Can 2022 Chevy Blazer MHEV take on the Okavango?

Chevrolet is not having the best of times in the Philippines or the ASEAN region. When the automaker decided to close down its production hub in Thailand last year, the bow-tie brand lost two of its most important models for the ASEAN region, the Colorado pick-up and the Trailblazer PPV.

At the same time, Chevrolet Philippines distributor The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI) dropped more models from its lineup, such as the Sail, Malibu, and the Tahoe. With the Spark, Suburban, Camaro, and the C7 Corvette the only available models in the Philippines, Chevy needs new models to freshen their lineup.

The company plans to do this by offering new products from the People's Republic. The first of which is the all-new Tracker that debuted last July. It replaced the aging Trax and now serves as the bow-tie brand's B-segment crossover. It's powered by a 1.0L turbocharged engine and comes with Apple CarPlay across the range.

But Chevrolet could use another crossover in its lineup, particularly with three rows of seats. Lucky for them, the automaker recently revealed the upgraded Blazer for the Chinese market. While it may still look like the model that Chevy revealed back in late 2019, this particular model has a new trick up its sleeve.

Like its closest rival, the Geely Okavango, the Blazer now benefits from a 48V mild-hybrid system. Together with the 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoTec engine with 236 PS and 350 Nm of torque, Chevy says the 7-seater Blazer with mild-hybrid technology provides extra pulling power and a more efficient drive.

Chevy did not reveal the Blazer's combined system output. But they did say that the SUV can now go from 0 – 100 km/h in just 8.4 seconds thanks to the mild-hybrid system. It also has a combined fuel consumption of 14.08 km/l.

Should Chevrolet Philippines bring the Blazer here, it could go head-to-head against the Geely Okavango. Whereas the Okavango only makes do with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo MHEV, the Blazer trounces it with a more powerful 2.0-liter EcoTec with the mild-hybrid assist.

With the Trailblazer PPV consigned to the history books, perhaps Chevy can bring its spiritual successor to continue carrying the torch.