Chevrolet Blazer to Return in 2018

Jan 11, 2017

2018 Chevrolet Blazer

It’s coming back, so if you are a Chevy Blazer fan, get ready, because this is not the Blazer you remember. Resources report that General Motors is putting together a new and improved model due for release in 2018 that will carry the Blazer name. The last generation of this model, a compact and midsize SUV truck, disappeared from the market in 2005.

The reports coming out now indicate that the new Chevrolet Blazer will be a midsize CUV similar to the downsized GMC Acadia. Industry spies state it will fall in size and price somewhere between the Equinox and Transverse.

History of the Blazer

The Blazer has long been known as a go anywhere vehicle. The tough truck chassis and V8 power made the four-wheel-drive SUV a practical choice whether you were going across town or across the country. In 1973, Chevy retooled the original model to give it an upgrade and then expanded on it further in 1992. The full-size Blazer of yesterday was the predecessor to the Chevy Tahoe released in 1994.

In 1983, the manufacturer issued a compact version, as well, called the S-10 Blazer. This newest design stayed in production until 2004 and grew into a four-door version.

What We Know So Far

GMC is keeping tight-lipped about their newest generation of the Chevrolet Blazer. Since the first release back in 1969, the Blazer has always been more truck than anything else. GMC is looking to rebrand that model, however, into a midsized crossover as opposed to traditional truck-based SUV. Although the prototype is not out for review just yet, industry insiders state they can see just enough of it to know it carries the Blazer name. The prototype model appears to have sculpted headlights along with LED daytime running lights much like the Equinox.

The prototype is described a significantly shorter than the Traverse with a power train that could match the Acadia’s four and six-cylinder engines.

The exact details about the new Chevy Blazer are unclear at this point, but there is much speculation based on what industry watchers know about the other GM models coming out in the next few years. For example, the manufacturer made a decision to keep the Transverse roughly the same size as the current design, catering to anyone looking for a roomy three-row CUV. The Transverse test vehicle appears to be boxier with a more dominant and upright front end design than the past models.

On the other hand, they are downsizing the Acadia to improve its fuel economy and efficiency. This seems to leave a slot open for a midsize crossover. Based on observations of the GM prototypes, in all likelihood that midsize model will be Chevrolet’s newest generation Blazer, offering some of the same features as the Acadia but with a bigger chassis and new design. Consumers will have to wait and see what this new Blazer brings when it is finally released in 2018.