2022 Chevrolet Blazer Review: Lost in a Narrow Gap

• The base price in Canada for the 2022 Blazer is $39,843 in Canada, and $38,140 in the US.

• The 2022 Blazer has everything going for it except buyers.

• The Blazer’s future direction is electrified which will surely improve its relevance.

Sport Utility Vehicles. The car business, which really is the SUV business, is all about SUVs. Although this is an undeniable fact, it appears as though there is a thing as too many SUVs. At least for Chevrolet, there doesn’t seem to be enough room for the Equinox, Traverse, and the Blazer.

In fact, in 2021, the Chevrolet Blazer was one of GM’s worst-performing mainstream SUVs. In sales, it bested the Trax but was but lost out to every other model from Chevrolet and GMC, and by a considerable margin. To be fair, among its “twins”, it outsold the Cadillac XT6 and Buick Enclave however it lost out to the Cadillac XT5 and the GMC Acadia. So, what gives?

I conclude that the Blazer isn’t sporty or roomy enough, and it’s too expensive. In a nutshell, it’s not sufficiently bigger over the Equinox and it’s too closely priced to the larger Traverse which includes an identical powertrain. And then there’s the suffocating competition from all other automakers. 

Decently-well styled

Visually, the Chevrolet Blazer makes big attitude promises based on its front-end design alone. Unfortunately for it, anticipation and excitement quickly melt away as we look to the sides and complete the lap around the rear. Admittedly, short of an RS, the tested LT with the Redline package is the more attractive version. This options group includes 20-inch wheels with a red accent, appropriate tires, black badges, and other blacked-out accents. Against the silver exterior, it works.

On board, we’re also faced with a hit-or-miss situation. The 8-inch screen touchscreen display, which includes Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 Plus System as standard, also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is sat in the center of a dashboard that lacks pizzazz. The vents are Camaro-inspired but look out of sorts with their surroundings. What controls there are are a little scattered however the horizontal bar, which includes the HVAC controls, is easy enough to navigate.

The seats in both rows are soft and generally comfortable. There’s a fair amount of legroom available to rear passengers. The trunk is reasonably sized at 864 litres but it’s barely larger than the Equinox’s which offers up 847 litres of volume. And where rear passenger space is concerned, the Traverse trumps it in every way or nearly.

Decent on the road

The basic mill offered with the Blazer is a 228-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine. The latter replaced the short-lived 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine and admittedly, I would have liked to sample it as it can be matted to an AWD system. Its 258 lb.-ft. of torque are only 12 shy of the tested 3.6-litre V6. The latter puts out 308 horsepower, but it’s not as refined as Honda or Toyota’s 3.5-litre V6.

Both the 4- and 6-cylinder engines are fitted with a 9-speed automatic transmission. When in use, it operates smoothly. The iffy aspect is how slow it will transition from Drive to Reverse, and vice-versa when maneuvering. Occasionally, going from one setting to another took so long that I was on the throttle before the gear change – not a good feeling.

The Blazer’s best quality is its ride comfort. The fully independent suspension is clearly tuned for a smooth ride without sacrificing handling. Despite rolling on 20-inch wheels, the dampers are compliant and plenty supple to soak up rough surfaces. Furthermore, steering response and feel is good and braking power is reassuring.

It’s decent

The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer (2023 already available and is largely unchanged) has little more than a face going for it. And even then, it sets expectations to a level that can’t be met by the remainder of the package.

The Blazer is a decent SUV and despite Chevy’s attempt to fill the white space, on paper alone, between the Equinox and the Traverse, making a midsize 2-row SUV doesn’t mean that the hordes of SUV buyers will want it. The competition in the segment is so incredibly fierce that there’s no room, literally, for an only decent SUV.

I’ll admit that when I first drove the Blazer almost four years ago, I truly enjoyed it. In this same period, players like the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Outback, Toyota Venza, Mazda CX-50, and Jeep Grand Cherokee have all eclipsed it.