[MUSIC PLAYING] ALISTAIR WEAVER: Alistair Weaver here for Edmunds with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, that's right an electric version of the Blazer, shown here in both RS and SS trim, yes, an SS EV. This is Chevy's answer to the Mustang Mach-E and the Tesla Model Y, and it goes on sale next year, priced from around $50,000 to $70,000.
Now, before we get into it proper, there's something important to call out. This is a ground-up EV based on entirely new hardware shared in part with the forthcoming Silverado EV truck. It's not just a traditional SUV with an electric motor. In other words, this Blazer has nothing in common with the gas-powered SUV of the same name, and that's no bad thing. The current Blazer is certainly not one of our favorite SUVs. Honestly, it's more of a flicker than a blaze.
So what of this brave new dawn? There's certainly lots of choice from an entry level 1LT to the flagship SS that'll do battle with the Model Y Performance and the Mach-E GT. This is also offered with a choice of front, rear, or all wheel drive. Seriously, you can choose whether you want to be pushed or pulled.
So what do you think of the exterior? Well, the first thing to note is this is a big vehicle. It's a full 6 inches longer than a Mach-E and 4 inches wider, and there's a lot of extra room in the wheelbase, as well, which pays dividends inside. And we'll take a look at that in a minute. There's also going to be a lot of differentiation between the different trims. As you can see, the RS is a lot less aggressive, as you might expect, than the SS, and the LT models will be more sober, too.
Now, Chevy's tried to draw on some of their heritage, but they haven't gone too far with that. And overall, I think this is a really handsome car. It doesn't look too EV. This could easily be a gas car, and I'm sure that's about helping people into the EV market, not scaring them off.
There are a few little niceties, though. There's a little welcome sequence that you get using the LED lights on both the RS and the SS trims, and I also like some of the detailing. For me, this two tone paint treatment really does work, and is very much a Chevy signature. It also has very big wheel rims, 22 inches on the SS, 21 inches on the RS, slightly smaller still on the LT models. Above all else, though, it feels coherent. This car isn't overdesigned, and I think it will age well, particularly up against the opposition.
Now, before we take a look inside, be sure to subscribe to the Edmunds YouTube channel. Don't forget the bell. And if you want to sell your car, head to edmunds.com/sellmycar, and we'll make you a cash offer. Right, to the inside.
Welcome inside the SS, and let's start with a public health warning, not just about the slightly garish leather trim, but also about this car itself. This is actually a multimillion dollar show car, not a production example, so not everything is functioning. These screens, for example, are very much in display mode. And if you can hear some fans whirring, they're actually designed to cool these screens, which are permanently on.
Let's talk about these screens, which are obviously the big talking point of the interior. This one here measures 17.7 inches, and that combines with another digital dash in front of you that's 11 inches. Rumor has it that one of these is actually 8K, but we're not sure which. Probably that one, to be honest. This technology is shared with the forthcoming Silverado EV, and we expect it to feature on all of GM's EV products.
And we really like some of the tech here. The graphics look great. Everything's pin sharp, and you can have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay wirelessly, which is something, of course, that you don't get in the Tesla. As you'd expect, there will also be over-the-air updates, so expect these graphics and technology to evolve over time.
What about the traditional bits? Well, it certainly feels very wide in here. You really recognize that, the extra width that GM's talking about. I also like the fact that they've kept quite a lot of what you might call conventional controls. This isn't a Tesla. Not everything is controlled by the screen. There is a volume knob here, for example, and you've got pretty traditional looking controls for all the heating and ventilation system, the mirrors, the windows, and a few of the bits and pieces, as well. GM is listening to customers.
It's also plenty of storage space, bin here, bin here, additional bins in the doors, decent glovebox. And there's plenty of room for people of different shapes and sizes. And on production versions, of course, this wheel will move up and down and fore and aft.
Quality wise, it's kind of difficult to say too much, because this is a show car. But at least on the surface, it doesn't feel quite a match for luxury rivals like the Genesis GV 60, which to be honest, has a fantastic interior. It does, though, feel a bit more homely and cozy than the kind of fairly Spartan aesthetics of both the Mach-E and, particularly, the Tesla Model Y.
Overall, though, this is a huge step forward over the gas-powered Blazer, which, of course, is a much cheaper vehicle and will continue alongside the EV. One feature that is shared, though, is this sort of turbine style air vents, which are actually little LEDs, and they're mounted quite low in the dashboard. They look cool, but they do tend to blow cold air straight up your nose.
This is a big vehicle. You can really feel that length in the super long wheelbase here in the rear. This is set up for me. I'm 6 foot 4, and as you can see, there's plenty of leg room here, and I can also slide my feet under the seat. Now, GM hasn't tried to do anything clever like scoop a hole in the battery part, like Porsche does with the Taycan or even Lucid does with the Air, but it's not too bad. Your knees feel a little bit higher than they would in a gas-powered car, but overall, it's pretty comfortable back here.
So the legroom is great, and so is the elbow room. But the headroom? Not so much. That sloping roofline, coupled with a glass roof in this SS version, really does compromise the old bonnet, so I can feel not just my hair but actually the top of my scalp rubbing against the roof. That's a big surprise in a brand new vehicle.
The Blazer is very much a two row SUV, so all that's behind me is a pretty decent sized trunk, but there is no front, the front trunk that's a key characteristic of both the Model Y and the Mach-E, and maybe that's a surprise.
Let's talk about EV range, otherwise known as how far you can go on a single charge. The range varies according to trim. The entry level front wheel drive 1LT has an estimated range of 247 miles. But if you regularly travel long distances, you might want the RS. It'll do 320 miles. These are all GM estimates, of course, and it's not until we submit them to our world famous Edmunds EV range test that we'll know the full reality.
Charging, well, you'll want to charge from home. But if you are on a road trio to see Aunt Annie, you can recharge the Blazer at a fast charger up to 190 kilowatts. Now, that's good, but by no means class leading. If you like the look of those shiny new 350 kilowatt chargers, well, you can't use them, or at least not yet, not unless GM does some updates. Now, we've said this before and we'll no doubt say it again, Tesla's own supercharging system is still far better than anything else on the market. Will that change with time? Probably, but not just yet.
Chevy isn't saying too much about the performance of the lesser variants of the Blazer, but they are playing a game of top trumps with the flagship SS. This will have 557 horsepower and 648 pounds-feet of torque, which is a big dollop more than the rival Mach-E GT. It will also have a wide open watts, or WOW mode, that it will share with the Hummer EV, and that should help it from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, enough to scare the dog.
The Blazer will have a staggered introduction. The 2LT and RS models hit showrooms first next summer as a 2024 model year, followed by SS, then the 1LT in early 2024. GM's even building a cop car version of the Blazer, but surprisingly, they won't reveal the range on that.
Joking aside, though, GM is getting very serious about its EV strategy. The Blazer will be joined by a smaller Equinox EV, and of course, the Silverado truck. Then there are the Cadillacs, the Hummers, and everything else.
And there is genuine interest. The Mustang Mach-E is currently one of the most researched vehicles on Edmunds, with the Tesla Model Y not too far behind. Ford can't build the Mustang Mach-E fast enough. And that's not just a function of the chip shortage, it's also about consumer demand.
The Blazer enters a tough market against some tough, talented competition. But from what we've seen, it does bring some firepower. We'll be driving it early next year, when we'll find out whether it really does blaze a new trail or it just sort of fizzles a bit. That's it for now. Thanks for watching.
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