Chevrolet Trailblazer facelift Imported to India hints at a sooner launch next year than initially anticipated
The 2017 Chevrolet Trailblazer has been imported to India for homologation purposes hinting a launch sooner than expected. The facelifted version of the premium SUV was unveiled at the 2016 Bangkok Motor Show in March through the Trailblazer Premier concept.
It was an almost production-ready model that will hit international markets towards the end of 2016. The new Trailblazer will be launched in Brazil by next month on its initial phase. The successor to the Captiva entered Indian market last October with 2WD LTZ variant for a price of Rs. 26.4 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The facelifted model is expected to receive a minor revision over the existing model. Initially reported to be brought in to the market by next fiscal, the newly launched Ford Endeavour and the upcoming Toyota Fortuner might have sped up the timeframe for the American manufacturer.
Being a mere facelift, the premium SUV will undergo cosmetic revisions while the mechanical bits are more likely to remain unchabged. Since it’s based on the Colorado pick-up truck, the facade has derived similar design cues. For India, the Trailblazer gets power from the bigger 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, Duramax diesel engine that produces 197 bhp at 3600 rpm and segment-leading 500 Nm of peak torque delivered from 2,000 rpm.
It comes married with a six-speed manual gearbox sending power to the rear wheels and helps achieve a rated fuel efficiency of 11.45 kmpl. The torquey diesel motor might continue to feature when the facelift goes up for grabs locally. The power options in which the SUV is sold in global markets are 2.5-litre Duramax diesel with 163 hp and 380 Nm and 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine with 277 hp and 357 Nm of torque.
The aforementioned petrol mill could be brought in with an all-wheel drive option. Outside, the facelifted Trailblazer Premier is adorned with wider upright prominent grille, sleeker headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lights, newly designed wheels, re-designed bumpers at front and rear, new tail lamp cluster, plenty of chrome accents and so on.
It measures 4,878 mm long, 1,902 mm wide, 1,834 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,870 mm with 253 mm ground clearance. Inside the cabin, the instrument panel will be updated along with chrome garnish for several cabin elements. The dashboard receives a waterfall-styled floating design with the updated Chevrolet eight-inch MyLink touchscreen infotainment system comprising Apple CarPlay connectivity.