CHEVROLET LAUNCH ALL-NEW TRAILBLAZER AT BIG MOTOR SALE 2016

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Answering a four-month old question and lots of customer enquiries since the motor show, Chevrolet Sales Thailand finally launched the all-new Trailblazer at the BIG Motor Sale 2016 today. The seven-seat all-new SUV brings with it even more superior levels of refinement, comfort and technology, plus class-leading performance and drivability. With a fully-redesigned exterior, the all-new Trailblazer reinforces itself as the leading premium American SUV in its segment.

Speaking at the launch, Wail Farghaly, Managing Director of GM and Chevrolet Sales Thailand, said: “The all-new Trailblazer not just underlines our focus on trucks and SUVs in Thailand, but is proof of our commitment to bring the best SUVs to our Thai customers.”

“The all-new Trailblazer is truly a premium product. The levels of refinement, comfort and technology have been developed to meet market requirements and is based on feedback from our customers and research, not just in Thailand, but from around the world where the Trailblazer is sold. The all-new Trailblazer will most certainly cement our position in the SUV segment,” Farghaly added.

According to Farghaly, the teams at GM and Chevrolet were given a clear mission to ‘put customers at the center of everything we do’, right from the very beginning of the all-new Trailblazer program. With that in mind, everyone involved set out to make the all-new Trailblazer with the objective of being a segment leader in the Thai market.

“To ensure world class quality, significant improvements were made to the manufacturing plant in Rayong, including process improvements, additional automation, tighter process controls, improved design robustness, increased error proofing, in-depth Program Quality Readiness Reviews, and a true passion for quality across the entire team. These improvements ensured the Rayong Plant was awarded a Global Certification for becoming one of the top plants in all of General Motors in terms of Built in Quality,” Farghaly added.

As a result, the all-new Trailblazer boasts dramatically improved interior and exterior appeal, reduced cabin and engine noise, increased overall technology and safety features, all the while maintaining the SUV’s serious off-road capability, with many of these features and refinements aligned with the successful models out of the US.

Una Tan, Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, Chevrolet Sales Thailand, said, “With the all-new Trailblazer, we are redefining the word ‘premium’ in the SUV segment. As with the exterior, we have also redesigned the interior, focusing on comfort, spaciousness, refinement and technology. You have to drive it to believe it.”

The all-new Trailblazer’s more angular lines exudes toughness, but in a very refined way. It has retained its strong proportions that underlines its go-anywhere capability. New on the all-new SUV include the front grille, hood, alloy wheels and lamps that come with daytime running lights.

Inside, the sense of premium refinement continues with an interior that focuses on comfort, spaciousness, refinement and technology. The newly-redesigned dashboard and front console has a stronger, more robust and upmarket feel. The use of soft-touch materials not only makes the interior more upmarket, it also helps to reduce interior noise, aiding refinement. The redesigned center console is intuitive and a features a large, eight-inch color touchscreen (depending on variants) with the latest MyLink infotainment system.

For passengers, the full seven-seater SUV also features ‘theatre-style seating’, allowing second- and third-row occupants a better all-round view. Individually-controlled air-conditioning vents are available even for third-row occupants. Additionally, the interior also features intuitive three-row tumble and fold-flat seating, in cases where cargo space is needed more than passenger space.

Vanchana Unakul, general director of Engineering for GM Thailand and Southeast Asia, said: “The Trailblazer was already very good SUV, and the perfect platform on which to build upon with more engineering upgrades. Therefore, in many ways, the all-new Trailblazer is not just different in looks and interior design, it also has enough technical and engineering changes within to make it drive like an all-new SUV.”

“Key indicators, in addition to refinement, is lower road and wind noise, vibration and harshness and a quieter interior especially while on the move,” Unakul added.

