2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2024 Honda Prologue

Few automotive nameplates have kept pace with changing market trends like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which has taken on three very different forms over a relatively short time span.

The Trailblazer name first appeared in 1999 on an appearance package for the S-10 Blazer, a compact SUV derived from the Chevy S-10 pickup truck. Chevy then applied the Trailblazer nameplate to a midsize SUV sold during model years 2002 through 2009. While not based on a pickup truck, this Trailblazer had the hallmarks of an old-school SUV, including body-on-frame construction and available V8 power.

Today’s Chevy Trailblazer has nothing in common with those predecessors except a name. Introduced for the 2021 model year, this Trailblazer is a subcompact crossover with car-like unibody construction shared with the Buick Encore GX, and tiny, efficiency-focused engines. With the Chevy Trax on hiatus until the 2024 model year, the Trailblazer is Chevy’s entry-level SUV for 2023, competing with the likes of the Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos.

The only changes for 2023 are some new extra-cost paint colours, including Nitro Yellow Metallic, Fountain Blue, and Sterling Gray Metallic, along with an Iridescent Pearl Tricoat roof. Trim levels start with the base LS, and continue with the LT, Activ, and RS. We tested a Chevrolet Trailblazer Activ for this review.

Like Acura with the ZDX, Honda is leveraging the Ultium platform from General Motors to get an EV on the market now rather than waiting to develop its own platform later. The Prologue is offered in Canada in three familiar Honda trims–EX, EX-L, and Touring–and it treads familiar Honda territory, too.

Verdict: Comfortable, attractive, and carefully avoiding change for change’s sake, the 2024 Honda Prologue is a great choice for anyone who wants to go green without approaching the bleeding edge.