Chevy Blazer 2019 crossover SUV review: PHOTOS

The good: The Blazer is a crossover that can be driven with gusto and whose V6 motor is old-school sweet.

The bad: The Blazer looks more like a sporty ute than the rugged Blazers of yore.

To be honest, I hated the new Blazer until I got it out on the highway and let the V6 rip. The 0-60 mph dash passed in about six seconds, and I’m a sucker for turbo-free V6 punch when cruising in a straight line or maneuvering around semis. The power is V8-mellow without the lurches and untapped reserves. I could gather up all the Blazer’s horsepower and put it to use. For what it’s worth, GM has always been good at V6s, so the Blazer with this mill doesn’t disappoint.

The other nice thing about the Blazer is its serious interior roominess and considerable cargo capacity. Throw in Chevy’s state-of-the-art infotainment system and you have a dandy modern crossover.

Of course, if you don’t like the Camaro-derived style, you can comfort yourself with the understanding the Blazer is a fine example of Chevy being Chevy: the vehicle fits appealingly in the slot between the Equinox and the Traverse, adding some flash to the lineup. Chevy has something for everybody in the crossover market.

Now, there’s one thing about the Blazer that should be noted: it would have been a NAFTA vehicle if Trump hadn’t been elected — it’s assembled in Mexico and exported to the US. If you think that should be a knock against the Blazer, don’t. It’s a well-bolted-together piece of machinery and good indication than GM can move production around. US labor might not like that, but the fact is that GM needs to remain profitable to keep employment relatively stable in America (that doesn’t mean layoffs won’t come, just that major cost-cutting won’t be required).

Another strong-selling crossover will help with that objective.

But enough on business. Basically, I liked the Blazer. Would I pay $48,000 for the RS, when the base is $29,o00? Probably not. But I’d definitely want the V6 and the Bose Audio system. But you can’t get the audio system without going to the RS trim. A quick cost-out on the Chevy website got me a Blazer for about $35,000, minus the roughly $4,000 package than gives the buyer a suite of driver-assist features and the upgraded audio.

That’s the Blazer worth looking at, for my money.