Price Range: $26,000 to $36,000
Configuration: Front Engine, Rear 2WD, 4WD; Power 4-disc Brakes,/ ">ABS, 4WD: Autotrac; Power Rack and Pinion Steering
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 113.0 inches, Overall length: 191.6 inches
Maximum Trailer Towing: 2WD: 6400 pounds; 1500 4WD: 6200 pounds
Fuel Efficiency: MPG 16 city / 21 highway
Safety Features: Driver, passenger and side airbags; ABS, standard
SAN JOSE DEL CABO, Mexico -- Plowing through two-rut sand tracks in desert dunes studded with tall saguaro cactus, the new Chevrolet TrailBlazer wagon applies the muscle of 270 horses to all four wheels and zips over a rough off-road route at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
Truth is, we're flying on the sand, big 17-inch Goodyear tires gripping like talons as the wheels bump up and down and a cloud of dust follows in our wake.
Yet we don't feel all that rough stuff in the leather-lined cabin because TrailBlazer's strong chassis maintains a rigid pose over the uneven terrain and the suspension, fitted with Bilstein high-pressure gas shocks, absorbs all of the blows. Instead, we're ensconced on plush buckets with conditioned air insulating us from the desert heat as rich harmonics of the melody out of a dashboard CD deck filters through speakers of a premium Bose audio system.
This clearly is the comfy way to ride over tortured terrain, but that's possible only because the new TrailBlazer has what it takes to make the right moves in an effortless manner.
What's a TrailBlazer?
It's a completely new sport-utility wagon with four passenger doors and seats for five, cushy cabin appointments and best-in-class power out of a new straight-six engine.
The TrailBlazer badge first appeared in 1999 at Chevrolet to cap a fleet of compact-class Blazer sport-utility vehicles. It amounted to a deluxe treatment of the four-door Blazer decorated in a monochromic paint scheme and the cockpit with tone-on-tone leather seats.
This new version, with a wheelbase stretched six inches further than the four-door Blazer, bumps up to the mid-size wagon category and carves out a spacious cabin with seats for five plus a cargo bay stretching to 40 cubic feet.
It bears the tag of a 2002 model but comes to market early in 2001.
Consider TrailBlazer as an entirely new product for Chevrolet organized around a stiff new chassis and equipped with strong mechanical hardware, high-tech electronic controls and that hunker six-pack powertrain.
It all begins with the revolutionary new chassis of ladder-frame format where steel rails extend for the length of the wagon. The unusual side rails -- each a single piece of seamless tubular steel -- curve down at mid-section to make room for the enlarged passenger compartment.
Using one-piece rails produces a foundation that's stronger and lighter in weight with less welding required and fewer component pieces. Eight cross braces (double the usual number) add rigidity to the rectangular frame so it resists flexing or twisting when the vehicle moves over uneven terrain.
A welded steel superstructure rises from the rigid chassis bed with multiple body mounts tuned in all directions to boost frame stiffness, absorb impacts from vertical movement and isolate noise.
Then comes the magic: A ">suspension system mounted on the ultra-stiff new chassis that permits superb handling control yet also delivers a refined ride quality on the road.
The ">independent front suspension with two coil-over-shock modules incorporates a double A-arm for stability and excellent damping with refined car-like smoothness.
A rear suspension with multi-link solid axle eliminates leaf springs common to typical rough-riding trucks and wagons.
Another variation from truck-based wagons comes from the quick-to-respond rack and pinion steering system that adds hydraulic power assistance. The device delivers a solid on-center feel for steering with precise movements, but also results in TrailBlazer's best-for-a-wagon tight turning circle of 36.4 feet.
Brakes include a big disc at every wheel linked to an intelligent four-wheel anti-lock system. That electronic device constantly monitors the speed of every wheel and can modulate the brake pressure at an individual wheel to maintain brake balance during an emergency stop and keep the vehicle tracking in a predictable straight-line path.
Electronic traction control applies to all two-wheel-drive TrailBlazers in conjunction with a limited-slip and locking rear axle to prevent the rear drive wheels from slipping on slick pavement.
Optional four-wheel-drive equipment includes the smart Autotrac system with push-button selections and automatic switching from standard rear-wheel-drive traction to a mode that distributes engine torque equally between front as well as rear wheels. To motivate TrailBlazer, a new in-line-six powerplant was developed to generate the high horsepower of a V8 engine but the fuel efficiency of a V6.
The 4.2-liter six, with dual overhead cams and four valves for every cylinder, delivers 270 horsepower at 6000 rpm and a flat band of torque up to 275 lb-ft at 3600 rpm.
A heavy-duty GM Hydramatic 4L60-E HD four-speed automatic transmission mates with the Vortec 4200 engine to handle all of the torque.
New sheetmetal covers the expanded wagon in a muscular style focused on an aggressive face featuring strong horizontal lines, bold multi-lens headlamp clusters and a thick air dam fixed with corner foglamps.
Side panels show flared and squared wheelwells with large five-spoke aluminum wheels, and the tail adds an integrated liftgate and complex step bumper with heavy-duty hitch platform for trailering.
The passenger compartment provides two rows of seats with plush buckets up front separated by floor and ceiling consoles and followed by a back bench for three. Thanks to that stretched wheelbase, room for legs is generous.
Fold down the rear split seatback and space in the flat-floor cargo bay doubles to 80 cubic feet.
TrailBlazer has three trim levels of LS, LT and LTZ. All carry a high content of standard equipment including power-operated windows and dual-zone air conditioning, and front air bags protecting from ahead and on the sides. TrailBlazer LT goes further with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power seats and the OnStar satellite communications system, but the LTZ loads a premium audio package, leather seats plus 17-inch wheels and tires.
Options include a DVD-based video enertainment system, the Bose audio package, sunroof and exterior running boards.
