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2017 Holden Trailblazer SUV | new car sales price


The General’s 4x4 Colorado7 SUV scores a significant makeover and a new Trailblazer identity for 2017.

Holden has given its slow-selling 4x4 wagon a mid-life shot in the rump, sending it back to finishing school and giving it an entirely new identity.

The Colorado7 is no longer – say hello to the Holden Trailblazer. Why the name change? The Trailblazer ID is used in other markets around the world for the Thai-built wagon, and Holden was required to follow suit; the ute keeps the Colorado tag, though.

It’s worth its new name, though – the Trailblazer benefits from updates in almost every area, from drivetrain to fuel economy, exterior and interior.

The full-time 4x4 diesel-powered wagon is still based on the same ladder-frame underpinnings of the Colorado ute – as well as the closely related Isuzu D-Max and MU-X – and it will be pared back to just two variants – the LT and LTZ – when it goes on sale in October.

Both will be powered by the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, partnered by either a six-speed automatic or manual transmission and mated to an all-wheel-drive system with 4x4 high and low range capability.

It’s on the inside where the most visible changes have been wrought.

The 2205kg truck makes 147kW of power and 500Nm of torque, and Holden claims a combined fuel economy figure of 8.6 litres per 100km, which is a 0.8L improvement over the Colorado7.

The front end of the Trailblazer is very different, with a new bar, grille and bonnet, along with new headlights and LED daytime running lamps.

It’s on the inside where the most visible changes have been wrought, with a new dash, MyLink multimedia systems, reversing cameras and sensors across both variants, and leather trim for the top-spec LTZ.

Apple Car Play and Android Auto is also fitted across the board.

Crucially, key engineering changes have addressed many of the negative aspects of the Colorado7, which sold less than half than competitors like Toyota’s Fortuner, Isuzu’s MU-X and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport over the last 12 months.

An electric steering system with a faster-geared steering rack has been added, along with a larger brake booster, stiffer engine mounts, body mounts and gearbox mounts, along with more sound deadening material.

The engine and gearbox have also been retuned to improve driveability, fuel economy and emissions.

The Trailblazer has also benefitted from input from Holden chassis and dynamics engineers – something the Colorado7 missed out in in the wake of the global financial crisis period in which the car was developed.

The entry-level LT runs 17-inch alloys on local-spec tyres, cloth trim, a seven-inch mylink multimedia system, a single USB port and three 12v sockets, rear park assist with reverse camera, LED daytime running lamps, seven airbags , hill start assist and trailer sway control, hill descent control and remote window operation via the keyfob.

The LTZ adds 18-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare, an eight-inch colour touchscreen with integrated satellite navigation and voice recognition, remote vehicle start, leather appointed seat trim with heated front seats, front park assist, climate control, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring system, LED tail lights, heated and power folding exterior mirrors and automatic windscreen wipers.

The LT kicks off at $47,990 plus on-road costs, while the top spec LTZ is $52,490.

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