2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV Review: Premium and Pleasant, But Pricey

The Blazer EV has its strong points, sure. But would you pay $60,000 for a midsize Chevy crossover?

Published January 4, 2024

GM has pledged to go all-electric by 2035 (and outsell Tesla with EVs by 2025, for what it’s worth). Meeting those goals — or even making discernible progress toward them — will mean converting normies to EVS. Tech enthusiasts, environmentalists and people who buy $100,000-plus cartoon trucks are ready and willing now, but GM needs John or Jane Q. Crossover-Buyer to follow them toward battery electric cars.

That’s where the Chevrolet Blazer EV comes in.

Now, the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV is not quite Ultium for the Masses, what with its starting price of around $60,000; the upcoming Equinox EV will slot below it as a more accessible offering. But the Blazer is moving GM’s EV lineup more in a mainstream-friendly direction. It’s a two-row midsize Chevy crossover that shares the same premium-ish, quasi-Camaro vibe as the current internal combustion Blazer, even though the two don’t share a platform. Essentially, it’s aiming to be a soft-landing spot for the next tier of buyers transitioning to electric vehicles.

But while aiming for normality, the Blazer EV does one fundamental thing that’s quite weird. Unlike any other car on sale in America today (and basically anywhere, ever), the Chevy Blazer EV offers front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions. That means greater complexity, such as the fact that there are two separate all-wheel-drive systems — not to mention two different battery packs.

Chevy brought me out to San Diego to sample the Blazer EV in RS RWD and eAWD forms, the first two trims that will be going on sale. I tested the cars on a solid mix of urban streets, highways and curvy mountain roads for testing. Thankfully, my testing experience went smoothly, but I can’t say all journalists had the same luck; for example, the testers at Inside EVs and Edmunds both suffered issues with their early-build Blazer EVs.

The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV: What We Think

Chevy nailed its brief with the Blazer EV — at least, beyond the clear reliability issues that need to be sorted. The on-road experience of the RS trim won’t leave you exhilarated, but it’s a comfortable, competent daily driver. It looks distinctive and has a pleasant, spacious cabin. It offers solid range — the company’s claims seemed legitimate over my day of driving.

But is that enough to justify the price? The cheapest LT eAWD Blazer currently starts at $57,710. That’s more than $20,000 above the ICE Blazer, and more than a fully-loaded Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Tesla Model Y. And it’s a lot of coin to drop on a Chevy, especially when spending a couple of grand more will get you a very similar Cadillac.

I’m not sure what the Blazer EV brings to the table to be worth that premium. Plus, factors like a complicated product lineup, early reliability troubles and not having Apple CarPlay may present trouble for an otherwise solid EV — but how the market reacts to that remains to be seen.

Wait, why does the Blazer EV offer FWD, RWD and AWD?

Chevy is flexing the Ultium platform’s modularity with the Blazer. Simply put, it doesn’t cost much to swap in different electric motors. And by doing so, Chevy believes it can target a broader range of buyers in different regions.

The FWD Blazer EV — when it arrives — will be the base model with the smaller 85-kWh battery pack. GM has not provided the specs for that powertrain yet.

The eAWD Blazer EV uses a front-wheel-drive-based layout with a smaller rear electric motor. It’s mostly FWD, but the rear motor chimes in when needed for added traction. Total output is 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque, and the smaller battery pack delivers 279 miles of range.

The RWD Blazer EV is a long-range model, with some performance tossed in. It uses a different electric motor on the rear axle, and the larger 102-kWh battery pack. It put outs 340 horsepower and offers a 324-mile range — the best of the lineup

Top-of-the-lineup is the SS model. Its pAWD setup packs the RWD motor on both axles for a total of 557 hp and 648 lb-ft of torque. It also sports the larger 102-kWh battery pack.

The Blazer EV isn’t as sporty as it looks

Like its combustion counterpart, the Blazer EV hints at sportiness, looking sort of like a Camaro crossover. The SS version should bring the heat. But in more pedestrian RS form, the Blazer EV just isn’t that sporty. (Burying Sport Mode in a sub-menu was a clear giveaway.)

Most EVs leap off the line thanks to their instant torque, and feel plenty quick at low speeds. Take-off in both the RWD and the eAWD Blazer EV, however, feels more gradual. That’ll likely feel familiar for combustion drivers, but titrating the torque sacrifices some thrills and can make the Blazer EV — coming in well north of 5,000 pounds — feel under-oomphed.

The Blazer EV does feel planted and well-balanced on the road. The battery pack weight provides a low center of gravity, and the suspension tuning delivers a soft, comfortable ride without feeling sloppy. The steering is sort of light, but you can tighten it up a bit with the aforementioned Sport Mode. And as with nearly every EV, the artificial driving noises are odd and borderline off-putting.

The Blazer EV interior feels like an upgrade, but there’s no CarPlay

Interiors aren’t a traditional GM strength, especially at Chevy-bow-tie level, but the Blazer EV feels surprisingly fancy inside. The seats (at least up front) are comfortable, and the materials feel plush and high-quality.

The Blazer EV interior is certainly tech-forward with its massive 17.7-inch infotainment display, but it still offers some balance with its physical buttons. And it offers ample space in the second row and cargo area — there’s up to 59.8 cubic feet of space with the seats folded flat.

Starting the car, however, presents a weird juxtaposition. There’s no start button; like many electric cars, the Blazer EV awakens when you open the door and sit down. But once you do that … you still have a mechanism that’s 2/3 of the way to a physical column shifter to shift into gear. It feels like an odd, quasi-analog distraction from the seamless digital future promised by a car that knows you’re there and powers up accordingly

I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the elephant in the interior: the Blazer EV is the first GM car to ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as part of the General’s push to do away with the phone-mirroring systems in all of its future electric vehicles. The company has offered specious justifications such as safety and not excluding non-smartphone owners, but basically, GM wants to control the software experience for all drivers (and monetize it when opportunities arise).

I didn’t get too much time to test all the features of GM’s Google-based system; riding with a colleague isn’t the optimal time to fire off voice texts. But GM’s Google-based system worked quickly and intuitively. Google Maps — a key reason drivers like using their phone — is the proprietary navigation app. You can download and log into music apps like Spotify directly, and stream them thro. In essence, you should be able to replicate most functions of CarPlay or A.A. … that is, after a more arduous setup process than just, y’know, plugging in your phone.

(And don’t forget: while these new GM EVs come with eight years of free data, come 2032, you — or whomever owns the car — will be on the hook for a data plan if they want to use the navigation, or stream music any way other than via Bluetooth.)

What are some Chevy Blazer EV alternatives?

Chevy explicitly called out the vehicles it’s targeting with the Blazer EV: the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Tesla Model Y. I’d throw the sporty-looking Kia EV6 into that mix as well.

Of course, as surfaced earlier, the Blazer EV costs more than those cars. The cheapest LT eAWD starts at $57,710, which is about on par with a fully-loaded Mustang Mach-E and pricier than the full-bore Ioniq 5 and Model Y. Chevy would argue that — like GM’s trucks — it commands that premium being larger and fancier inside than those competitors. I’m not sure I buy that.

Another intriguing option coming soon in 2024 is the all-new Honda Prologue. It’s Ultium-based, built by GM and bears a strong resemblance to the Blazer EV beneath the skin. It’ll have a more spartan interior, sure — but it will also have Honda tuning the driving dynamics.

2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV eAWD

Powertrain: Dual-motor electric drive; single-speed gearbox; all-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 288
Torque: 333 lb-ft
EPA Range: 279 miles
Seats: 5

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