Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride Hybrid

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer presented a sleek and road-car-inspired design, diverging from the rugged appearance typical of crossovers. It featured a low roofline with leaned-back front and rear pillars, a prominent grille framed by stacked headlights, and a tall ride height that maintained the visual weight of an SUV. The Blazer RS test vehicle stood out with its blackout trim, Red Hot paint, and 21-inch wheels, creating a striking presence for a mainstream crossover. For 2023, the Blazer received subtle styling updates, including new taillights with twisted, filament-like elements, and tweaked designs for the grille and LED headlights. The interior boasted a sportier aesthetic with an upright dashboard and large round air vents reminiscent of the Camaro muscle car. The Blazer RS model impressed with its material quality, featuring blue trim, chrome accents, and a dark blue and black two-tone upholstery scheme.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid showcased a bold reinterpretation of design, potentially polarizing shoppers with its flat, faceless grille spanning the entire front end. The vehicle's personality shifted with colour and trim level, with body-coloured vertical strakes at each edge that blended harmoniously in darker shades. The X-Line and X-Pro models replaced these strakes with rectangular grille blocks, both styles featuring distinctive amber accent lights. The side profile displayed unique faceted and angular fender sculpting, while the rear view adopted a Range Rover-like style with rounded corners and vertical taillights. Inside, the Telluride's interior was less controversial, featuring a simple horizontal dashboard layout and a modern, buttonless appearance. The Hybrid SX Prestige trim offered a luxurious two-tone palette, though the labeling on silver buttons and cream-coloured infotainment shortcut buttons proved difficult to read. The seats, covered in synthetic leather and suede, provided excellent material quality, with options for engineered wood or carbon fibre trim surfaces.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer carried over its powertrain options from the previous year, offering a base 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. A 3.6-litre V6 engine, standard on higher trims, delivered 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, with all-wheel drive standard in Canada. The Blazer's AWD system required manual engagement, unlike some rivals with automatic switching. The V6-powered Blazer RS felt impressively quick, with a sporty exhaust note, though its weight and top-heavy design impacted handling. The Blazer's 2,041-kilogram towing capacity was competitive for its class, but its car-based crossover design limited off-road capabilities.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid featured a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid model added electric motors, increasing output to 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, with a six-speed transmission. The Telluride Hybrid offered a quiet and smooth ride, with seamless transitions between electric and gas power. The X-Pro model excelled in off-road settings, while the Hybrid SX Prestige provided a stiffer ride with its 20-inch wheels. The Telluride's mid-range and higher trims added sound insulation, maintaining a quiet interior. On winding roads, the Telluride was composed and controllable, though not particularly sporty.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer was a two-row, five-seat vehicle, offering front-seat headroom comparable to rivals like the Ford Edge and Honda Passport. Rear-seat headroom was slightly below average, but better than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The Blazer provided 864 litres of cargo space with rear seats in place and 1,818 litres with seats folded, trailing behind competitors like the Honda Passport. Despite this, the Blazer felt spacious from the driver's seat, with functional interior details like USB port placement and temperature controls integrated into air vents. A heated steering wheel was standard on the RS grade.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid offered ample space for adults in all three rows, though the rearmost row was better suited for smaller passengers. The second row featured power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation, comparable to business-class airline seats. The Telluride provided 631 litres of cargo space behind the third row, increasing to 1,379 litres with seats folded, and up to 2,528 litres with second-row seats folded. The hybrid models lost only about 30 litres of cargo space. The Telluride's interior included a large centre bin, deployable cupholders, and storage trays, enhancing practicality.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer received tech upgrades for 2023, including a standard 10.2-inch touchscreen and wireless device charging. The RS and Premier trims featured an 8-inch digital instrument cluster display, built-in navigation, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system. The infotainment system offered intuitive menus, though a dedicated button for the optional 360-degree camera system would have been appreciated. The Blazer's tech presentation remained competitive, with a large touchscreen matching segment leaders.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid came equipped with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch climate control touchscreen. The infotainment system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though screen responsiveness required firm taps. The climate control screen was challenging to use while driving, but physical temperature control buttons were available. A 14-speaker Meridian audio system delivered powerful sound, while lower trims featured an eight-speaker system.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer offered the standard Chevy Safety Assist Package, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, and more. Adaptive cruise control became available on all trims for 2023. The Blazer received high safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA, though it lacked GM's advanced Super Cruise system.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid was expected to include standard safety features like forward collision warning, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and more. Higher trims offered additional features like a surround-view camera system and automatic reverse braking. The highway driving assist was particularly helpful, though the blind-spot cameras were more distracting than beneficial.