Holden Trailblazer

So, the new Holden Trailblazer is basically the next generation Holden Colorado.  These are very safe, stylish and roomy SUVs that are well worth a look.  And as the name suggests, the Trailblazer is pretty handy off-road with its switch-on-the-fly 4×4 gearing.  .

The Holden Trailblazer was introduced in Australia recently and has some very good ANCAP safety results.  Dual front airbags, side chest and side head-protecting curtain airbags (which cover all three seating rows), a driver knee airbag, advanced seat belt reminders, a very strong safety shell and plenty of active safety functions lead the way forward for the new Trailblazer.  You are in a safety class leader when driving a Trailblazer.

What’s the Trailblazer up against?  Ford’s Everest is a really nice large SUV but is also worth a lot more quid to buy.  Toyota’s Fortuner is typically well designed and solid, and is also pretty much the same size as the new Trailblazer – so this will be one of the main rivals.  Worth mentioning, however, is that the flagship Trailblazer LTZ is much cheaper than Toyota’s top equivalent.  The other similar rival is the Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport, and while larger is also more expensive when compared to the Trailblazer models.  Where I reckon you’ll find a direct competitor – one that might just snaffle some potential Trailblazer buyers – is in the very complete Isuzu MU-X range of seven-seater 4×4 SUVs.  These are also well priced and offer very good safety, luxury features, variations on the SUV luxury theme and handy performance (be it slightly lighter on the torque figures than in the Trailblazer).

Holden Trailblazer

Build quality for the Holden Trailblazer is very solid, and the design construction uses the tougher body-on-frame practise for better towing and off-road ability.  The separate chassis and body shell that the Trailblazer has is great for off-roading and towing but a little less positive for tarmac handling; and this is an area the monocoque rivals outdo the Trailblazer.  Power comes from a very strong 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine that is class topping, offering 500 Nm of torque from down low in the engine revs.  You really don’t need to wind the revs way up in this machine because for everyday performance there is more than enough power up to 2500 rpm.  You can expect less than 10 litres/100 km fuel usage on average – which is pretty good for a vehicle of this weight.  The MU-X is more frugal.  Try off-roading with this sort of weight in 2WD and you will soon find yourself scrambling, but flick the mode switch into 4WD and you can churn up the sand on the beach no problems at all.  Get really serious off the tarmac, and Holden have equipped the Trailblazer with 4WD Low.

Holden Trailblazer Interior

Sitting high and pretty inside a Trailblazer gives you a great view of the road ahead.  Handling is solid through the corners, with only the squealing from the tyres suggesting you might need to slow a little in the corners before the vehicle is anywhere near the point of letting go.  Nice comfortable seats keep even the longest of journeys as relaxed as possible.  Room for the first and second rowers is excellent.  Third row leg room is alright, though with the third row seats vertical there isn’t a huge amount of luggage space behind.  Maybe that’s what the 500 Nm is for – towing trailers!

Equipped with plenty of features, the Holden Trailblazer cabin is nice to spend time in.  An eight-inch touch screen has access to loads of apps and on-board features, and it even turns into a rear-view display when reverse gear is selected.  Sonar makes parking in tight spaces easy, and the LTZ Trailblazer model has some extra active safety gear on tap if required – things like forward collision warning, lane departure, blind spot warning and rear-cross traffic alert being standard features.  You have cruise control as standard, but with the LTZ flagship one might expect active cruise control should be a mandatory item.  Power operated and heated leather front seats make up for that minor blip and there is also MyLink connectivity and voice control.

Where the Holden Trailblazer shines is in engine performance.  With 147 kW of power and 500 Nm of torque drawn out from the 2.8 turbo diesel plant, the Trailblazer is strong on power.  At 2.2 tonnes, the Trailblazer is no feather weight, but that makes for a decent solid ride.  You can run the 0-100 km/h sprint in a little under 10 seconds, which is pretty good for what is a family 4WD SUV.

Set to be one of the ute-turned-into-SUV greats, the Trailblazer will be popular especially for the performance orientated drivers on the real-world side of an Audi SQ5 or Porsche Cayenne!

The 2017 Holden Trailblazer models include the:

• Trailblazer LT
• Trailblazer LTZ

For any more information on the Holden Trailblazer or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Holden dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!