After almost a quarter of a century, the Chevrolet Blazer made its return in 2019, remodeled as a stylish mid-sized crossover SUV. Two years later, we have the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer, available with three engines and five trims. The Blazer’s exterior and interior draw inspiration from the Chevy Camaro. The SUV can seat up to 5, with no 7-seater option.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer L FWD
Powertrain
The standard Blazer comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 193hp and 188lb-ft of torque. The engine pairs exclusively with a 9-speed automatic transmission, and the power goes to the front wheels. The braking distance from 70mph is 165ft, and the cargo volume is 30.5 cubic feet for all 2021 Blazer models.
Interior Features
The interior looks and feels like you would expect from a base variant, with just two color tones and plastic reigning supreme. However, the equipment is very generous. Standard options include dual-zone climate control, 2-way adjustable front and rear head restraints, a 4.2″ diagonal color Driver Information Center, an HD rear vision camera, Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 4-USB ports, a 6-speaker audio system, 6-way powered front seats, active noise cancellation, and rear window defogging. You also get clothed seats with optional jet-black covers.
Safety Features
When it comes to safety features, the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer L only comes with seven airbags, ESC, and a LATCH system to ease child seat installation. However, that was enough for a five-star crash-test rating from the NHTSA.
Numbers
Chevy states an EPA rating of 23mpg combined, with 21mpg in the city and 27mpg on the highway. Maximum towing capacity is the lowest out of all the 2021 Blazer models, at 1500lbs. The Blazer L needs 8.2 seconds to reach 60mph and makes the quarter-mile in 16.1 seconds. The reliability rating from J.D. Power is 4.0 out of 5.0.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer 1LT FWD
Powertrain and Numbers
You get the same standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with the same transmission and front-wheel drive. There’s not much of a weight difference, so the numbers remain similar as well.
Interior Features
Except for the 8-way powered driver seat, the Blazer 1LT has the same standard interior features as the LT. Optional features include all-weather floor liners, heated front seats, Remote Start, a bunch of different floor mats and liners, and auto-dimming inside and/or outside rearview mirrors. Cargo and storage optimizations include a collapsible cargo area organizer, a vertical cargo net, and a front console organizer. A rear-seat infotainment system with a DVD player is also available.
Safety Features
The Blazer 1LT adds optional active safety tech to assist the driver. It includes Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Park Assist, two first aid kits, and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer 2LT
Powertrain
The Blazer 2LT comes with a 2.0L Turbo 4-cylinder engine as standard. You can also have an all-wheel-drive on this trim, and the more powerful 3.6L V6 engine, producing 308hp and 270lb-ft of torque. It includes Stop/Start technology as well, which temporarily turns off the engine to conserve power i.e., at the traffic light. You can also add a heavy-duty cooling system to the mix.
Interior Features
The standard features and the optional extras are the same as the 1LT.
Safety Features
Apart from the powertrain, the 2021 Blazer 2LT also gets a boost in the safety department. Notably, it includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Following Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning and IntelliBeam as standard.
Numbers
The EPA-rated fuel economy of the 2.0 turbo is higher, at 25 mpg combined: 22mpg city and 29mpg highway. Meanwhile, the V6 equipped model can tow up to 4000lbs.
Furthermore, the larger engine needs 7.9 seconds to reach 60mph, while the smaller turbo needs 8.2 seconds.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer 3LT
Powertrain and Numbers
The engine options, and hence the numbers, are the same as in the 2021 Blazer 2LT.
Interior Features
Leather and fancier materials start appearing in this trim. Adding to the features discussed above, you’ll also get heated front seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Optional extras are also available, such as a 120-volt power outlet, a Bose® premium 8-speaker audio system, an Infotainment 3 Plus System with Navigation, and an 8-inch diagonal HD color touchscreen.
Safety Features
You can now get the optional HD Surround Vision and a Rear Camera Mirror adding to the standard tech in the 1LT.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer RS
Powertrain and Numbers
In the 2021 Blazer RS, you only get the 3.6L V6. While it should handle better, the 0-60 time is still similar at 8.2 seconds.
Interior Features
You get ambient lighting and a 120-volt power outlet as standard, along with the gizmos we already mentioned above. Finally, you can get adaptive cruise control, a power tilt and telescoping steering column, memory settings, ventilated seats, and wireless charging as optional extras.
Safety Features
The added optional safety feature in the 2021 Blazer RS is Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking. Meanwhile, other safety options carry over from the 2LT.
2021 Chevrolet Blazer Premier
Powertrain, Numbers, and Safety
In the 2021 Blazer Premier, you get the 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder as standard, with an optional 3.6L V6. The figures remain similar to the ones on the lower-trim models. The standard and optional safety features are the same as in the RS.