The all-new Trailblazer comes with an upgraded 2.5L Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that has been tuned to offer better performance, fuel economy and lower emissions. Thanks to a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT), the 2.5L Duramax now produces 132kW (180 PS) at 3,600rpm and 440Nm (325 lb-ft) at a low 2,000rpm. The engine is Euro-4 compliant.

The engine’s performance is managed by an engine control unit (ECU) that is specially developed in-house to take advantage of, and enhance the engine’s characteristics. The ECU has more than 150 patented control functions that optimize integration between software functions and engine hardware.

The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic. The 2.5L Duramax is also fitted with a sound deadener around the injectors for a quieter operation. The all-new Trailblazer also features revised body mounts across the range and new engine mounts. This has resulted in lower NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) inside the cabin. Engineering tests have shown that the interior is now two-to-four decibels quieter, in addition to reduced vibration.

Other improvements to enhance refinement include retuned aerodynamics. As a result, the all-new Trailblazer is 12 percent more aerodynamically efficient. This also enhances fuel efficiency. It also comes with improved windscreen and windows seal, door interface and roof ditch seal for a reduction in wind noise. There is also sound isolation at the side mirrors, while the left and right windows are 10 percent thicker. As a result, the all-new Trailblazer is also eight percent quieter on the road.

Trailblazer was hailed as one of the best-handling SUV thanks to its four-coil springs, multilink rear-suspension set up and four disc brakes.

Additional changes to enhance refinement include new cabin mounts that provide better isolation between the cabin and chassis. The new cabin mounts also reduce movement between the cabin and the chassis, providing more solid driving dynamics. The front brake rotor also features a new compound that reduces operating noise. Additionally, the new suspension is tuned with digressive shocks that give the al-new Trailblazer the superior ride comfort and stability.

The all-new Trailblazer also features electrically-powered steering (EPS) that makes steering efforts lighter in city and at parking speeds, in addition to improving handling comfort and aiding fuel efficiency. Power assist is reduced proportionately as speed builds, so the driver gets a properly-weighted steering feel at highway speeds.

Safety remains one of Chevrolet’s main priorities. The GM’s engineering team has improved body structure and materials of the all-new Trailblazer to be tougher and safer for driver and passengers. In addition, the all-new Trailblazer comes with a host of active and passive safety features (depending on variants) including Traction Control System (TCS), Panic Brake Assist (PBA), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Trailer Sway Control and Anti-Rolling Protection. Occupants in the front get an airbag each, while the driver gets an additional knee airbag.

Other technological features include Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, Front and Rear Parking Assist, Second Row Seat Belt Reminder and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. It also features auto rain sensor, auto headlamp on/off and a remote-start function. The latter is useful especially during hot weather when the engine can be started using the key fob, allowing the cabin to be cooled sufficiently before occupants get into the vehicle and is the first in the SUV segment to come with this feature. Other features include front windows that automatically drop a fraction to facilitate door closing.

As with most of Chevrolet’s offerings, connectivity is important to today’s drivers living in a highly connected and networked world. This is why the all-new Trailblazer is fitted with new technologies hitherto found only in more premium segments. It comes with Apple CarPlay applications, allowing customers to project a simplified version of their smartphone screen onto the car's color touchscreen. Complemented by Siri Eyes Free and voice recognition software, it allows drivers to give verbal commands ensuring their hands never have to leave the wheel.

Pricing

There are three entry levels of the all-new Trailblazer.

The All-New Trailblazer 2.5L VGT 4X2 AT LT 1,244,000 THB

The All-New Trailblazer 2.5L VGT 4X2 AT LTZ 1,379,000 THB

The All-New Trailblazer 2.5L VGT 4X4 AT LTZ 1,479,000 THB

The all-new Trailblazer is open for pre-booking at the BIG Motor Sale 2016 at BITEC Bangna, from August 20-28, 2016. Customers may also visit Chevrolet dealerships nationwide to pre-book the all-new Trailblazer. For more information call 1734 or log on to http://www.chevrolet.co.th/