2026 Chevrolet Blazer Review: Dated and Hard to Love

The 2026 Chevy Blazer is a midsize SUV that leans into its styling and handling to compete in a segment packed with excellent rivals and a wide spectrum of choices. And honestly, it's a hard sell. Even with the optional and more powerful V6, this SUV's acceleration is only slightly better than average. The Blazer's ride and handling balance is sufficient, but it doesn't make up for the SUV's other limitations. Visibility isn't great, cargo and rear passenger space are lacking, and tech lags behind that of its Chevy counterparts and rivals from other brands.

The Blazer is in a distinct position as an SUV without off-road intentions and with at least some on-road performance leanings. That makes direct competitors — even in today's huge range of SUVs — harder to find. Volkswagen's Atlas Cross Sport, which offers a truncated rear roofline like the Blazer, hints at similar sportiness. Its turbocharged four-cylinder lands between the Blazer's four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines in output. The Honda Passport has a standard V6 and is almost identical in size to the Blazer. Even Ford's Explorer, which is bigger and offers a third row, might be a consideration for some buyers.

Chevy has made only incremental updates to the Blazer in its seven years on sale. And this year is no different. Last year's top Premier trim has been cut from the 2026 lineup, and the V6 is now only available as an option on the top RS trim, while the 2.0-liter turbo-four becomes its standard engine. Otherwise, there are a handful of driver assist features — lane change alert and side blind-zone alert, rear parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert — that are newly standard on the base trim, and these will be appreciated by budget-conscious buyers. But they only count as minor tweaks. We look forward to a real refresh of this attractive, if aging, SUV.