<span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-10">Among the sea of pretend all-terrainers that are increasingly crowding the auto market, there is still a small </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-10">group of genuinely off-road capable chariots that don't throw their hands up in the air and chuck a hissy fit if you point them at sand dunes, boulders or river crossings.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">If we're talking medium-large SUVs</span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">, the list of legit all-terrainers would include the likes of the Toyota Prado and Fortuner, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Nissan Patrol Safari and Mitsubishi Montero Sport. These are all old-school, body-on-frame vehicles that eschew the car-like monocoque chassis (more refined, but less rugged) that underpin the vast majority of contemporary SUVs.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-10">To the list above you could add the Chevrolet Trailblazer</span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-10">. On seeing the vehicle for the first time, photographer Antonie Robertson (who's responsible for the accompanying image</span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-10"> you see here) remarks that it looks like a Stars-and-Stripes version of the </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-10">Fortuner. Given the Chevy badge, he's not wrong, although the Trailblazer is actually built in General Motors' Thailand plant.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">The Trailblazer has a bona-fide UAE connection, too, because the current (second-generation) vehicle made its world debut in concept form at the 2011 Dubai International Motor Show. Although it's now been around for five years, the Trailblazer has received a facelift and spec upgrade </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">to keep buyer interest alive against newer opposition.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">While the profile and rear end of the Chevy are pretty much as before, the face has been smartened up appreciably via a revamped grille fascia and more streamlined headlight clusters. It looks decent enough, if a little anonymous. Don't expect any double-takes from bystanders.</span> __________________________ <strong>Read more:</strong> __________________________ <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal" data-atex-track="-5">In any case, image is not what the Trailblazer is about. It's a tough, utilitarian SUV that's designed to haul seven occupants across deserts, mountains and – within reason – whatever terrain stands in its path. Its go-anywhere capability is largely down to its tough ladder-frame chassis (shared with various Isuzu pick-ups) and part-time four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing – unlike most crossover SUVs that feature torque-on-demand all-wheel-drive systems that aren't fit for anything more arduous than gravel tracks.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">While the Trailblazer operates as conventional rear-drive vehicle on tarmac, you can select low- or high-range four-wheel-drive via a twist knob next to the gear lever as soon as you venture off the beaten track. Do that and you will </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">find the Chevy is handy in the rough stuff. There's enough ground clearance to keep it from getting snagged on most obstacles, and its low-range gearing makes it suited to crawling over boulders and through mud baths.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">The downside of the Trailblazer's truck-based chassis is that it drives like, er, a truck. The steering is woolly and its handling ponderous. Performance from the 3.6-litre engine is on the wheezy side, and the motor also sounds a bit agricultural.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">On the plus side, the range-topping LTZ </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">I am testing comes loaded with kit, including an eight-inch touchscreen with navigation, Chevrolet MyLink and Apple CarPlay phone integration, seven-speaker sound system, 18-inch alloys, front and rear park assist, front and underbody skid plate (four-wheel-drive only), forward collision alert, lane-departure warning and blind-spot alert.</span> <span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">If your driving regimen comprises nothing more than trawling around town, perhaps </span><span data-atex-cstyle="$ID/[No character style]" data-atex-fs="Normal">steer yourself towards more car-like seven-seaters, such as the Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Explorer, Kia Sorento et al. However, if off-roading is on the menu, the Trailblazer stacks up as a viable contender, offering a credible mix of all-terrain capability and cosseting mod-cons.</span>