The original Blazer name was used by Chevrolet in 1969. Back then, the vehicle was classed as full size and based off of the pickup chassis. It was eventually renamed the Tahoe. From 1983 there was the S-10 Blazer based on the smaller pickup, discontinued in 2005.
Chevy says it will be, “Slotting between the Equinox and Traverse, the 2019 Blazer will offer unique design elements on each model, appealing to customers seeking distinctive styling and outstanding utility.’
2019 Chevy Blazer, Photo: Chevrolet
Quick specs
Here’s what we know so far about the new Balzer;
Two engine choices, a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder and a 3.6 liter V-6)
2.5-liter engine will have 193hp and 188 lb-ft torque
The 3.6-liter engine will have 305hp and 269 lb-ft torque (this will be on the Premier and RS trim levels)
It will be available in AWD with ‘Traction Select’
9-Speed transmission
2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS, Photo: Chevrolet
Features
HID Headlamps
LED daytime running lights
Dual exhaust outlets
Tailgate spoiler
Padded knee area
Cargo management system
Electronic locking glovebox
Auto heated and ventilated front seats
Heated steering wheel (also auto and works with remote start)
Adaptive Cruise control
Hands-free power liftgate
Wireless smartphone charging
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Tail lamps
Interior
Cargo Management
Chevrolet says there will be a variety of trim line options to suit different customer tastes, although so far, only the Premier and RS trims have been mentioned). The RS will be the sporty trim model, with more black stying such as the mesh grill, bowtie, and leather interior.
2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS:
The Premier will be luxury trim model with leather and suede microfiber seats and chrome accents.
2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier, Photo: Chevrolet
Other features will include flat folding rear seats, sliding rear seats, dual-pane sliding sunroof and active safety features. Estimated towing capacity with the V-6 engine is 4,500 lbs (hitch guidance available).
Prices have not yet been released, and the car is expected to arrive in Chevy dealerships early 2019. TO find out more, contact your preferred dealership or sign up for updates with Chevy here.
Every year, cars.com researches which vehicles are the most American. They call it the ‘American Made Index’. Part of being an American vehicle is obviously being assembled at a plant in America. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the car or truck is American. Most of the parts could be sourced from anywhere else in the world, including the engine and transmission. Calculations are based upon where the car is assembled, how much of the parts are domestic, and American jobs at the manufacturing plants.
But one that is…is the MOST American Car
According to the Cars.com American-Made Index, last years most American Made vehicle was the Jeep Wrangler. For 2018 though the Jeep Cherokee takes the top of the list as the most American. The Jeep Cherokee’s final assembly point is in Belvidere, Illinois and has mostly American parts.
2018 Jeep Cherokee, Photo: FCA
How can you check where a car is made?
Every new vehicle in the United States must have a Monroney sticker on the window until sold. On that Monroney will be information about where parts are sourced from, as well as the final assembly point. For example, see the area highlighted in red in the picture below.
2018 Jeep Cherokee Monroney
If you aren’t near the car and shopping online for vehicles, links to the window sticker/Monroney can be found on the Fremont Motors website. Click on the vehicle you’d like to view then click on the part that says, ‘Window Sticker’ as shown in the yellow on the picture below (on fremontmotors.com).
Fremont Motors window sticker link
What about used or pre-owned vehicles?
Used or pre-owned vehicles won’t typically have a Monroney window sticker (unless the first owner kept it in the vehicle and it has been saved in there). You won’t be able to tell where the parts came from but you’ll be able to tell if the vehicle’s final assembly point was in the USA by the VIN Number. Look on the side of the drivers’ door for a sticker with a 17 digit code. See the area highlighted in red below.
VIN sticker of a Chevy. The first number is 1 indicates the cars country of origin is America.
If the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) starts with the number 1, 4 or 5 then the vehicle’s final assembly point is in the United States of America. Some VIN stickers may also just say where the cars’ country of origin is. For example, “Made in Italy“.
