Refreshed Chevrolet Bolt EV and new Bolt EUV coming in 2021.
Fully electric Chevy pickup truck on the way.
All-new Chevrolet Trailblazer as well as next-gen Tahoe and Suburban now on sale.
General Motors is committed to an electrified future, having announced 30 new fully electric models worldwide by 2025, and two-thirds of them will be offered in the United States and Canada. Several of those will be sold by Chevrolet, which is very much involved in the automaker’s global expansion.
Alongside these emissions-free models, we’ll also see a plethora of Chevy crossovers, SUV and pickup trucks, in addition to a limited number of passenger cars, following current market trends. Here’s what to expect from the Chevrolet brand in 2021.
On the electrification side of things, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV will get a mid-cycle refresh with new front and rear-end styling and a reworked interior, but the crossover’s powertrain will be left untouched. The 2021 model gets only minor changes in the meantime, as its 200-horsepower electric motor is matched to a 66-kWh battery pack, providing a driving range of 259 miles or 417 kilometres.
The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV will be introduced in the summer of 2021 as well, which is a slightly longer and roomier version of the electric crossover. It’s based on the same platform as the Bolt EV, and will use the same powertrain. GM has announced that the Bolt EUV will be one of the first models outside of the Cadillac brand to offer its Super Cruise driver assistance system.
In the coming years, we’ll see the introduction of several new EVs from Chevy, including a pickup truck, two more crossovers and an unspecified number of what the company calls “low-roof entries,” which could mean passenger cars, performance cars or crossover coupes.
The subcompact Chevrolet Trax is reaching the end of its production cycle, and for the 2021 model year, it gets few changes. However, the crossover received an engine swap mid-year, replacing the 138-horsepower turbo 1.4L inline-four with a direct-injected 1.4L mill, which produces 155 horsepower. In both the U.S. and Canada, the Trax is offered in LS and LT trim levels, with either a front-wheel drivetrain or optional AWD.
Another subcompact crossover has been added to the lineup. The 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer is offered in several trim levels, including the rugged looking Activ and the sporty RS. Base versions are equipped with a turbocharged 1.2L inline-three that develops 137 horsepower, matched to a continuously variable automatic transmission, while a 1.3L inline-three is also available with 155 hp, mixed with either a CVT in FWD variants or a nine-speed automatic with AWD.
The Chevrolet Equinox rolled into 2021 with some changes, including the disappearance of the 252-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0L engine, leaving the 170-hp turbo 1.5L four as the only choice for now. It’s available in L, LS, LT and Premier trim levels, although the Canadian market doesn’t get the Equinox L. A mid-cycle refresh was planned for the 2021 Equinox, but due to complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back to the 2022 model year, which will go on sale later in 2021.
The Chevrolet Blazer two-row, midsize crossover is offered in L, 1LT, 2LT, 3LT, RS and Premier trims in the United States, while LT, True North, RS and Premier variants are on sale in Canada. A 193-horsepower 2.5L four is found in base U.S. trims, while a 227-hp turbo 2.0L four and a 308-hp 3.6L V6 are upgrade engines—although Canada gets the 2.0L four as standard. Of course, FWD and AWD setups are available, and other changes for 2021 include some feature and option package reshuffling, more standard safety features and paint colour swaps.
The Chevrolet Traverse offers seating for up to eight passengers, or seven with the available second-row captain’s chairs. The three-row crossover is equipped with a 3.6L V6 engine that develops 310 horsepower, matched to a nine-speed automatic transmission and either FWD or AWD. Midnight Edition and Sport Edition packages have recently been announced for the U.S. market, and as is the case with the Equinox, a mid-cycle refresh was originally scheduled for the 2021 model year, but pushed back to 2022.
GM’s line of full-size, body-on-frame SUVs have been thoroughly redesigned for the 2021 model year, and that includes the Chevrolet Tahoe. It’s now available in LS, LT, Z71, RST, Premier and High Country trim levels in both countries, in either 2WD or 4WD configurations, with a 5.3L V8 (355 hp) serving as the base engine, matched to a 10-speed automatic. A 420-horsepower, 6.2L V8 is found in the High Country, but these two gasoline engines can be replaced with a new turbo-diesel 3.0L inline-six that develops 277 hp and 460 pound-feet of torque. The Tahoe is bigger than the outgoing generation, boasting a substantial gain in cargo space.
