DETROIT -- The two-door Chevrolet Blazer from General Motors has the highest driver death rate of any passenger vehicle on U.S. roadways, a research group with links to the insurance industry said Tuesday.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety based that conclusion, and its embarrassing result for GM, on an extensive study of passenger vehicles from the 1999-2002 model years.

The study focused on the rate of driver deaths in various types of crashes, including both single- and multiple-vehicle accidents.

The overall driver death rate, for 199 models studied during the 2000-2003 calendar years, was 87 per million registered vehicles annually, the Insurance Institute said.

Weighing in at more than three times the overall rate, the Insurance Institute said the two-door, two-wheel-drive Blazer -- a mid-sized SUV -- had an average of 308 driver deaths per million.

The Blazer also had the highest rate of driver deaths in rollover accidents at 251 per million.

Highlighting a long-standing trend, the Insurance Institute said "large cars and minivans dominate among vehicle models with very low death rates." Models with the highest rates are "mostly small cars and small and mid-sized SUVs," it said

Bucking the trend, however, the Insurance Institute said the small-sized Toyota RAV4 SUV from Toyota Motor Corp. ranked among vehicles with the lowest average driver death rate.

Vehicles with the lowest overall rate of driver deaths were led by the large Mercedes E-Class luxury sedan from DaimlerChrysler AG, at 10 per million, according to the Insurance Institute.

That was followed by the Toyota 4Runner mid-sized SUV, with an overall driver death rate of 12, the four-door mid-sized Passat from Volkswagen, with 16 deaths, Toyota's Lexus RX 300 mid-sized SUV, at 17, and RAV4 with 18.

In addition to the Blazer, vehicles with the highest driver death rates were led by the Mitsubishi Mirage, a two-door, small-sized car from Mitsubishi Motors Corp., at 209; GM's Pontiac Firebird sports car at 205; the subcompact Kia Rio from Kia Motors Corp. at 200; and the two-wheel-drive Kia Sportage compact SUV at 197.

GM has already halted full-scale production of the two-door Blazer and the vehicle, one of the oldest in the company's lineup, is due to be phased out next month.

Without commenting specifically on the SUV, a company spokesman defended GM's safety record and questioned the usefulness of the Insurance Institute's study.

"GM designs crashworthiness and crash avoidance attributes into all of our vehicles and conducts a battery of tests that replicate an array of potential real-world crashes as part of our commitment to safety before, during and after a crash," GM spokesman Alan Adler said in a statement.

"It is impossible looking at these statistics to know what role driver behavior, such as drunk driving and driving without a safety belt, played in these deaths. We know from decades of work that whether a driver dies in a crash has more to do with behavior than with the vehicle."

Bucking the trend, however, the Insurance Institute said the small-sized Toyota RAV4 SUV from Toyota Motor Corp. ranked among vehicles with the lowest average driver death rate.

Highlighting a long-standing trend, the Insurance Institute said "large cars and minivans dominate among vehicle models with very low death rates." Models with the highest rates are "mostly small cars and small and mid-sized SUVs," it said

That was followed by the Toyota 4Runner mid-sized SUV, with an overall driver death rate of 12

After a silly teaser showing a dude in a blazer, the Chevy Blazer is making a comeback next year as a stylish crossover that lacks the body-on-frame four-wheel drive credentials of its predecessor.


The new Blazer will slot between the Equinox and Traverse crossovers in Chevy’s lineup. It’ll be a unibody structure with front-wheel or all-wheel drive options, but no serious off-roading chops.

Engines are either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 193 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque or a 3.6-liter V6 with 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque, with only a nine-speed automatic transmission available.

Base Blazers start with 18-inch wheels, with the RS and Premier trims getting 20-inch wheels with the option to upgrade to 21-inches. The RS is the one with the blackened accents on the exterior, as well as red touches inside, and the Premier gets chrome trim and dual-tone seating.

The new two-row mid-size crossover seats five, with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen with available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wi-Fi hotspot with 4G LTE, six USB ports, and optional wireless phone charging, hands-free tailgate, panoramic sunroof and a towing capability of 4,500 pounds with the appropriate package.