Just some of the vehicles made in American plants;
Make the trip easier with these pickup truck accessories for hunting
Heading out into the mountains or prairies this year to hunt, and taking your pickup? Here are some pickup truck accessories for hunting that could help make things a littler easier.
1. All weather floor mats
Big game hunting season just so happens to be around the time it rains or snows. Hiking through the mud and/or snow is most likely going to leave your footwear dirty. Then if you get lucky and manage to harvest an animal, you might be even dirtier. Keep the carpets in your truck clean with some all weather floor mats.
Plastic/rubber material is much easier to clean and hose down than regular carpet. Find the perfect sized all weather floor mats at your local dealership parts department.
2. Seat covers
Realtree seat covers available from Ford
Carhartt seat cover available from Ford
For mostly the same reasons as above, car seat covers are great for protecting the original material (especially if you have cloth seats). This will help when it comes to trading in the vehicle. Keeping a truck in the best possible condition will help retain its value. This is why seat covers are one of the top accessories for hunting.
Universal seat covers can be purchased from the supermarkets, car and truck accessory stores, dealerships and even truck-stops. You’ll find form fitting seat covers from your local dealership parts dept. Note that some manufacturers cannot provide form-fitting seat covers yet due to side airbag restrictions. Mopar, Ford and Chevrolet parts stores will be able to get these for you.
3. RAM BOX Holster
For RAM pickup trucks with RAMBoxes, a holster can be added to either RAMBox to gently and securely hold two rifles. The same holster can also be rotated to hold up to six fishing rods.
4. Bedliner
By Abcflorida [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
A bed liner or bed mat will protect the metal from being scratched by antlers or hooves. The texture will also help to minimize your cargo from sliding around in the bed. Spray-in bed liners are now available, usually last longer, and look better than a drop in plastic one. Another great truck accessory for hutning that’ll make it easier to clean.
5. Rifle/bow rack for inside the truck
Secure your rifle or bow safely out of the way by utilizing a rack. Liveoutdoors.com says, “Forget about those old-school, rear-window mounted racks that scratch the stock and rattle the scope lose. Today’s gun racks offer a range of options from how they are mounted, ease of access and appropriate padding and safety locks so they don’t come loose”. There are all sorts of mounts available from the back seat, to roof and front seat mounts.
6. Truck Tent
Planning on sleeping in the truck? How about a tent that goes over the bed, like this one from Chevrolet, as a cheaper alternative to an overbed camper/topper. You may want mother nature to be on your side for one of these though.
Chevrolet Truck Tent
7. Fender well tool box /rifle storage
These sit over the wheel wells in the bed of the truck. Open the tailgate and it’s right there. Some are available with two separate compartments, one for the rifle or shotgun and the other for ammo.
8. Plug-in scent killer
Scent Crusher Ozone Go
Scent Crusher Ozone Go MAX
There can be all sorts of smells in vehicles from stale fast food to your own scent. Scents can make all the difference when hunting. Scent Crusher makes the Ozone Go and Ozone Go MAX that plugs into a 12V socket in your truck.
9. Storage organization
Organize your hunting gear with a storage system of drawers and shelved like this one by Decked.
Truck storage system by Decked. Photo: Decked
For more information on Decked storage systems, contact Ameri-Tech or your preferred dealership.
10. A good jack
No, not the kind that goes with the fizzy black drink, but one that’ll help if you get a flat tire. Traveling off-road in your pickup and/or on dirt/gravel roads can put a lot of strain on tires. Obviously, we recommend good tires in the first place, but if you do happen to get a puncture, you might need a better jack. The ones that come as standard might be fine for a highway wheel change, but a more sturdy jack just might save you some grief in the backcountry.
A couple of other truck accessories for hunting worth a mention are; window mount for spotting scope, a WiFi hotspot, cargo ramp, and grille cover.
What are you favorite pickup truck accessories for hunting? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.
According to carsalesbase.com, Subcompact SUV’s sales continue to grow across the U.S. Although smaller in size, most of compact SUV’s are offered in all-wheel drive, making them still very practical in mountainous areas and cheaper than a full-size SUV. Here is an ‘on-paper’ comparison of two popular AWD models in that segment. The 2018 Buick Encore and 2018 Jeep Compass.