Interior Features
The Premier is the only trim to have heated rear outboard seats, a power tilt and telescoping steering column, ventilated driver and front passenger seats, and memory settings as standard, along with the tech we discussed above.
Prices
The Blazer L starts at $29,995 and features all the basic stuff, but there aren’t any options or additional safety equipment. Meanwhile, the Blazer 1LT is the same as the Blazer L but with options, starting at $33,495. Jump to the 2LT to unlock a ton of gadgets and the price increases to $34,295. In this trim, you also get the option between two powertrains.
The Blazer RS starts from $41,995 and is essentially a sportier and more aggressive-looking variant. The starting price for the Blazer Premier, the top-of-the-range variant, is $43,695. The Premier gets more stuff as standard, but unfortunately, not all of it.
Chevrolet’s limited warranty covers 3 years/36,000 miles, and the powertrain warranty covers 5 years/60,000 miles, with complimentary maintenance for the first year.
Colors and Exterior
The 2021 Chevy Blazer’s exterior colors are Silver Ice, Midnight Blue, Pewter, Iridescent Pearl, Bright Blue, Summit White, Iron Gray, Cayenne Orange, Red Hot, and Cherry Red. You get 18-inch wheels as standard for all trims except for the RS and Premier, where you can have 21-inch wheels or 20-inch chrome wheels on the Premier.
The ‘Hit The Road’ package, which adds roof rails and molded assist steps, darker exterior components (grills, sidesteps, etc.), and LED headlamps, is offered on all models except the L. There is also a Redline Edition, which offers unique red and/or black wheels, decals, and badges. The RS receives its very own, sportier styling cues.
Verdict
To conclude, the 2021 Chevy Blazer drives well, looks the part, and is surprisingly practical. However, it won’t be everyone’s first choice in the mid-sized SUV segment as it is poorly priced, despite it being slightly cheaper than the 2020 Blazer.
Notably, the L has next to no options (especially in safety), the RS could be faster, and the Premier doesn’t have all the options ticked for its high starting price. Still, if you have your heart set on a 2021 Blazer, then get the 2LT variant, as it will get you the most bang for your buck.
Specifications
Engine
| Type: | 2.5L I-4 DOHC VVT with Direct Injection |
| Bore & Stroke (in / mm): |
3.46 x 3.97 / 88 x 101 |
| Block Material: | Lost foam cast aluminum |
| Cylinder Head Material: | Lost foam cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | DOHC iVLC, four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing |
| Fuel Delivery: | Direct, high-pressure fuel injection with electronic throttle control |
| Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): |
193 / 143 @ 6300 |
| Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm): |
188 / 255 @ 4400 |
| 2.0L turbocharged I-4 DOHC with Direct Injection | |
| Bore & Stroke (in / mm): |
3.5 x 3.5 / 86 x 86 |
| Block Material: | Cast aluminum |
| Cylinder Head Material: | Cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | Dual overhead camshafts; four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing |
| Fuel Delivery: | Direct, high-pressure fuel injection with electronic throttle control |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm): |
227 / 169 @ 5500 |
| Torque (lb.-ft./ Nm @ rpm): |
258 / 350 @ 1500-4000 |
| 3.6L DOHC VVT with direct injection | |
| Bore & stroke (in / mm): |
3.74 x 3.37 / 95 x 85.8 |
| Block material: | Cast aluminum w/ cast-in-place iron bore liners |
| Cylinder head material: | Cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | Dual-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing |
| Fuel delivery: | Direct, high-pressure fuel injection with electronic throttle control |
| Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): |
308 / 228 @ 6700 |
| Torque (lb.-ft./ Nm @ rpm): |
270 @ 5000 |
Transmission
| Type: | Hydra-Matic 9T50 six-speed automatic (2.5L) Hydra-Matic 9T60 nine-speed automatic (3.0L) Hydra-Matic 9T65 nine-speed automatic (3.6L) |
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EPA-Est. MPG
| 2.5L | 21 city / 27 hwy (FWD) |
| 2.0L turbo | 22 city / 29 hwy (FWD) 22 city / 27 hwy (AWD) |
| 3.6L | 20 city / 27 hwy (FWD) 19 city / 26 hwy (AWD) |
Dimensions
| Wheelbase (in. / mm): | 112.7 / 2863 |
| Overall Length (in. / mm): |
191.4 / 4862 |
| Overall Width (in. / mm): |
76.7 / 1946 (without mirrors) |
| Overall Height (in. / mm): |
67 / 1702 |
| Track (in. mm): | 66.4 / 1687 (front) 66.2 / 1681 (rear) |
Gallery
