The South Korean factory that builds the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer has slowed production of the new small crossover SUV due to the coronavirus pandemic, stalling the model’s ill-timed launch in the U.S. market, according to a report in Automotive News.
A new model for 2021, the Trailblazer began arriving in the U.S. shortly before state governments started issuing stay-at-home orders to citizens and closing non-essential businesses, including factories that build vehicles and supply components to them.
Analysts estimate that new-vehicle sales in the U.S. fell by 50% in late March and early April. However, market activity late in April, combined with expiring government restrictions on business operations in early May, portend improving sales in May and through the summer.
Dealerships have few Trailblazers in stock. On May 4, within a 25-mile radius of JD Power’s Westlake Village, Calif., regional office, only four of the small SUVs are available in inventory, each with a $550 cash discount. Three are painted Satin Steel with a black cloth interior.
Sharing a platform with the Buick Encore GX, the new 2021 Trailblazer adopts the sporty styling themes of the larger Blazer, pairing them with youthful details common to the small SUV segment, such as contrast-color roof paint. In addition to L, LS, and LT variants, the Trailblazer comes in rugged Activ and sporty RS trim levels, and turbocharged small-displacement 4-cylinder engines leverage torque as a supplement to outright horsepower. All-wheel drive is optional.
The Trailblazer enters a hot segment, one that could really catch fire as the economy struggles to return to normal and consumers seek more affordable modes of transportation. It competes against the Fiat 500X, Ford EcoSport, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Jeep Compass and Renegade, Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Kicks, Subaru Crosstrek, and Toyota C-HR.
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