The Chevrolet TrailBlazer has meant two different things. From 1999 to 2002 it was an appearance package on the S-10 Blazer; from 2001 it was a mid-size SUV in its own right, the successor to the S-10 Blazer.
Chevrolet Trailblazer at a glance
| First use | 1999–2002, appearance package on the S-10 Blazer |
|---|---|
| Second use | mid-size SUV from 2001 |
| Position | successor to the S-10 Blazer |
| Class | Mid-size SUV |
| Later use | global Trailblazer model in the 2020s |
| Platform at the time | GMT360 family of body-on-frame SUVs |
The English Wikipedia page on the Trailblazer is a nameplate overview; this article explains the two uses of the name rather than describing either vehicle in detail.
History of the Chevrolet Trailblazer
The TrailBlazer name first appeared in 1999 as an appearance package for the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, giving the compact SUV a more rugged look without changing its mechanical basis. That package lasted until 2002, when the S-10 Blazer itself came to the end of its life.
The proper TrailBlazer arrived in 2001 as a mid-size SUV and the direct successor to the S-10 Blazer. It was a body-on-frame vehicle, part of the same GMT360 family of GM SUVs that included the GMC Envoy, Oldsmobile Bravada and Buick Rainier, and it was offered with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. It served as Chevrolet’s mid-size SUV through the 2000s.
The Traverse later replaced the body-on-frame TrailBlazer in the United States, and the name was revived for a new global model in the 2020s, sold in markets such as Brazil and India. That newer Trailblazer is a unibody crossover unrelated to the truck-based SUV of 2001, which makes the name one of the clearer examples of how Chevrolet has reused historic badges on completely different vehicles.
Design and features
- Package first: the TrailBlazer name started as trim on the S-10 Blazer.
- Mid-size SUV: from 2001 it was a body-on-frame SUV in its own right.
- GMT360 family: shared with the GMC Envoy, Oldsmobile Bravada and Buick Rainier.
- Revival: the modern Trailblazer is a unibody crossover carrying an old name.
Chevrolet Trailblazer versions
- TrailBlazer package (1999–2002): an appearance package on the S-10 Blazer.
- Mid-size TrailBlazer (2001 onwards): the body-on-frame SUV.
- Modern Trailblazer: the later global crossover model.
The TrailBlazer replaced the Chevrolet Blazer, was replaced in the range by the Chevrolet Traverse and shares its market with the Chevrolet Equinox.
Video: 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT test drive
Video by Saabkyle04 on YouTube.
Sources
- Chevrolet Trailblazer, English Wikipedia: nameplate uses and model years