RS and Premier models will get a rear-view mirror camera and automatic cruise control with more safety features to be announced later, and it will go on sale early next year.

I think it looks pretty good. It looks better as a Camaro-inspired crossover than the new Camaro does as just a Camaro.

The all-new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer will be offered in L, Blazer, RS and Premier trim levels, where the base spec ‘L’ version will have a starting MSRP of $29,995.


Chevrolet will begin selling their latest crossover in early January, offering customers a vehicle that boasts a wide stance, tight proportions and a dynamically sculpted profile, not to mention a very diverse trim range.

“The Blazer’s design offers customers a crossover that can exceed their needs, matching their unique personality,” said Chevrolet marketing boss, Steve Majoros. “Blazer sets a new design language for Chevy’s crossover family and extends our momentum into one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments.”

For example, the RS version comes with a sporty, street-inspired look, says the automaker, whereas the Premier delivers a more upscale appearance.

What’s most impressive though is the list of standard features you get even on the entry-level ‘L’ version. Amenities include: an 8-inch color touchscreen, 4G LTE with Wi-Fi Hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, electronic locking glove box, Keyless Open and Start, Teen Driver, Rear Seat Reminder, HD Rear Vision Camera, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear vents, heated and power-adjustable mirrors, Traction Mode Select, adjustable sliding rear seat, a six-way manual driver seat and 18-inch wheels.

As for additional available features, there is the Panoramic dual-pane power sunroof, advanced twin-clutch AWD system, Hitch View for trailering, automatic heated steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, Rear Camera Mirror, Wireless charging, up to six USB ports, hands-free power liftgate and a suite of active safety systems such Adaptive Cruise Control.

Powering the 2019 Blazer will be a standard 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 193 HP (195 PS), although customers can also opt for the 3.6-liter V6 power unit, producing 305 HP (309 PS). Both engines work alongside a nine-speed automatic transmission and feature intelligent Stop/Start functionality.

We know. You have Camaro dreams but face a reality of parenthood, where cars with two doors and sporty rooflines can be a detriment to loading up the kids. Chevy came to the rescue by blowing the Camaro’s exterior up like a balloon and into the 2019 Blazer, but it’ll cost you: This thing apparently tops out at $49,000.

Blazer, huh? I’d say someone was blazed when they came up with that price tag.

This is according to a report from Cars Direct, which basically said the new Blazer’s $29,995 entry price is no more than a facade for what’s really in store: a pricey crossover that looks like a sports car in a market already saturated with, but unable to satiate the need for, crossovers.

Chevy’s only officially announced the $29,995 base MSRP so far, but Cars Direct summed that base price up as “likely intended mainly for advertising purposes” and said the rest of the Blazer lineup will be “considerably more expensive than competitors.”

Maybe that’s just the price a person has to pay when they want the look of a sports car and the functionality (read: unnecessary extra space and ride height) of a crossover. Blown-up sports cars are fairly uncharted territory, after all.

Here are some price comparisons on the Blazer versus other, less expensive crossovers, via Cars Direct:

The trend doesn’t change for the higher trims, according to Cars Direct, with the Blazer still carrying the higher price tag versus similar competitors:

Cars Direct also listed out how much more expensive the Blazer’s options run compared to options on vehicles like Ford’s “Edge ST” performance crossover and the Murano. All-wheel drive on the Blazer, according to Cars Direct, will be a $2,700 option compared to $1,600 on the Murano and $1,995 on the Edge. The pricing differences are similar on safety and driver-assistance features, too.

But if Camaro looks and crossover functionality (read: too exhausted to take all of these papers from work inside of the house, therefore need extra seats to pile them on) are your thing, then perhaps the Blazer is for you regardless of price.

After all, thousands of dollars in optional features still comes out cheaper than buying a crossover and a Camaro to satisfy your heart’s desire to look cool.

