2021 Chevy Blazer Test Crash Scores Are Seriously Impressive

The reborn Chevrolet Blazer is not the serious off-roader its ancestors were, a reality some enthusiasts are not happy about. Fortunately, the all-new Ford Bronco has arrived and, perhaps, GMC will eventually respond with an all-new Jimmy. Despite Chevy’s decision to turn the Blazer into a car-based crossover with available all-wheel drive, sales have been phenomenal. Dealers across the country are reportedly running low on supply because of high consumer demand. The Ramos Arizpe Assembly plant in Mexico may now need to produce more units even faster following this piece of news.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just posted a video of the 2021 Blazer undergoing a crash test and the results are quite impressive.

It earned Good ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small overlap front tests along with the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints tests. The only reason why it did not achieve the IIHS’s coveted Top Safety Pick award was because of its headlights. A vehicle must achieve at least an Acceptable headlight rating in order to qualify. For the Top Safety Pick+, Acceptable or Good-rated headlights must come standard on all trim levels.

So what’s the problem with the Blazer’s headlights? Weak illumination, despite the fact the vehicle can be equipped with LED projector headlights with high beam assist.

The two other headlight configurations include HID projector headlights with and without high beam assist. The HID headlights also produce excessive glare, which is another strike against it. The IIHS says this latest round of crash test applies to the 2019 to 2021 model year Blazers, although LED headlights were not offered on 2019 models yet.

Aside from the headlight issue – and this is something Chevy can fairly easily fix with better units – the Blazer was noted for its optional Driver Confidence II system and Chevy Safety Assist, which became available this year. Both systems earned Superior ratings because they detected and avoided collisions during vehicle-to-vehicle testing.