2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer presented itself as a compact version of the Chevrolet Blazer, exuding a balanced SUV toughness without veering into exaggeration. Its intricate headlight and taillight designs, along with dark chrome accents, lent it an upscale appearance uncommon in its price range. The Activ and RS models offered unique styling cues, with the Activ model featuring a rugged front fascia and roof rails, while the RS model sported a more aggressive look with blacked-out trim and dual exhaust outlets. The contrasting roof options added a distinctive touch, reminiscent of retro styles, although this feature was not exclusive to Chevrolet. Inside, the Trailblazer Activ model boasted a leather-wrapped steering wheel and leatherette upholstery, with a mix of copper-toned and sparkly black plastic trim that added personality to the otherwise black interior.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe's exterior design was more conservative, yet still attractive. It maintained the same look as the 2022 model, with a wide grille and thin LED headlights as its most distinctive features. The Santa Fe was available in four trims in Canada, all with standard all-wheel drive. Our test vehicle, the Ultimate Calligraphy trim, featured a black interior with Nappa leather seats, offering a high-quality feel despite its dark appearance. The cabin was equipped with heated and cooled front seats, and the second row also had seat heaters. The Santa Fe's interior was noted for its comfort, with a recommendation for the beige interior to provide visual contrast. The vehicle's performance was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering, and the turbocharged engine provided brisk acceleration without undue noise.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX, offering a standard 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. An optional 1.3-litre turbo-three engine increased output to 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 1.2-litre engine was available only with front-wheel drive, while the 1.3-litre engine could be paired with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The Trailblazer Activ test car featured the 1.3-litre engine with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle's throttle response was more pleasant than its Buick counterpart, providing a decent amount of power with a pleasing exhaust note. The Activ model's dampers were tuned for better performance on gravel roads, but the vehicle still exhibited body roll typical of high-riding vehicles. The Trailblazer's ride quality was generally good, though some bouncing was noted over road imperfections. The selectable all-wheel drive system required manual engagement, unlike competitor systems that switched automatically.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a 2.5-litre engine, with the option of natural aspiration or turbocharging. The naturally aspirated engine in the Preferred trim produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine in the Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims increased output to 281 hp and 311 lb-ft, working with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. The turbocharged Santa Fe provided immediate acceleration with no discernible turbo lag, and the vehicle's handling was smooth with minimal body lean. The Santa Fe's towing capacity was 907 kilograms for the non-turbo version and 1,587 kg for the turbo version, with trailer brakes required for maximum capacity. The vehicle's performance was noted for its power, ride, handling, and smoothness, rivaling other SUVs in its price range.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, despite being one of the smallest SUVs available, offered substantial space. It was wider and taller than the original 1999 Chevy S-10 Blazer, with a longer wheelbase that benefited passenger space. The Trailblazer provided decent utility compared to its rivals, matching the Kia Seltos in headroom and offering more rear legroom than the Hyundai Kona. The rear seats were comfortable for normal use, though the flat cushions made long trips less appealing. The Trailblazer's cargo space was 716 litres with the second-row seats in place and 1,540 litres with them folded, respectable figures for the segment. However, its towing capacity was limited to 454 kilograms. The interior featured smart storage solutions, including a covered storage bin and a deep tray, though the small carve-out above the dashboard's function was unclear.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, by not including a third row, offered more rear-seat legroom and cargo space. The Santa Fe's rear-seat legroom was among the best in its class, and cargo space behind the second row was a competitive 1,032 litres, expanding to 2,041 litres with the seats folded. The vehicle also featured an underfloor storage compartment. Seat comfort was a strength, with an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats standard in Canada. The Santa Fe's top trims included a hands-free smart liftgate, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured Remote Smart Parking Assist, a head-up display, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof was a highlight, though the wide centre console limited driver leg space slightly.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. An 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a Bose audio system, and wireless phone charging were optional. While the Trailblazer's tech features were adequate for most buyers, the optional touchscreen was small by current standards, and a fully digital instrument cluster was unavailable. The 8-inch screen was well-sized for the dashboard, with easy-to-read graphics and logical menus. The combination of a smaller instrument cluster screen and analog gauges effectively conveyed information.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, with a standard 4.2-inch colour LCD display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims. All trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Wireless device charging and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system were available in the top trims. The infotainment system's home screen icons were clearly marked, though navigating sub-menus revealed extensive customization options. The voice-recognition system handled navigation commands well but struggled with music requests and temperature changes. The system's capability was impressive for a mass-market brand, though it required precise terminology for certain tasks.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer included standard safety features such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer received a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, with top scores in crash tests and high marks for front-crash prevention tech. The NHTSA awarded the Trailblazer a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover testing.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, driver monitoring, a safe-exit assist system, and a rear-seat reminder system. Highway Driving Assist was standard on the Ultimate Calligraphy trim. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, with top scores in crashworthiness tests. The projector-type headlights in the Ultimate Calligraphy trim were rated higher than the reflector-type units in lower trims.