Chevrolet Finishes Off Trailblazer, Captiva SUVs

With Chevrolet pulling out of the Thai market by the end of the year (including manufacturing), the American carmaker has announced the end of sale of its two SUVs manufactured there: the Captiva and Trailblazer.

This comes as Chevrolet continues to hold its “Hot Deal Sale,” which is basically a liquidation sale on remaining inventory. With discounts amounting to about 249,000 Baht (P 393,000~), Thai buyers took the opportunity to snap up all remaining Trailblazer and Captiva SUVs.

The remaining model with stocks is the Colorado pickup truck. However, Chevrolet Thailand says that with discounts of up to 200,000 Baht (P 316,000~), they expect to finish off all remaining inventory there before the end of their fire sale on July 31.

Despite Chevrolet’s decision to pull out of the Thailand market (and subsequently all manufacturing in Southeast Asia), the company is assuring owners that they will continue to provide aftersales service and genuine parts.

The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in the Philippines has also assured customers that sales and aftersales will continue unimpeded.

Chevrolet Produces 500,000th Duramax Diesel Engine in Thailand

GM Powertrain Thailand, General Motors’ (GM) first diesel engine plant in Southeast Asia, recently achieved its 500,000th production milestone since production officially started in 2011. It is the first GM facility in the world to produce the four-cylinder Duramax turbo-diesel engine.

Both the 2.5-liter and 2.8-liter Duramax engines currently used in the Chevrolet Colorado and Trailblazer are produced in this facility. They are fairly advanced with a variable-geometry turbocharger, aluminum cylinder head, integrated oil cooler, high-pressure common-rail fuel delivery system for increased output, performance, fuel efficiency and durability. They also feature an EGR cooler for emissions compliance, capable of up to Euro-5 ratings, plus a balancer shaft and laminated lower oil pan for lower NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) during operation.

During the ceremonies, GM revealed that their operations in Thailand is the only facility that fully manufactures the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine. Moreover, 20 percent of their total production or around 80,000 engines were exported in 2018 alone.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer Perfect Edition II Sounds Like a Sequel We Can Get Behind On

After coming up with a tacky 4th of July Edition, Chevrolet’s product planning people need to redeem itself. Well, another Thailand market model may do just that, and this is one upgrade we can sort-of get behind on.

The name Chevrolet Trailblazer Perfect Edition II sounds more like a Neon Genesis Evangelion release, so we’re not exactly sold on that, but at least this SUV comes with aesthetic features which don’t look half bad. It dips heavily into the accessories bin and with that gets both front and rear bumper add-ons, a new rear spoiler, and fender flares.

The rest of the SUV though remains the same, but because it’s based off the top-of-the-line LTZ, it does have Forward Collision Alert, Blind Zone Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert—features that make it one of the safest mid-sized SUVs around.

The package costs around 23,855 Baht (~ P 39,480) which isn’t expensive. And compared to the trying-too-hard-to-be-Murica Colorado, this appearance package is something Chevrolet Philippines should consider bringing in; perhaps the return of the LTZ as a more luxurious take compared to the sporty Z71? That would be nice.

Nope, the 2020 Chevrolet Trailblazer Isn't a 7-Seater Mid-Sized SUV

Prepare to be confused because the world is getting an all-new Chevrolet Trailblazer, and this is not the same Trailblazer we know and love here in the Philippine market. As we reported a week ago, the Trailblazer is marking a comeback as a new global market for the bowtie brand, but not as a 7-seater pickup-based passenger vehicle (PPV), but as a compact SUV.

Previewed at the Auto Shanghai, the 2020 Trailblazer, along with the Tracker sub-compact SUV aims to broaden Chevrolet’s appeal with its “youthful, fashionable, sporty, and technological position.”

Oh, and unlike other outlets that misreported it to be a mid-sized SUV (it has since been corrected), this here isn’t a 7-seater PPV. Instead, it’s a compact SUV designed to slot BELOW the mid-sized Blazer SUV. With that, the Trailblazer borrows its design cues from its bigger brother such as the split headlight design. For its global debut, it was shown with the sporty Redline package which Chevrolet debuted with the 2020 Orlando. It adopts smoked 17-inch alloy wheels and red pinstripe detailing.

