It is time we faced the truth. The new Chevrolet Blazer isn’t an off-roader, but a cool-looking family CUV and the best way for all of us to accept that is to compare it with its new competition - the Ford Edge and the Jeep Cherokee. I suspect both of these are smaller compared with the new Blazer, but they have some striking similarities amongst themselves as well. All three offer seating for only five, boast a somewhat flamboyant styling, offer four-cylinder engines, and are based on top of the front-wheel-drive underpinnings. Obviously, one searching for a $30k-ish five-seater, midsize SUV with a lot of equipment and maybe an optional AWD is only expected to take all three into consideration.

Three Different Characters

We have three different approaches to styling here. The Ford may be most in line with something one would expect of a European luxury SUV of the same size. One has to admire the sleekness of its profile, aggressiveness of its front end and sophistication at the back. Not many SUVs of today offer such a complete package. Yet, the posh cues radically crippled its SUV credentials. The Ford Edge does not want to be an off-roader. Ever. And I am OK with that as the Ford Edge is obviously true to what it actually is. Ford even devised an ST line model which, honestly, looks the business.

Unlike Ford, Jeep had to cherish its off-road ruggedness and adventure spirit rooted in a long history of off-road vehicles. Moving the Cherokee to unibody construction definitely handicapped some of its off-road worthiness, but not completely. First of all, the Cherokee unique styling does have a certain hazardous quality to it. It is a play of different shapes and unexpected styling cues which make the pre-facelift Cherokee somewhat undefinable but not necessarily bad. I’ve always found the Cherokee styling fun, alluring in some strange sense, despite its extreme uniqueness. But it is less unique after the redesign when Jeep decided to mate the previously separated headlights and daylights. Interestingly enough, this is exactly where the new Chevrolet Blazer went all pre-facelift Cherokee. The Hyundai Kona, the pre-facelift Cherokee KL, and now the Blazer all share this styling trait of high positioned angry daylights and lower, separate HIDs.

In the case of the Chevy Blazer, the designers went all muscle-car nutz. Can't argue with the front looks of the new Blazer. It looks like a jacked up Camaro. Furthering the cause of upscaling, Chevrolet integrated a massive grille reminiscent of the higher end cars of today. If we were to somehow get all three cars side by side, I am sure that the latest Blazer would look dominant, the Cherokee a bit quirky and the Ford Edge posh. At least at the front end. At the back, I’d have to give this round to the Ford Edge. With a spoiler and two exhausts, it looks like a freaking hot hatch. What about the Cherokee? Go Trailhawk with it and you will never be afraid of putting dirt on it. You can't go adventure hunting with the Blazer or the Edge, really. These two are city dwellers. One muscled up, and the other trying to be posh.

The Blazer Seems At least Five Years Younger Inside

Let me put it this way - the Blazer interior, at least according to the photographs provided by Chevy, looks 5 years younger than that of the other two. Of course, this is just as it should be as the Edge and the Cherokee are much older designs. Yet, this is not the only reason. Looking at the design of the dashboard on the Jeep and on the Ford, one gets a feeling that these two received some kind of a generic design adapted to comfort features from the inventories of Ford and Jeep. They do not look original in the slightest.

The Blazer on the other hand; it got features straight from the Camaro (round vents,) a fantastic cantilever (trimmed with leather higher up the trim steps) supporting central screen, and door design evoking sport and action. It may be that design like this becomes somewhat boring in a few years time (and if Chevy decides to integrate it in many of their cars), but for now, it’s just right.

Unfortunately, Chevy did not disclose much about the interior convenience and comfort. We do know the Blazer is big enough to swallow up to 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. The Edge can do 73.4 cubic feet and the smallest of the bunch - the Cherokee, will swallow up to 54.9 cubic feet of things. With a capacity like this, the Blazer falls right in the middle of this comparison. Although some may be less than impressed with the cargo capacity, Chevrolet did provide a number of interesting features which improve comfort and convenience. Back in the boot, one can get a cargo management system with a rail and a fence. This is a first for Chevrolet. Furthermore, the rear seats can slide a few inches thus improving cargo space or room for the passengers at the back. Jeep has much the same mechanism for the rear seats of the Cherokee, while Ford did not include this feature. At least the backrests at the rear seats in the Edge can recline. Many will appreciate this feature.

With Convenience of MPVs

Car development reached a stage when it is, realistically, rather difficult to offer something new to improve convenience. Chevy found a way by instilling the Blazer with gear such as the electronic-locking glove-box, automatic heated steering wheel, automatic heated/ventilated front seat, comfort-open windows, hands-free power liftgate, wireless charging, and adaptive cruise control. Much the same gear the Ford Edge and the Jeep Cherokee already offer.

However, the new Blazer excels in one regard compared to the Edge and the Cherokee. Equipped right - with a V-6 engine and all the other needed gear, the 2019 Chevy Blazer will pull a 4,500 lbs trailer. Considering its competition can do only 2,000 lbs (the Edge can push it to 3,500 lbs with proper gear), this is quite an asset. With such pulling power, Chevrolet offered some impressive technologies called Hitch Guidance and Hitch View. With these on board, you will have an easy time aligning the Blazer with the trailer and hitching it without any assistance from another individual.

