There’s no getting around the nostalgia trend in the automotive domain. Model names form years and decades gone by are resurfacing on the backs of new, sometimes totally different models. This year alone we’ve seen the return of the Blazer from Chevrolet, the Gladiator from Jeep and, still to come, the Bronco from Ford.
Now, Chevy is readying yet another revival with the return of the Trailblazer and Tracker nameplates, and it plans to unveil both at the upcoming Shanghai auto show.
Let’s be clear: these new products will be miles removed from the models of old that carried the names – especially when it comes to the Tracker. What’s more, the reborn version could be restricted to emerging markets only, so we likely won’t see it here.
As for the Trailblazer, it will serve as the replacement for the Chevrolet Trax, a model not without its merits but which failed to earn much love from consumers.
The new Trailblazer should be at dealerships before the end of 2019. To boost interest ahead of the reveal, Chevrolet has released a teaser image of the model to be presented in Shanghai. It evokes the contours of the Blazer, writ small.
What’S not yet known is the architecture it will rest on. There’s much speculation it will be the VSS-S, one of the four modular platforms General Motors wants to develop by 2025. Its versatility includes being able to accommodate front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems.
We’ll know more about both models and their inner workings in mid-April when the Shanghai auto show gets underway.