6-Speed DSG® auto transmission with Tiptronic® and Sport mode.
280hp and 258 lb-ft torque
Sports suspension
Regular gasoline
Estimated fuel economy is at 28 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city.
Exterior
Based on the R-Line trim level, the Passat GT gets the same sporty-looking front bumper with LED headlamps and DRLs (daytime running lights). It is available in four colors; Pure White, Reflex Silver, Platinum Grey, and Deep Black with a red accent line (similar to the Golf GTI’s) on the grill. Volkswagen’s sporty design also includes a black roof to match black mirror caps and door trim. Painted red calipers sit behind the 19″ ‘Tornado’ design wheels. An ever-so-subtle spoiler adds some sleekness to the rear along with blackened LED tail lights. The Piano black trend is also part of the Passat, with the interior featuring a piano black center console. A twin exhaust finishes the look at the rear.
Interior
Volkswagen’s leatherette would have you fooled for leather. In the GT, it’s black with grey inserts and grey stitching. The driver’s seat is 8-way power adjustable and both front seats can be heated. The touchscreen offers 6.3′ of capacitive and colored entertainment. Voice control, Bluetooth, CarNet App-Connect, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto are all standard. SiriusXM comes with a three-month trial period.
Safety
Tha 2018 Volkswagen Passat is awarded a 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Features include; Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and Engine Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD), and Brake Assist (HBA).
The drive
The Passat GT handles well due to it’s sports suspension. Acceleration is good with a noticeable difference in revs between ‘Normal’ mode and ‘Sport’ mode. With the car being an automatic, in ‘Sport’ mode, it will rev match (a.k.a blipping the throttle) when braking to keep those revs at an optimum for acceleration. Transmission shifts up are quick and smooth. The exhaust has a subtle growl from the V6. In ‘Sport’ mode, the engine definitely has a European revvy attitude., but in ‘Normal’, the car is easily comfortable enough as a daily commuter if you don’t mind a firmer suspension.
2018 Passat GT, Photo: L Baures
Price
Starting at $29,995 MSRP (as per VW website), makes this great value/power compared to its competitors. Check with your preferred Volkswagen dealer for a quote.
Want More Power?
Fremont Motor Volkswagen in Casper, WY are authorized APR tuners. A stage 1 tune would increase horsepower by around 50, giving it more horsepower than it’s rivals. Find out more about APR Tuning.
Brad Lehmam, Sales Consultant at Fremont Ford and Lincoln, Riverton, WY
We interviewed him to find out a little more, here are the questions we asked;
How long have you worked in the Auto Industry?
Brad has worked in the industry as a sales consultant for almost a year.
What is your favorite part of the job as a sales consultant?
His favorite part of the job is meeting new people and getting the experience he gets when selling them a new vehicle.
Where did you grow up?
Brad grew up in Riverton Wyoming.
When you aren’t working, what are you doing?
When he’s not working, Brad says he’s usually spending time with his family, hunting, fishing or in the outdoors. Brad had just gotten back from a week-long hunting trip.
What are you passionate about?
Brad says he is passionate about his family, which is currently expanding.
What is your favorite food?
His favorite is pasta or a steak. “Can’t go wrong with a steak ha”.
What is your favorite Color?
Brad’s favorite color is blue.
How about music. What kind of music do you like?
“My favorite music is country music”.
What was your first car?
Brad’s first car was a 76 Chevy Pickup.
If money was no object, what vehicle would you own?
“If money was no object, I would own a fully restored 1970 Chevy pickup”.
Contact Brad
If you would like to know more about Brad or have him assist you in purchasing or trading vehicles, feel free to give him a call on 307 332 4083. You can also send him an email at [email protected]. Send him a congratulations on his expanding family! Pop into the Riverton Ford and Lincoln Dealership at 1601 N Federal Blvd, Riverton, Wyoming, 82501.
For more information on the dealership, click here.
Recent Comments