The Chevrolet Suburban is the extended-wheelbase counterpart of the Tahoe, with even more rear-passenger room and tons of cargo space in back. It’s offered with the same trim level and powertrain choices as the Tahoe, both gaining new features and luxury accoutrements with the addition of the High Country variant compared to the outgoing-generation models.
Receiving a mild refresh for 2021, the Chevrolet Colorado features a new front-end design, along with some equipment changes and the deletion of the price-leading base trim level. The Colorado can be equipped with one of three engines: a 200-horsepower 2.5L four, a 308-hp 3.6L V6 or a turbo-diesel 2.8L four with 181 hp. The desert-hopping Colorado ZR2 is still around, with its lifted suspension and rugged off-road appearance.
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is the brand’s best-selling model by far, and one of the best-selling vehicles overall in North America. Every year, the full-size pickup receives enhancements to keep it competitive, and for 2021, it gets a new Multi-Flex tailgate that’s virtually identical to the MultiPro setup offered on the GMC Sierra 1500. Other changes include paint colour swaps, some equipment reshuffling and the deletion of the front bench seat. Six powertrains are on offer, including a 4.3L V6 (285 hp), a turbo 2.7L four (310 hp), a 5.3L V8 with Active Fuel Management (355 hp), a 5.3L V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management (355 hp), a 6.2L V8 (420 hp) and a turbo-diesel 3.0L six (277 hp). New trailering assistance features have been added, and the 2.7L and 3.0L engines get higher towing capacities for 2021.
Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Silverado HD soldiers on in 2021 with minor changes after having been exhaustively redesigned for 2020. It gets paint colour and alloy wheel swaps, some interior equipment enhancements, and new packages are available such as the Z71 Sport Edition, the Z71 Chrome Sport Edition, the Midnight Edition and the Carhartt Edition. The Silverado HD is equipped with either a gasoline 6.6L V8 (401 hp) or a turbo-diesel 6.6L V8 (445 hp, 910 pound-feet). The HD can now tow up to 36,000 pounds when properly equipped.
With the recent demise of the Chevrolet Cruze, the Chevrolet Volt, the Chevrolet Sonic and the Chevrolet Impala, the brand’s passenger-car lineup has been significantly reduced. The Chevrolet Spark city car covers the subcompact and compact segments with LS, 1LT, Activ and 2LT trim levels, although the rugged looking Activ unfortunately isn’t offered in Canada. A naturally aspirated 1.4L inline-four provides 98 horsepower, which can be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable automatic. The 2021 model year sees some paint colour changes, and that’s about it.
The Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan gains a Sport Edition package for the LT trim level, in addition to the Midnight Edition and Redline Edition ensembles that were already offered, along with some paint colour changes. The Malibu is equipped with a turbo 1.5L inline-four with 160 horsepower, while the range-topping Premier benefits from a 250-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0L four.
On the sports car front, the Chevrolet Camaro’s sales are in a downward spiral, but it soldiers on for 2021 in coupe and convertible body styles, with a plethora of trim levels and appearance packages. Base variants get a turbocharged 2.0L four with 275 horsepower, while the 335-hp 3.6L V6 is available as well. The mid-range Camaro LT1 is the price-leading muscle car with the 455-hp 6.2L V8, the latter which is also found in the 1SS and 2SS trims. Finally, the mighty Camaro ZL1 flaunts a 650-hp supercharged 6.2L V8. The 2021 model year brings a new Wild Cherry appearance package, while the Shock and Steel Package is back as well.
Ah, and then there’s the Chevrolet Corvette. The new mid-engined, eight-generation model that was produced in a shorter supply than GM had expected due to a worker strike in late 2019, and then the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The 2021 Corvette busts on the scene with no significant changes, apart from adding new accessories, racing stripes and other decals, two paint colour swaps, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as well as a new Sky Cool Gray / Strike Yellow interior. The Stingray features a 6.2L V8 that develops 490 horsepower, or 495 when buyers choose the performance exhaust system. Expect a Corvette Z06 and maybe even a Corvette E-Ray hybrid to be revealed sometime in 2021, as 2022 models.
Finally, the prehistoric Chevrolet Express full-size commercial van is still around, in Cargo and Passenger configurations, heading into 2021 with one significant change: the old gasoline 6.0L V8 has been replaced with a new 6.6L V8, which develops 401 horsepower.