Fuel Efficient Four-Cylinder and Six-Cylinder Engines

For now, the Chevrolet Blazer is the only one who is not offering a turbocharged engine. The new Blazer offers a 2.5-liter, 193 horsepower, inline-four or 3.6-liter, 305 horsepower, V-6. Considering the car is based on the C1XX architecture, which does, indeed, support turbocharged engines, we can, at least, expect a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit with 270ish horsepower from the get-go in 2019.

I am saying this because of a few reasons. Ford does offer turbocharged engines for the Edge (2.0-liter and 2.7-liter EcoBoost units) as well as Jeep for the Cherokee (2.0-liter). With that said, the difference between the entry level 193 horsepower I-4 and the V-6 is more than 110 horsepower. Chevy needs to have something in between and that 2.0-liter turbocharged unit will have to suffice.

Unfortunately, Chevy did not disclose the full specs for the Blazer, either. Fuel efficiency is still an unknown, but we do know that the V-6 powered Ford Edge and the Jeep Cherokee offer combined MPG values of 20 mpg and 22 mpg, respectively. With an advanced nine-speed transmission and cylinder deactivation system, the new Blazer should be a tad more efficient.

AWD is Available, but Don’t Think for a Second These Are Off-Roaders

Bear in mind that all three of these SUVs are actually based on a FWD platform. So, in essence, they are FWD cars, but all of them offer some kind of an AWD system. Expectedly, the Jeep Cherokee offers the most comprehensive options in this regard with three different AWD levels available - Active Drive I, Active Drive II, and Active Drive Lock.

The Active Drive I is the simplest of them all offering full time FWD capabilities and only transferring power to the back when front wheels slip. The Active Drive II additionally offers "4-Low" mode sending power to both axles at all time. Finally, the Active Drive Lock can lock the rear differential which can be of great consequence on more treacherous terrain.

The Ford Edge comes with a so-called intelligent AWD system. It is basically a FWD car with a system that monitors road conditions and the overall car behavior more than 65,000 times a second. When a slip is detected, the system will send engine power to the wheels with the most traction.

Finally, the Chevrolet Blazer offers two different AWD systems. The base version works much the same as the base system on the Cherokee. After detecting slip at the front wheels, the system will send the power to the rear axles. However, the twin-clutch system available for the upper-level models equipped with the V-6 engine is the big deal here. It is, I guess, the same system as that of the Cadillac XT5 with whom the Blazer shares its architecture. The system can be turned on in the cabin and when that happens, it can, depending on the needs, send up to 100 percent of power to the rear axle or even to one wheel. We talked about this system before and it is quite clever. It does not only give the Blazer proper off-road capabilities but also helps on the roads and in the bends where it sends more power to the outer wheels to help push the Blazer through the curves.

Invest Enough and You Can Talk with your Infotainment System

Infotainment, connectivity and smartphone integration is a big thing in the today's world. It's no wonder that car manufacturers invest so much into offering a seamless experience to their customers who have never been as connected as today. In that regard, the Blazer did receive the latest. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system comes as a standard equipment - all with the 8-inch touchscreen. It is also available with a 4G LTE and Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

Jeep also offers a comprehensive infotainment system for the Cherokee too. Three versions are available - Uconnect 7.0, Uconnect 8.4, and the Uconnect 8.4 NAV. Of course, these are available with a multitude of options including seamless smartphone integration. Ford does not fall behind with their latest SYNC 3 infotainment system for the Edge either.

If you have enough extra money, then you may get voice-control systems, premium audio options, dedicated apps, and rear-seat entertainment, among other things.

Conclusion

Residing in much the same segment, the Ford Edge, the Jeep Cherokee, and the Chevrolet Blazer share many similarities. Especially when it comes to their engines, all-wheel drive systems, and interior arrangements. However, they do differ when it comes to their character. Fortunately or not, the character traits, the way they look, and the presence they project are the most important differences. Apart from the interior dimensions, obviously.

It is quite clear that all three aim at buyers with similar purchasing power by offering packages perfectly suited for modern families who place a lot of value on convenience, connectivity, and efficiency. While it may seem that Chevy downscaled the Blazer the same way Jeep has done with the Cherokee, one has to take this premise under scrutiny. All three of these will sell like hotcakes, will use less fuel, require cheaper maintenance, and be produced in numbers we cannot even wrap our heads around. So, yes, two names with great history - the Blazer and the Cherokee, resemble fallen angels in a sea of same-looking cars. I omitted the Ford Edge on purpose, because that one is designed from the get go to be what the Cherokee and the Blazer have become - family CUVs. So, I think, for the sake of reason, just accept the Blazer as you did Edge.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Edge.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Edge ST.

Read our full review on the 2019 Jeep Cherokee.