The Chevrolet Blazer has been and will continue to be the subject of many topics in the coming months. In addition to the international rollout of the 2019 Blazer model already on sale in North America, GM Authority has already pondered the viability of a three-row version, which GM previously dismissed. But now, we have discovered that General Motors is actually readying a three-row variant of the Chevrolet mid-size SUV, and that it will likely be called Blazer XL. The model is expected to debut in China in early 2020, followed by debuts in other international markets.

The future Blazer XL will essentially be the production version of the Chevrolet FNR-CarryAll Concept that was unveiled last November during the 2018 Guangzhou Motor Show. The concept showcased a design almost ready for serial production, but with several modifications compared to the exterior design and dimensions of the two-row 2019 Blazer. These changes enable the addition of a third row and a total seating capacity for seven occupants.

The three-row Blazer XL will feature dimensions in line with those of the FNR-CarryAll concept. This means an overall body length 5.5 inches longer than the two-row Blazer while maintaining pretty much the same 112.9-inch wheelbase (though technically the Blazer XL will ride on a wheelbase that’s 0.2 inches or 4 mm longer).

In other words, like the 2019 Blazer with two rows, the three-row Blazer XL will use the short version of the GM C1 platform. Perhaps it’s for this very reason that the three-row Blazer model is identified by the C1UC vehicle program code, the same as the two-row Blazer in confidential documents we obtained from SAIC-GM.

From a design standpoint, the three-row Blazer XL will feature a longer, more traditional roofline that tapers less aggressively than the one on the two-row Blazer. It will also feature a larger rear doors with a redesigned top-end, a larger third window between the C- and D-pillars, and a more vertical tailgate. All of these changes will allow the three-row Blazer XL to be more functional to appeal to a wider customer base.

The future Blazer XL will be Chevrolet’s largest global crossover utility vehicle, ideal for regions and countries where the Chevy Traverse is not sold because it is simply too large. That is the case in China, the largest automotive market in the world, where the Chevrolet brand plans to substantially increase its availability of utility vehicles, taking advantage of strong historical ties as the pioneer in the segment, as highlighted by the name of the FNR-CarryAll concept.

In addition to China, the three-row Blazer XL could also be sold in other global markets such as South Korea, Brazil and most countries in South America as Chevrolet’s range-topping crossover. Whether GM will sell the three-row in the United States and Canada is unknown at the moment.

According to our sources, the Chevrolet Blazer XL will begin production in February 2020 at the SAIC-GM Jinqiao Cadillac plant in the city of Shanghai. However, we suspect that the model will also be manufactured at another GM plant as it is launched in other regions.

I have to imagine it wasn't supposed to be this way. There have been rumblings from inside Chevrolet for years that the automaker was planning a sporty new midsized crossover to compete with the Ford Edge. Inspired by the Chevrolet Camaro, this new crossover was supposed to do for the CUV what the Ford Mustang did for muscle cars—jump-start a new branch of its segment that younger buyers would flock to. I bet you names like "Camaro Cross" were bandied about—new names for a new vision. And then Chevy went ahead and undid all that hard work by naming its CUV the Blazer. That's too bad, because the surrounding controversy from bringing that beloved nameplate back from the dead has distracted from what the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS is: a shockingly good crossover.

Rather than build a faithful recreation of its classic off-roader to go up against the Jeep Wranglers of the world, the modern-day 2019 Blazer instead aims to democratize the performance crossover—a segment that's mostly been dominated by German luxury brands—by turning up the heat on vehicles like the Ford Edge.

At first glance, things don't exactly look promising for the Blazer. Ignoring the racy sheetmetal and a cabin that liberally borrows from the Camaro parts bin, the Blazer rides on the decidedly non-sporty Equinox's platform and is powered by either a 193-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder with front-drive or, in the case of the RS, GM's corporate 3.6-liter V-6 paired with a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, making 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Forgive me for not getting particularly excited about the above specs, but weirdly it all works.

It's quite apparent from the get-go that the Blazer oozes personality—the exhaust note alone is more pony car than people mover—and the Chevy has the performance to cash the checks its body is writing. The Blazer's V-6 and nine-speed automatic are the stars of the show. The former has plenty of power and is quick to rev, while the latter is smartly geared and shifts quickly. The Blazer isn't half bad through corners, either. A rear-drive crossover will likely leave the Chevy in its dust, but for what it is, the Blazer's steering is responsive and accurate, and its chassis is composed and incredibly difficult to upset, both through bends and on rough pavement.

