Chevrolet continues its process of recycling old model names with the introduction of the 2021 Trailblazer. While we’ve known the full specs behind the 2021 Trailblazer for some time, the EPA hasn’t released its fuel economy figures for the subcompact SUV, until now. The EPA just released fuel economy figures for one of the Trailblazer’s drivetrain’s and it’s competitive.
The Trailblazer is offered with two engines: a turbocharged 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine and a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine. The 1.2-liter engine only comes with front-wheel drive, while the 1.3-liter engine can only be paired with all-wheel drive. Fuel economy figures for the Trailblazer with the 1.3-liter engine and AWD have been announced.
With that powertrain, the subcompact SUV is rated at up to 26 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, which comes out to 28 mpg combined. That makes it one of the more efficient options when compared to direct competitors.
Subcompact SUVs like the Subaru Crosstrek (30 mpg combined), Kia Seltos (29 mpg combined), and Mazda CX-3 (29 mpg combined) can get better-combined fuel economy than the Trailblazer when equipped with all-wheel drive. The Hyundai Kona, Buick Encore GX, and Honda HR-V match the Trailblazer’s 28 mpg combined rating when similarly equipped. When equipped with all-wheel drive, the Mazda CX-30 (27 mpg combined), Nissan Rogue Sport (27 mpg combined), Ford EcoSport (25 mpg combined) fall slightly behind the Trailblazer.
In Chevrolet’s lineup, the Trailblazer is the most affordable SUV but sits above the baby Trax and below the compact Equinox in terms of size. Despite the odd placement, the Trailblazer is the most efficient option of the three. When equipped with all-wheel drive, the Trax can get up to 26 mpg combined, while the Equinox is slightly more efficient with a combined rating of 27 mpg. Neither can match the Trailblazer’s figure of 28 mpg combined.
While the Trailblazer’s fuel economy figure is impressive, we’re more taken aback with the Equinox's fuel economy figure. The Equinox is a larger overall vehicle and has 15 more horsepower. So the fact that it only loses 1 mpg compared to the Trailblazer is splendid. If there’s one thing the Trailblazer has going for it over the Equinox is pricing. The subcompact Trailblazer starts at $24,495 for a base LS trim with all-wheel drive. An Equinox LS with all-wheel drive is $29,095. With that kind of a price gap, we’re inclined to point consumers toward the Trailblazer if they’re searching for the best fuel economy, despite being more dazzled by the Equinox’s fuel economy.
We’re still waiting to see what kind of fuel economy the Trailblazer with the base turbocharged 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine can get, but based on what we’ve seen with the more powerful engine, we’re expecting great things.