Set to arrive in U.S. dealerships in the spring of 2020 with a base price of $19,995, the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer will be available in five trim levels, one of which is the new Trailblazer Activ. Curiously, the Activ light offroad sub-brand has seen little use so far in Chevrolet’s vehicle lineup, but the Trailblazer is looking to change that.
As of this writing, only one other Chevy model in the United States offers an Activ trim level, and that’s the Chevrolet Spark city car. It boasts a roof rack, lower-body cladding all around and a unique front fascia design to stand out as an “active lifestyle” vehicle.
As for the Trailblazer Activ, it receives a two-tone roof, exclusive front and rear fascias as well as trapezoidal dual exhaust outlets, providing a more distinctive package compared to the L, LS, LT and sporty-looking RS grades. It also benefits from 17-inch sport terrain tires, unique shock absorber tuning and a roof rack. The faux bumper-mounted skid plates hint at a certain level of off-road capability.
However, a Trailblazer Activ is by no means a hardcore off-road machine like the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, or even the Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss, for that matter. General Motors claims the Activ’s suspension is “tuned to enhance vehicle performance and ride comfort when traveling on gravel roads.” The front bumper is shaped to improve the vehicle’s approach angle, but the subcompact-plus crossover’s ride height is unchanged compared to the rest of the lineup – at least according to the specifications released by GM thus far.
The 2021 Trailblazer will be available with two engines. The base powerplant is the turbo-charged 1.2-litre LIH three-cylinder making 137 horsepower while the optional engine is the turbo-charged 1.3-litre L3T mill making 155 horses. The Trailblazer Activ gets a front-wheel drivetrain as standard, while AWD is optional.
So, we’re basically looking at a soft or light off-roader, which is somewhat ironic given the SUV’s name. In this case, Activ represents “active lifestyle” more than anything else, much like the case with the Spark Activ.
Besides the Spark and Trailblazer, two other Chevrolet models wear an Activ badge, and they’re both sold in South America – the Chevrolet Spin Activ and Onix Activ. The Spin is a five-passenger, multipurpose vehicle (MPV) that includes a similar “light off-road” look with body-cladding and a roof rack, while the Brazil-exclusive Chevrolet Onix hatchback is also offered in the Activ trim, gaining slightly higher ground clearance, lower-body cladding and faux bumper skid plates.
Should the Activ trim level and its light off-road appearance expand its presence in the North American market? If so, which Chevrolet models would be the best candidates for it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Comments
Honestly its going to be a great little hatchback, that will have very low cost of ownership, and will appeal mainly to older folks who just want cheap transportation but need a little higher step in height for comfort. It may also get some younger buyers due to the styling. But I predict most buyers will be older, ala Kia Soul. I honestly don’t understand why people want to go this small when you could get an equinox for just a bit more. But that sub-20k starting price will get a lot of people into the dealership. It will be entirely sufficient for most people and that’s all it needs to do. Well, that, and push up the corporate average fuel efficiency. And let’s face it, it’s a lot more compelling than the Sonic hatch, for about the same money.
Give me a Subaru…
Pretty good assessment @brian.
I was really hoping the Activ trim might compete with the Renegade Trailhawk, but, alas, no.
Renegade Trailhawk:
Standard skid plates
Increased ride height
Class III hitch, 2,000lb tow capacity
And even aftermarket offroad accessories available (which won’t happen with the Trailblazer cause it falls too short from the start)
“Trailblazer” + “Activ” should imply something very capable. Rally Sport should imply something that can handle many road surfaces and has decent cornering/braking. GM doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the names and labels they put on their cars.
They should have gone back to the Tracker name for this in North America and either skipped the Activ trim, or made the Activ trim to match or beat the Renegade Trailhawk.
I’m surprised they went with GX instead of GSX on the Encore–why not just go ahead and bastardize more legacy names?
Only thing this is going to go is to the mall.
Not necessarily saying it’s a bad looking cuv because it is does look nice. But to make a sporty name for a small sub compact crossover with a 3 cylinder engine I don’t get who they are trying to deceive. They are plenty of other nameplates you could use. I would prefer the Chevy Captiva, that rebadged Saturn Vue. Chevy Tracker is another one, it don’t take long to find a proper name for it is all I’m saying.
I understand it can just be a name, but man they had me fooled for a long time. Waiting for a Colorado platform suv.. I love the Colorado, best in class for sure. The Silverado I love too, I just don’t see why they can’t offer a capable midsize suv without compromising it to pieces.
I’m surprised they went with “Activ” since that nomenclature has been used by Mazda for years.