 308-horsepower V-6 depending upon model choice. 

Tested here is the 2023 up-level all-wheel-drive RS equipped with the larger V6 engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission. Now in its fifth year since reintroduction, Chevy gives the Blazer a mild refreshening that largely updates the front end with a new grille and lighting design, there’s new taillights out back and newly designed wheels and more radiant paint color options.

Our RS was finished in a gorgeous radiant red metallic tint-coat with a shiny black roof and black and red interior with matching radiant red trim pieces. On looks alone the Blazer is a winner. There’s also new wireless charging and an upgraded 10.2-inch touch screen up from the previous 8-inch.

Inside, the Blazer is especially roomy including the rear bench seat that slides fore and aft for a comfortable 40 inches of legroom. That seat split folds flat in a 60/40 configuration for added cargo flexibility and folds completely for 64 cubic feet of space. For comparison, competitor Honda Passport offers 78 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

The overall design of the interior borrows heavily on Chevy Camaro inspiration with round climate-control vents below the center stack that twist to adjust the vehicles HVAC temperature settings. Our RS model had fancier leather trimming about the dash, door panels and center console. Still, there was ample amounts of cheap looking hard plastics and piano black finishes that detracted from the otherwise pleasing design.

Our RS came standard with two additional USB ports, a heated steering wheel, hands-free power liftgate, and optional 21-inch wheels. An optional Enhanced Convenience package costs $950 adds driver’s seat memory settings, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats. We found most of the vehicle controls to be unintuitive and the climate control confusing and fussy. The cooled seats defaulted to on when starting the vehicle even on cool mornings when heated seats were the preferred. Further, different air temperatures came out of different vents even with the temperature set at the same degree. Annoying at best.

Our RS also included the optional Driver Confidence II package - $1,375 and adds a digital rearview mirror, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view parking camera system, enhanced forward automatic emergency braking and a safety alert seat.



On the road the RS we tested delivered impress acceleration and confidence when passing on the highway. Chevrolet equips the RS with its own exclusive steering and suspension tuning, yet we didn’t find the overall driving experience as engaging or rewarding as its aggressive exterior styling would suggest. Brakes were excellent however our RS was shod with 21-inch tires that transferred almost all road imperfections to the cabin. On smooth blacktop the Blazer was library quiet and void of road or wind noise.

And while the RS is all-wheel drive it isn’t intended for off-road use of any nature rather best suited to snowy road conditions. We did find reward visibility compromised thanks to the sloping roofline and tiny third side window and wide rear roof pillars. Thankfully the surround-view camera and blind spot monitoring system helped to alleviate some of the problem. Oddly, the rear cross traffic/park alert was deleted from the vehicle affording a $145 credit to the MSRP. Perhaps a chip shortage issue?

With an updated styling and excellent exterior paint color choices, the Blazer certainly looks the part and very attractive. The driving experience is mostly rewarding but doesn’t live up to its muscular-sporty styling. Further, most of the desired equipment and options come on the RS or Limited and drives the pricing and value proposition into questionable territory especially when compared to highly desirable class competitors like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, Ford Bronco, Kia Sorento, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Passport and others.

Vital Stats

Base Price: $45,700
Price as Tested: $51,515
Engine/Transmission: 3.6-L 308-hp V6 paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive.
Fuel Economy: 19/26/21 MPG – City/Highway/Combined
Seating: 5
Where Built: Ramos, Arizpe, CZ. Mexico

Crash Test Safety Results: “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and over all highest possible five star from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Competes With:
Ford Edge
GMC Acadia
Honda Passport
Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai Santa Fe
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Kia Sorento
Kia Telluride
Mazda CX-9
Nissan Murano
Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota Highlander

Highs:
Sharp restyling
Peppy V6 engine
Responsive handling and driving dynamics.

Lows:
More expensive than nicer competitors
Operating controls are small and fussy to use
No hybrid option
Some cheap interior plastics