Talking further on Holden’s seven-seat Trailblazer 4WD – the name well suited to this rugged off-roader but equally while I found it  a really competent 4WD it also equits itself well around town – aided by excellent electric power steering and strong disc brakes all round, 300mm on the front and 318 mm on the rear. I had my wife drive the Trailblazer around town for several days to see if she felt it was too rugged about town but she found it an easy 4WD to manoevre and park with good dynamics despite its purposeful nature. Off road, with its strong 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine and class leading 500Nm of torque it’s really gets the job done without fuss, as a tow vehicle excellent with a braked towing capacity of 3,000 kilos. In the rough the manual override on the six-speed automatic works well with excellent hill-descent control, hill start assist while 4WD low is easily selected via the dial indicator, 4WD high able to be selected on the run. The cabin is a little workmanlike with hard surfaces perhaps reflecting the fact it’s based on the Colorado ute – my only real gripe with Holden’s Trailblazer the lack of reach adjustment on the steering column which makes it difficult to find a comfortable drive position. The mid-spec LT-Z variant at $52,490 is well equipped for the money but in the current soft market this figure is no doubt highly negotiable. As a family seven seat 4WD there little to criticize – good access to the rear with good ventilation for the kids via roof-mounted air vents.

I’m David Berthon

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