Chevrolet Trailblazer vs Kia Telluride Hybrid

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer marked a notable evolution from its predecessors, embracing a more compact and sporty design. It was 45 centimetres shorter than its earlier versions, aligning more closely with the subcompact SUV category. The Trailblazer's aggressive styling, with sharp body creases reminiscent of the sporty Camaro, set it apart from its more generic predecessors. The 2024 model year introduced a minor styling refresh, enhancing its sporty theme with thinner accent lights, a reshaped grille, and smaller, deeper-set headlights, giving it a more athletic and serious appearance. Inside, the Trailblazer featured a modernized dashboard with a new digital instrument panel and an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, although the digital panel's incomplete fit within its enclosure was a minor drawback. The materials used were typical for non-luxury subcompact SUVs, with harder plastics but adequately padded touchpoints, and fabric inserts in the door panels added a touch of warmth.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid presented a bold design that could polarize opinions, particularly with its flat, faceless grille spanning the front end. The vehicle's personality shifted with different colours and trims, with body-coloured vertical strakes that could appear jarring in lighter shades but blended harmoniously in darker ones. The X-Line and X-Pro models replaced these strakes with rectangular grille blocks, flanked by distinctive amber accent lights. The side profile featured unique faceted fender sculpting and black plastic tabs atop each wheel well, adding a novel touch. The rear view adopted a different style with rounded corners and vertical taillights, reminiscent of a Range Rover. Inside, the Telluride's interior was less controversial, featuring a simple horizontal dashboard layout with a modern, buttonless appearance. The Hybrid SX Prestige trim offered a luxurious two-tone palette, though the silver and cream-coloured buttons were challenging to read. The seats, covered in synthetic leather and suede, provided a firm but somewhat uncomfortable experience on longer drives, while the surrounding material quality was excellent for the class.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer offered two powertrain options. The base model featured a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels. This setup resulted in sluggish performance, with slow responses and a droning engine under sustained acceleration. The Activ-trim test vehicle came with a more powerful 1.3-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, delivering 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque, coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. While this engine was adequate, it required aggressive acceleration for highway speeds and passing. The Trailblazer's handling was average, with a focus on comfort rather than spirited driving. It smoothed over road imperfections and kept road and wind noise to a minimum at highway speeds.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid was powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive in Canada. The hybrid version added electric motors and a 1.65-kWh battery pack, increasing output to 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, with a six-speed transmission. The hybrid powertrain provided ample power and a quiet ride, with seamless transitions between electric and gas modes. Both Telluride models prioritized comfort, delivering a smooth ride even in the off-road-capable X-Pro trim. The Hybrid SX Prestige had a stiffer ride due to its 20-inch wheels, but the suspension managed to absorb bumps effectively. The Telluride's handling was composed and controllable, instilling confidence on winding roads, though it wasn't particularly sporty. The brake pedal effort was soft, requiring some adjustment, but brake response was immediate during panic stops.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer offered ample front space with excellent outward visibility, enhancing situational awareness. The available wireless charging pad accommodated larger phones, and the interior featured practical storage solutions, including medium-sized cupholders, a deep bin under the armrest, and large door pockets. The front seats were firmly padded, providing comfort on long trips, with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel standard on most trims. The rear seats offered generous legroom and headroom, making it suitable for adult passengers and rear-facing infant seats. The Trailblazer boasted 716 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, nearly matching the Hyundai Kona's 723 litres, with a hands-free power liftgate for added convenience.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid provided ample space for adults in all three rows, though the rearmost row was better suited for smaller passengers due to low seat cushions. The second row featured power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation, offering comfort comparable to business-class airline seats. The middle-row seats had significant travel, allowing for more cargo or third-row legroom. The Telluride Hybrid's second-row legroom was slightly reduced by four centimetres. Behind the third row, the Telluride offered 631 litres of cargo space, with a total capacity of 2,528 litres when the second-row seatbacks were folded flat. The hybrid models lost only about 30 litres of cargo space. The Telluride could tow up to 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) or 2,040 kilograms (4,500 pounds) for the hybrid. The interior featured practical storage solutions, including a large centre bin with deployable cupholders and a tray underneath the centre console.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer featured an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen standard on all trims, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system's responses were slightly delayed, but the display was well-placed for reduced distraction. A native navigation system was not available, relying on smartphone connectivity for navigation. The base six-speaker audio system performed well, with an optional Bose premium upgrade for enhanced sound quality. The Trailblazer's technology features were average for the class, with easy-to-use controls.

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 touchscreen for climate controls. A native navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto were included, along with dual wireless phone chargers. The infotainment system was user-friendly, though it required a firm tap to register inputs. The climate control screen was challenging to use while driving, but physical temperature control buttons were available. The 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system delivered powerful bass and clear tones, with lower trims featuring an eight-speaker system.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer received five-out-of-five stars in overall, frontal, and side crash evaluations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded it the highest score of "good" in all crashworthiness tests. Standard safety features included frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning. The optional Confidence package added a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking proximity sensors. Adaptive cruise control was available on certain trims.

At the time of writing, crash test scores for the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid were not available from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Standard advanced safety features included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, parking sensors, highway driving assist, and rear passenger sensors and reminders. Higher trims offered additional features like a surround-view camera system, blind-spot camera system, side parking sensors, and automatic reverse braking. The highway driving assist was particularly helpful on longer trips, while the driver attention monitor occasionally triggered false alerts.