We’ve known Chevrolet has been busy restructuring its crossover lineup to better suit the needs of the consumer at large. This meant the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox would shrink, the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse would remain full size and a new, midsize crossover would emerge to fill the gap.
Now that the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox has indeed been reimagined as a compact crossover to do battle with the Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV4s of the world, we have our first glimpse of the brand’s midsize crossover.
The CUV pictured will likely revive the Blazer name and share the same C1 platform, or Chi, as the 2017 GMC Acadia. There isn’t confirmation this is indeed the 2018 Chevrolet Blazer, but it sure does look like a Chevrolet, and the overall size and profile look identical to the 2017 Acadia. We can spot a traditional Chevrolet grille beneath the camouflage and the taillamps are reminiscent of the 2018 Equinox’s rear lights.
Chevrolet told us at the unveiling of the 2018 Equinox it has big plans for its crossover portfolio now that its car business is up to snuff. That means it’s likely we could see the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse and 2018 Chevrolet Blazer both bow in 2017 after the Equinox goes on sale in the first quarter of 2017.
Spy shots: Automotive News
Comments
This is the 2018 Traverse C1YC.
Chevrolet’s mid-size SUV “C1UC” is shedulded for 2019 according to some Linkedin profiles.
I’d argue that C1UC is not the only Chevy program for this architecture. One will be this here Blazer, the other will be the Traverse.
I agree, this is most likely the 2018 Traverse. As the Acadia shrank some, I believe the Traverse will follow suit.
Cameron,
It’s been confirmed and reported multiple times the Traverse will not shrink in size. Neither will the Buick Enclave, only the Acadia was scheduled to shrink. The spy shots are not of the Traverse, as we’ve already seen spy shots of that crossover previously.
Cheers,
-Sean
I was hoping the Blazer name was being reserved for a potential Colorado-based SUV. 🙁 Is such an SUV still in the cards, or has GM forgone it in favor of expanding the C1XX platform application? Then again, a Colorado-based SUV may potentially encroach upon Chevy’s Tahoe sales. Perhaps they shouldn’t pursue it….
Oh well. I hope this next Chevy SUV brings something new and special to the table.
Sacrilege to use the Blazer name on a FWD crossover.
@Sean
You should’ve compared the new spyshots with the existing ones of the 2018 Traverse before posting. Even those rims are shaped equal.
Just compare the spyshots from “automotive news” to the following ones:
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2018-chevrolet-traverse-spy-photos-news
Some food for (rational) thought:
1. Who is to say that the 2018 Blazer and second-gen Traverse won’t share a wheel design/pattern?
2. Who is to say that #1 is not being considered by GM?
3. Who is to say that the 2018 Blazer and second-gen Traverse aren’t being tested on the same set of wheels, which may or may not make it to production?
Here are the facts: over the past two years, we have heard all kinds of whispers and rumblings that there will be two Chevy crossover programs derived from Chi/C1. The vehicle in the spy shots is too short to be the gen two Traverse, lending more credence to the notion that there will be a new crossover to slot between the 2017 Equinox and second-gen, 2018 Traverse. That is good, sound logic to use when attempting to figure out the vehicle in question in the spy shots.
What is not good, sound, or even smart logic is to look at the wheel pattern/design of a vehicle in testing, especially one that will have a longer variant off the same architecture, and make conclusions based on that. What I hope you understand before posting instructional comments like the one above for Sean is that GM does not finalize wheel designs/wheel patterns for a vehicle until much later in the vehicle dev process.
So the question is, how much of your opinion would you base on the wheel design of a development vehicle?
What’s sad, is another storied Chevrolet nameplate is going to another front drive based pavement pounder with no real identity in a sea of boring CUV’s. The Blazer name belongs on a vehicle that can “Blaze” a new path if need be, not hurry and shuffle to the next soccer match or piano lessons. For goodness sake GM, if Ford is bringing back the Bronco, you sure as heck could bring back a real Blazer to compete.
I would hold up on this a bit and let them show more of this or come out and say what this is.
We have two reports and we have two names given to the same vehicle. Both models are well covered and not showing enough to really be sure what model it is. For sure this is a FWD based model but it also could be a longer version of the Acadia model for Chevy and it could still very well be a Traverse.
The only thing we know for sure here is what we don’t know.
Ford has the Explorer FWD based model and Will have a coming Bronco. Chevy will also counter them. Do not judge all that is going on bases on some well covered mules.
This new Midsize CUV is the Blazer! It almost identical to the 2017 GMC Acadia! I just hope it does not have the plastic skirt cladding! If it does not and comes in two row Premier! Good chance I will buy it!
If they make the Blazer a FWD vehicle they’ll lose all of the ground they just gained by creating the Colorado ZR2. I’d be very disappointed, especially since Ford seems to be working on a true Bronco successor.
Chevrolet still can bring in the TrailBlazer from Australia and call it TrailBlazer!
Found out that the Blazer will come out in 2018 as a 2019 model! I don’t know why the delay! Hopefully, I am wrong?
wouldn’t be a surprise, as 2019 is the 50th anniversary of the nameplate.
If the Blazer isnt going to be full size its pointless.