Chevrolet hasn’t given much detail about the all-new Trailblazer, but it’s expected to ride on the brand’s new modular unibody architecture known as VSS-S (Vehicle Strategy Sets).

Meanwhile, the Tracker is a new sub-compact SUV that rides on GM’s GEM or Global Emerging Markets platform. It’s going to be larger than the global market Trax, but will actually be priced below it to help Chevrolet combat the slew of cheap crossovers in China.

No details were presented as to the powertrains, but expect the Trailblazer to have a family of 4-cylinder engines while the Tracker might have a turbocharged 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine.

The China-Market Chevrolet Trailblazer May Not be What You Think It Is

Chevrolet confirmed that they will be unveiling two new SUVs at the upcoming Auto Shanghai: the 2020 Trailblazer and 2020 Tracker. The Tracker has a strong chance of making it to the Philippines market, while the situation of the Trailblazer is a bit murky.

Before that though, Chevrolet did release a teaser photo showing off the Trailblazer and Tracker. Along with it, the American carmaker said:

The Tracker and Trailblazer adopt GM’s latest propulsion, intelligent connectivity and safety technologies. They will bring the joy of exploring life and pursuing passion to a new group of vehicle buyers in the brand’s second-largest market.

According to numerous reports, the Tracker will be riding on Chevrolet’s new GEM or Global Emerging Markets platform. It’s going to be larger than the global market Trax, but will actually be priced below it to help Chevrolet combat the slew of cheap crossovers in China. It’s said that that the Tracker will get a boosted 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine making 115 horsepower paired to a 6-speed dual clutch automatic.  Chevrolet does have plans to sell this to other emerging markets so there’s a good chance the Philippines will get to see it here.

Things become a bit more confusing when it comes to the Trailblazer. Although markets such as the Philippines know the Trailblazer as a body-on-frame SUV based off the Colorado, reports indicate that this China-market version will be something entirely different.

Reports say the Trailblazer will return as a compact crossover and will slot below the North American Blazer mid-sized crossover. It’s said to feature Chevrolet’s new next-generation modular unibody architecture known as VSS-S (Vehicle Strategy Sets). It will also likely gain a new family of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines and will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive.

True enough, assuming that the teaser photo shows off both vehicles to scale, it’s clear that the Tracker and Trailblazer have more or less the same footprint. This reduces the chances that the Trailblazer in China would ultimately be the replacement to Chevrolet’s aging PPV in Southeast Asia.

Regardless, it would be interesting to see if Chevrolet is able to throw a surprise at the Auto Shanghai.

Chevrolet Philippines Rises with the Trailblazer Phoenix (w/ Specs)

It may just be a coincidence, but the newest Chevrolet Trailblazer variant sure sounds like a tie-up with the latest X-Men movie. Shown at the Manila International Auto Show, the Trailblazer dons some aftermarket bits and rises as: the Trailblazer Phoenix.

The Trailblazer Phoenix gains a front hood decal, side strip decals, a rear bumper scuff plate and lots of matte black stuff. Yup, you’ll find the material everywhere from the fender flares, pillars, rear spoiler, tailgate applique, and even the Chevrolet bowtie emblems. Wow, they should have called it the Matte Black Edition instead, huh.

Inside, it gets a leather steering wheel with infotainment controls and like other Trailblazer models, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Since the Trailblazer Phoenix is a styling thing, the mechanicals remain unchanged: a 2.8-liter Duramax Diesel with 200 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque, a 6-speed automatic with active select manual mode, and an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Priced at P 1,780,888, the Trailblazer Phoenix rises up in 7 colors: Pull Me Over Red, Summit White, Switch Blade Silver, Dark Shadow Metallic, Black Meet Kettle Metallic, Blue Me Away, and Oxford Metallica Brown.

Come to think of it, the name also sounds like a basketball team too.