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| Ditch? What ditch? So able is the Trailblazer you can park it like so, take a photo, and idle out of trouble. |
A battle awaits among the big sport utes, with the 2016 models of
the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Everest ready to take on Chevrolet’s
Trailblazer, while the latest Disco Sport is, by all accounts, all the car you'd ever need.
To remind ourselves of our likes and dislikes in this capable ute,
we drove the Trailblazer again.
From a safety point of view, the biggest like in the Trailblazer is
how quick it stops.
“Go check it out,” challenged one happy owner who does the daily
commute from Albert Falls Dam to Pietermaritzburg in his automatic TB.
I did, on dirt, and the advanced four-wheel disc brake system gave me that “desirable and class-
leading sense of superior security” as advertised on the web, thanks to eight advanced active safety systems.
leading sense of superior security” as advertised on the web, thanks to eight advanced active safety systems.
Learning not to stall
The second impressive feature is the 2,8 diesel burner. Chev sells
the Trailblazer with a choice of two engines, a 2,5-liter Duramax diesel engine
(120 kW/380 Nm) and my favourite, the buttersmooth 2,8-liter Duramax diesel, which makes 144 KW and 500 Nm torque from 2 000 rpm.
A variable turbo and intercooler boost torque from low revs while the Active Select six-speed auto box makes the most of each Newton. I however
used the six-speed manual, for which the power is limited to 440 Nm, and managed
to stall several times on take off before getting to revs right. On the N3 to Gauteng and back, the big ute drank an average of
11.6 l/ 100 km.
This Trailblazer lists for R556 700, which is just a R200-note more
than what Toyota wants for Fortuner 4,0 V6 4x4 (175 kW/376 Nm), but over R10k
more than what Land Rover wants for the Discovery Sport SD4 S, which admittedly
makes a less power (110 kW/400 Nm). And all dealers have specials on.
Flow of power
Our third like is the big Chev’s 4x4-ability.
When stuck, the torque flows to the uselessly spinning wheel. The Electronic Stability Programme in modern all-wheel drive cars momentarily brake this spinning wheel, forcing the torque to turn the non-spinning wheels.
To activate this EPS you need to put foot, which allows the computer to do its calculations and send the torque
zig-zagging between the wheels. This can take up to seven
seconds to activate, but when the EPS have completed the paperwork, a low gear
ratio ensures the Trailblazer goes anywhere on its 230 mm road
clearance.
On steep slopes, Hill-start Assist Control and Downhill Brake
Control keeps things under control.
Going down a steep hill on a dirt track is as easy as twiddling the
knob to 4-Low, pressing the automatic downhill brake button and then
occasionally steering.
This frees up time to fiddle around with the MyLink system. In my first serious 4x4 excursion in the Trailblazer I could not
get my Sony Experia beyond the “linked, but not connected” stage. In another model the cellphone and Mylink were
instant BFFs. Go figure.
Storing stuff
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| Handy for pies, but little else. |
Now for the only dislike in the Trailblazer — use of space to stash stuff.
From the front air-ducts to the third row of seats, the Trailblazer
offers 11 cup holders, (12 if you ditch the can-sized ashtray), a secure tray
below the steering wheel; a tray with a lid on top of the dashboard; a large
central armrest; and two door pockets.
You’d think this should be enough — but you’d be wrong. Both sun and engine heat up that top tray — handy to keep pies warm, but not safe for anything made from plastic (or pies containing white meat).
The secure tray under the steering wheel allows keys and wallets to slide around, making for awkward fumbling at each toll gate.
And the door pockets require opening before you can access them.
Under the big central console's lid, a tiny hollow is made smaller by the plug points mounted in there. Two smartphones and their charging cables will fill this itty-bitty space.
On the SUV battle front, packing spaces for loose little things are what sell a vehicle, or not, as in the case of the Nissan Patrol, (which suffers even more from a lack of packing space).
The Fortuner excels at space to stash stuff, the Disco has nooks and crannies everywhere and in the new Everest, Ford also may just show Chev’s designers a thing or two about ergonomics. Watch this space.
You’d think this should be enough — but you’d be wrong. Both sun and engine heat up that top tray — handy to keep pies warm, but not safe for anything made from plastic (or pies containing white meat).
The secure tray under the steering wheel allows keys and wallets to slide around, making for awkward fumbling at each toll gate.
And the door pockets require opening before you can access them.
Under the big central console's lid, a tiny hollow is made smaller by the plug points mounted in there. Two smartphones and their charging cables will fill this itty-bitty space.
On the SUV battle front, packing spaces for loose little things are what sell a vehicle, or not, as in the case of the Nissan Patrol, (which suffers even more from a lack of packing space).
The Fortuner excels at space to stash stuff, the Disco has nooks and crannies everywhere and in the new Everest, Ford also may just show Chev’s designers a thing or two about ergonomics. Watch this space.
Price and competitors
Having now dissed the Chev Trailblazer for its lack of crevices, note that among its competitors, it is the least seen among all the stolen vehicles that arrive over the border in Mozambique and Zambia. In southern Africa, that alone is good enough reason to own the big Chev, rather than its main competitors below:
Chevrolet Trailblazer 2,8D 4x4 LTZ R556 700 (144 kW/440 Nm)
Chevrolet Trailblazer 2,8D 4x4 LTZ R556 700 (144 kW/440 Nm)
Toyota Fortuner 4,0 V6 4x4 R556 500
(175 kW/376 Nm)
Ford Everest: tbc.
Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 S R545 901
(110 kW/400 Nm)
