TrailBlazer EXT in 2003
FOR RELEASE: March 4, 2002Chevrolet Adding V8 Engine Option To TrailBlazer EXT, Continuing Successful Trailblazer Launch
DETROIT- Chevrolet is strengthening its successful TrailBlazer line with the announcement of a V8 engine option for TrailBlazer EXT in 2003.
TrailBlazer recorded 22,189 sales in February, contributing to Chevrolet's best calendar-year-through-February SUV sales ever. The February sales are also among the best monthly sales TrailBlazer has posted since its introduction last spring.
Production of the TrailBlazer EXT began in February. The seven-passenger EXT features a third row seat that can easily accommodate two, 6' 2" passengers, with more than 22 cubic feet of space behind the seat for cargo or luggage.
An all-aluminum Vortec 5300 V8 engine will be available on the TrailBlazer EXT in the fall of this year. The engine will be rated at more than 280 horsepower and 320 ft.-lb. of torque, providing extra towing and hauling capability. (Official ratings will be released in the future.)
"The addition of the TrailBlazer EXT and a V8 engine option will allow Chevrolet to continue to build on the success of the TrailBlazer," said Russ Clark, TrailBlazer Brand Manager. "Following our launch last spring, TrailBlazer has enjoyed strong sales, and in January it was named North American Truck of the Year by a jury of 49 leading journalists. The availability of a second model with a third-row seat and an optional V8 engine will help us continue to build on this momentum."
TrailBlazer and TrailBlazer EXT will continue to offer the all-new Vortec 4200 inline six-cylinder engine as standard equipment. It is rated at 270 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque.
Versatility is also a TrailBlazer EXT strength. The model has a 65/35 split second seat that folds and flips forward (on both sides) and full-width rear side doors for easy access. The third row seats have been optimized for unparalleled comfort, and all seven seats have three-point, lap-shoulder seat belts. The TrailBlazer EXT also has more than 100 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third row seats folded flat, more than its major competitors.
TrailBlazer EXT also provides a cargo shelf with three positions behind the third seat. The shelf is easily accessible when the rear hatch is opened. Grocery bags can be hung from the shelf's hooks when the shelf is set in a vertical position. The first horizontal position is for a flat load floor, and the second horizontal position can be used to conceal items beneath the shelf.
TrailBlazer EXT joins the five-passenger
TrailBlazer in providing more passenger room than most competitors in the midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. The Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT is being produced at General Motors' final assembly facility in Oklahoma City, Okla.; production will begin at GM's Moraine, Ohio facility during the second quarter of this year.
Note to Editors:Photography of the new Vortec V8 engine and the TrailBlazer EXT is available on the Internet at GM Media Online (http://media.gm.com). Photography is also available through Wieck Photo Database at (972) 392-0888.
General Motors , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide. In 2001, GM earned $1.5 billion on sales of $177.3 billion, excluding special items. It employs about 362,000 people globally.
GM has been the world's automotive sales leader since 1931. In 2001, GM set industry sales records in the United States - its largest market - for total trucks and for sport utility vehicles. GM sold more than 1 million SUVs - a first for any automaker. GM also sold more full-size pickup trucks than any other manufacturer since 1978.
GM also operates one of the world's largest and most successful financial services companies, GMAC, which offers automotive, mortgage and business financing and insurance services to customers worldwide.
More information on General Motors can be found at http://www.gm.com.