Chevrolet Trailblazer May Come to U.S. in 2014

Just the Facts:

• Chevrolet could expand its SUV lineup in the U.S. next year with the addition of a midsize model based on the Thai-built Trailblazer.
• An industry source familiar with Chevrolet's product plans said a version of the Trailblazer SUV is expected go on sale in the U.S. in 2014.
• Chevrolet officially says it has no plans to add another SUV/crossover to the portfolio.

DETROIT — General Motors' Chevrolet division could expand its SUV lineup in the U.S. next year with the addition of a midsize pickup truck-based model derived from the Thai-built Trailblazer.
The Trailblazer shares its global body-on-frame architecture with the midsize Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. The Colorado, which was designed by General Motors do Brasil and jointly engineered with Japan's Isuzu, is slated to be built in the U.S. and introduced early next year as a 2015 model, along with a companion GMC Canyon.
"We have no plans to add another SUV/crossover to the portfolio," Chevrolet spokesman Mike Albano told Edmunds in an e-mail. "We are pleased with the way Equinox, Traverse and Tahoe/Suburban are performing in the marketplace."
But an industry source familiar with Chevrolet's product plans said a version of the Trailblazer SUV is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in 2014. It is not clear if the vehicle would be built in the U.S. or if it would retain the Trailblazer name.
The seven-passenger Trailblazer debuted at the 2012 Bangkok Auto Show and went on sale last year in a number of overseas markets, including Thailand, Brazil and the Philippines. GM has said it plans to sell the vehicle in 50 global markets, including the Middle East and Australia.
The Trailblazer is sold in rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations, with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines.
GM introduced the original TrailBlazer (with a capital B) in the U.S. in 2002 as a replacement for the S10 Blazer. The TrailBlazer was discontinued in the U.S. in 2009, replaced with the front-wheel-drive Traverse.
Last year, GM ended U.S. production of the previous-generation Colorado and Canyon pickup trucks.