
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Activ in Darkish Copper Metallic
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Activ AWD
Class: Subcompact Crossover
Miles pushed: 604
Gas used: 20.2 gallons
CG Report Card | |
---|---|
Room and Consolation | B+ |
Energy and Efficiency | C+ |
Match and End | B |
Gas Economic system | A |
Worth | B |
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus different autos in the identical class. Worth grade is for particular trim stage evaluated, and will not mirror Shopper Information’s impressions of all the mannequin lineup. | |
Huge & Tall Consolation | |
Huge Man | B+ |
Tall Man | A- |
Huge & Tall consolation scores are for entrance seats solely. “Huge” score based mostly on male tester weighing roughly 350 kilos, “Tall” score based mostly on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
Drivetrain | |
Engine Specs | 155-hp 1.3-liter |
Engine Sort | Turbo 3-cylinder |
Transmission | 9-speed automated |
Drive Wheels | AWD |
Actual-world gas economic system: 29.9 mpg
Driving combine: 40% metropolis, 60% freeway
EPA-estimated gas economic system: 26/30/28 (mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed)
Gas kind: Common gasoline
Base value: $27,000 (not together with $995 vacation spot cost)
Choices on check automobile: Expertise Bundle ($1620), Comfort Bundle ($620), Driver Confidence Bundle ($345), all-weather ground mats ($150)
Worth as examined: $30,730
Fast Hits
The nice: Effective passenger and cargo room inside tidy exterior dimensions; good collection of obtainable security and comfort/expertise options
The nice: Distinctive look options; respectable trip and dealing with; barely improved all-terrain functionality in comparison with different Trailblazers
The not so good: Some so-so cabin supplies; a bit noisy in freeway driving
Extra Trailblazer value and availability data
CG Says:
With nearly all of American commuters now located behind the wheel of 1, driving a crossover or SUV not makes the social assertion it as soon as did. Certainly, if a lot of the different autos on the street round you might be sport utilities of some type, haven’t you actually grow to be a conformist?
The product planners at Chevrolet could have been asking this actual query after they created the Trailblazer Activ—a trim stage that stands out a bit from the remainder of the Trailblazer lineup by providing a extra all-terrain, trail-ready look… and a smidge extra off-road functionality.

The Activ trim stage provides the essential Trailblazer an upscale, off-road-ready look. Our tester’s engaging Darkish Copper Metallic paint contrasted properly with tinted-chrome trim (an Activ unique) and Summit White two-tone roof.
The Trailblazer is a subcompact crossover SUV that debuted as an early 2021 mannequin, slotting in between the tiny Trax and the extra family-oriented compact Equinox in Chevrolet’s SUV lineup. Trailblazer trim ranges ascend by means of entry-level L, midlevel LS and LT, and topline Activ and RS. Curiously, the L, which isn’t obtainable with AWD, is priced under the least-expensive Trax mannequin.
Additionally curious (or a minimum of attention-grabbing), Chevrolet doesn’t provide the Trailblazer in a straight-ahead premium trim—the sporty RS and the Activ fashions share topline standing, proper right down to their equivalent beginning costs. Each come commonplace with the step-up 155-hp 1.3-liter turbocharged engine instead of the bottom 137-hp 1.2-liter turbo that’s commonplace on the front-drive variations of the L, LS, and LT.
What’s the distinction between 4WD and AWD?

The Trailblazer’s cabin has a pretty, sporty design, regardless of some so-so supplies right here and there. The $1620 Expertise Bundle provides a number of fascinating options, together with Chevy’s Infotainment 3 Plus touchscreen system, Bose 7-speaker audio system, wi-fi Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and wi-fi charging.
The RS will get an assertive, street-performance look by way of particular trim touches similar to blacked-out exterior cues, crimson inside accents, and an unique obtainable Oasis Blue paint colour. The Activ’s off-road-ish vibe comes courtesy of its barely raised trip peak (8.0 inches of clearance, in comparison with 7.5 inches on different Trailblazers), specifically tuned shock absorbers for rougher terrain, sport-terrain all-season tires, distinctive entrance and rear fasciae (the entrance bumper supplies barely higher clearance for obstacles), and extra underbody shielding.
Check Drive: 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT

The Trailblazer gives respectable house for adults in each the entrance and rear seats, thanks partly to its tall-ish physique peak.
A key ingredient defining the driving-character variations between the Activ and the RS is the tires. Each trim ranges make use of Hankook rubber, however the Activ is fitted with Dynapro AT2 all-terrain tires, whereas the RS comes on Kinergy GT all-season grand-touring tires.
Shopper Information Writer Tom Appel had the chance to guage our 2021 Trailblazer Activ check automobile when he picked up his daughter from faculty for the summer season—a spherical journey of about 350 miles from his suburban Chicago dwelling. Whereas the Activ is somewhat noisy at freeway speeds—a criticism which can be primarily a results of these all-terrain tires—it’s in any other case a wonderful long-trip automobile, offering affordable trip consolation, wonderful directional stability, and good gas economic system. Certainly, had the Trailblazer not been laden with greater than a quarter-ton of college-kid stuff, our cumulative gas economic system might need crested 30 mpg.
Fast Spin: 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS

The Trailblazer has 25.3 cubic toes of cargo quantity behind the rear seats, and 54.4 with the rear seats folded. CG Writer Tom Appel put that capability to the check when he and his spouse moved their daughter dwelling from faculty for the summer season. They managed to squeeze in a lot of the contents of a single dorm room by folding down the rear seats.
As for cargo house, the tidy Trailblazer boasts almost 55 cubic toes of quantity with the second-row seats folded. That’s fairly good for a subcompact SUV—actually, it’s simply 9 cubic toes lower than the midsize Chevy Blazer. Tom managed to squeeze nearly all of the contents of his daughter’s dorm room into the Trailblazer, however not his daughter herself. She drove her personal automobile dwelling.
So, Trailblazer Activ or RS? We advocate you check drive each. Nevertheless, in the event you dwell within the Snowbelt, the Activ’s winter-ready tires and additional floor clearance could also be simply the ticket when the subsequent blizzard hits—otherwise you’re incessantly traversing gravel roads or off-the-beaten-path trails to get to a campsite or different outdoorsy vacation spot.
Check Drive: 2021 Kia Seltos SX Turbo

Activ and RS Trailblazers come commonplace with a 155-hp, 1.3-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that’s paired with a 9-speed automated on AWD fashions. Activ fashions additionally get a barely raised trip peak and commonplace 18-inch high-gloss-black machined aluminum wheels on all-terrain tires.
Additionally, Chevrolet just lately launched information on the 2022 Trailblazer, which must be hitting dealerships quickly. A heated steering wheel is a brand new characteristic that’s commonplace on the Activ and RS and obtainable on LT. Additionally newly obtainable are two dealer-installed choices: roof-rack cross rails and a trailering package deal that features a trailer hitch, harness, and bezel.
First Spin: 2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo

The particular gear of the Activ doesn’t magically flip the Chevy Trailblazer right into a hardcore off-roader, nevertheless it does add a bit of additional functionality–and a enjoyable, ready-for-anything vibe–to an already likable subcompact SUV.
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2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer Activ Gallery
(Click on under for enlarged photographs)
Fast Spin: 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS