Matthew DeBord/BI
Stylish!
- The 2019 Chevy Blazer is the latest version of an SUV that's been around since the late 1960s.
- The new Chevy Blazer is a stylish crossover that might confuse some fans of the nameplate's rugged lineage.
- I thought my test vehicle was good, if a bit overpriced, and I loved the V6 engine.
The Chevy Blazer, like the Ford Bronco, is one of the original SUVs. The Blazer started life as little more than a pickup truck with a shell over its bed and some seats added.
By the time Chevy most recently retired the nameplate in 2005, the crude original had morphed into a modern SUV.
The revived Blazer bears little resemblance to its ancestors. The styling is downright flashy, and plenty of reviewers have noted similarities to the Chevy Camaro muscle car. Honestly, my first reaction to the $48,075 Blazer from the 2019 model year that Chevy let me borrow for a few days was, "Hmmm ... not sure I like all that exterior jazz. Isn't a Blazer supposed to get dirty and haul around a couple of dogs?"
If you read on, you'll find out what changed my tune.