Test numbers bear that out, too. Our Blazer AWD RS tester accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and runs the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds at 95.5 mph. Its crosstown rival, the Ford Edge ST, sports significantly more horsepower and torque than the Blazer RS (335 hp and 380 lb-ft), but it only barely keeps up, tying the Blazer's 0-60 and quarter-mile times but actually lagging behind 2.1 mph in trap speed. The 300-pound-heavier Ford does edge (sorry) the Chevy out in braking and handling tests due to its performance-tuned suspension and stickier tires, though; the Blazer's best 60-0 stop came in at 126 feet, and its best figure eight lap was a respectable 27.1 seconds at 0.65 g average. The Edge ST did the former in 108 feet and the latter in 26.0 seconds at 0.70 g. We'll have to line the two Detroit pony crossovers up for some back-to-back tests to really figure out who has the upper hand.

Looking beyond the performance, the Blazer is a pretty compelling package so long as you don't look too closely at the Blazer's material quality. The Camaro-inspired cabin surprisingly feels quite organic in this CUV, and the Blazer even sports the Camaro's vent-mounted A/C controls and its downward-facing high-resolution infotainment screen. The Blazer, being a crossover, is decidedly more practical, with actual storage for drinks, phones, and other knickknacks spread through the front of the cabin. Open the 90-degree-opening rear doors, and Chevrolet has taken care of rear passengers, too. They get a flat floor, a rear bench that reclines and slides forward and backward—perfect for babies or pups—heated seats, HVAC vents, and power ports to stay charged up. And although the cargo area is smaller than some other midsize crossovers in its class due to its rakish roofline, the Blazer's trunk makes good use of the space it's got with a wide opening and low lift-over height.

Prices for the 2019 Blazer start at $29,995 for the base four-cylinder front-wheel-drive model, but a Blazer RS like our tester will cost you a fair bit more than that. V-6-powered Blazer RS AWD models start at $44,695, but our loaded tester would set you back $48,270—just high enough that some smart shoppers might find themselves wandering into Alfa Romeo, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz dealers to check out similarly priced examples of the Stelvio, X3, and GLC.

The Blazer name may be a distraction, but it's ultimately attached to a surprisingly compelling crossover. It's doubtful that the 2019 Blazer will ever have the cultural impact the Camaro has had, but regardless, it's a stylish, relatively sporty crossover with the substance to back up its style.

At its most powerful, the 2020 Chevrolet Blazer makes 308 horsepower courtesy of a 3.6-liter V-6. Owners looking for even more speed, however, may soon be able to turn to the aftermarket because Lingenfelter Performance Engineering recently finished working on a supercharger kit for the crossover's new engine, reports Muscle Cars & Trucks. Going for about $6,995, the engine upgrade uses an Edelbrock TVS1740 Supercharger that bumps output to 450 hp at the crank.It'll naturally fit the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, but it will also be compatible with the Blazer compact crossover, creating a makeshift Blazer SS that Chevrolet has yet to build.

"Blazer was not on our radar initially," Lingenfelter vice president Mark Rapson told the publication. "But we knew it was the same motor [as the Colorado and Canyon] and the supercharger will fit. I can't tell you how many people came up and said 'can I get this installed on a Blazer?' We might go down that path. But they have to be all-wheel-drive, not two-wheel-drive

The least expensive all-wheel-drive V-6 2LT-powered Blazer can be had starting at $35,645, making a potential Lingenfelter Blazer at least $42,640.

A 450-hp Blazer would handily outgun the 335-hp Ford Edge ST and put it in the same ballpark as the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and its 475-hp Hemi V-8. But wait, there's more! The American engineering firm is also reportedly working on a pulley upgrade that would take the Blazer's V-6 to an impressive 500 crank horsepower.

Supercharge all of the crossovers, please.