2020 Chevrolet Blazer 2.0T priced at $33,995

The 2020 Chevrolet Blazer with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that the automaker announced in July now has a price: $33,995 after destination for the 2LT, so sayeth Cars Direct, after seeing the order guide. Upgrading to the 3LT will cost $38,195. The 2.0T isn’t available on the entry-level Blazer L, which starts at $29,995 with a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder.

The first MSRP figure isn’t far off the speculation when the new engine was announced, which put pricing “around $35,000” to create “a nearly even split between the $28,000 Blazer L and the $40,600 Blazer RS.”

What we didn’t know at the time was that Chevrolet would price the 2.0-liter at only $500 below the 3.6-liter V6. Plumping for the V6 on the 2LT or 3LT costs $34,395 and $38,695 respectively. The turbo four makes 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque for the 2.0T versus the 3.6-liter’s 308 hp and 269 lb-ft. That puts the turbo at 37 hp and 70 lb-ft more than the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 78 hp and 11 lb-ft less than the V6.

A Chevy spokesperson told Cars Direct that the 2.0T was added to the lineup “to provide Blazer customers more choice.” It will be up to customers to figure out if the choice is worth saving $500 compared to the V6, especially when the turbo motor requires premium gasoline, and the Blazer’s max 4,500-pound tow rating is only possible with the V6.

We’ll need to wait for fuel economy ratings and a First Drive to get a better look at Chevy’s rationale. The EPA rates the 2020 Blazer with the 2.5-liter — which only comes in FWD trim — at 21 city miles per gallon, 27 highway, and 23 combined. The 3.6-liter with front-wheel drive rates 19 city mpg, 26 highway, and 21 combined; the AWD model loses one mpg in the city and the highway, but retains the 21-mpg combined rating. By way of comparison, the Equinox, which is 700 pounds lighter than the Blazer and gets 252 hp from its 2.0T, returns 25 mpg combined with FWD, 24 mpg combined with AWD. 

It shouldn’t be long before we can put everything together, the 2020 Blazer 2.0T expected on dealer lots next month.