

Chevy debuts two new SUVs with throwback names in Shanghai

The names Tracker and Trailblazer may be old, but the little SUVs are new and for China only.

The Chevy Tracker and Trailblazer names are finally making a comeback -- in China.


GM is going hard in the metaphorical paint in the Chinese market for small SUVs. It's going so hard, in fact, that it announced two new models at the Shanghai Motor Show. The new models in question are a new compact SUV called Trailblazer, and a "small" SUV called the Tracker. If those names sound familiar, it's because they were used for US models that we haven't seen for a decade or so.

Despite the names, the Chinese Tracker and Trailblazer are both new, and both are reasonably pleasant to look at. Chevrolet's press release was a little light on details, but we know a few things for sure.

The Chevy Trailblazer draws most of its styling cues from the FNR-CarryAll concept, which basically became the new Blazer. The Trailblazer really looks like a three-quarter scale Blazer, and that's not terrible. We have no idea what's under the hood, but it's probably small and gasoline-powered.

The Tracker is more of the same except it has more "youthful, kinetic energy" -- whatever that means. Again, Chevrolet gives us no more mechanical specs or details beyond that it has 17-inch wheels. Still, it looks good for a small SUV, and we're sure it'll sell like crazy in what has become Chevrolet's second-biggest market.