Chevrolet has been in the electric-vehicle game for a while now with the Bolt EV, a small hatchback that’s practical but not particularly sexy or exciting.
But competition is heating up and Chevy is spicing things up with a new battery-powered option coming out next year: the Blazer EV.
The midsize SUV should give Americans exactly what they’re craving. And buyers looking to jazz up their commutes will love the inclusion of a performance model called the Blazer EV SS.
I got to take a closer look at the sporty SUV recently and am here to show you its exterior, interior, and interesting features.
The Blazer EV will be available in several trim levels, with three battery sizes on offer. The $66,000 SS is the top-of-the-line model with 290 miles of range, two motors, and all-wheel drive.
It promises to produce 557 horsepower and 648 pound-feet of torque, GM says. It’ll sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
To handle all this power, the SS gets special brakes and a unique suspension setup.
Some of the Blazer EV SS’s biggest competitors will be the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y. Both SUVs offer sporty variants called the GT and Performance, respectively.
In person, the Blazer EV SS looks exceedingly long and low. It’s almost more of a sporty station wagon than a tall SUV.
The $66,000 SS gets a full-width LED light bar up front, including an illuminated Chevy badge.
While the Blazer is charging, the light strip gradually fills up to indicate the car’s battery level.
The SS gets a blacked-out front end and a black roof, as opposed to the body-colored roof that comes on other models.
It also comes with the biggest wheels of the bunch, measuring in at 22 inches.
The charging port door is way cooler than your typical gas tank flap.
Inside, the Blazer EV SS is spacious and technology-packed.
The cockpit features a colorful, 11-inch instrument panel that displays important driving info.
Alongside it is a large, 17.7-inch touchscreen that’s angled toward the driver. It’s standard across all Blazer EV models.
It’s nicely complemented by an array of physical switches for key functions, including a volume knob embedded into the screen.
SS models get a flat-bottomed steering wheel. They come with Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free highway driving system, which includes an LED strip at the top of the steering wheel. When it’s green, Super Cruise is ready to go.
Overall, the interior is boldly designed, featuring turbine-like air vents and lots of shiny trim.
The SS gets an exclusive red interior as an option, which might be a bit excessive for some peoples’ tastes.
Rear passengers get a substantial amount of legroom and headroom, plus USB-C ports and climate vents.
There’s no front trunk in the Blazer EV SS like you’d find in competing vehicles from Tesla and Ford.
But rear cargo space looks pretty solid.
The Chevy Blazer EV goes on sale next summer, followed by the SS model later in the year.