2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS First Drive: Worth The Wait, But No Track Star

Chevrolet's long-delayed Blazer EV finally arrives with a promised SS package for model year 2025. This high-performance electric crossover first kicked off Blazer excitement, but that was well over two and a half years ago. Meanwhile, lower trims that hit the market first struggled with software so much that Chevy decided to halt sales for a few months about a year ago.

Hopefully, those hiccups can stay in the past—but either way, an electric Blazer made for something of an odd choice from the jump. Chevy first revived the nameplate for an internal-combustion SUV that clearly tiptoes more in the crossover direction than the iconic historical Blazer, but then also used the name on an EV built on a completely different platform.

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That EV manages to keep up with the competition in terms of range—undoubtedly the most important stat for anyone considering the switch to electrified life—yet I found the driving dynamics somewhat muted. Especially given the use of such a bold moniker. But now, another year later, the SS variant aims to flip the script with more power, upgraded steering and suspension components, plus stylistic enhancements that all help Chevrolet further compete with Tesla amid the current geopolitical climate.

Since the first Blazer EV trims arrived at dealer lots, even more General Motors electrics have also hit the market. The new Equinox EV probably rose to the top of my favorites list, almost entirely because budgetary considerations forced Chevrolet to keep things simple. But the list then climbs all the way up to the behemoth Escalade IQ, and even the uber-luxe Celestiq at an hilariously obscene pricing tier—but more on that later.

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Yet all performance enhancing details considered, the fact that Chevrolet decided to hold the Blazer EV SS's media drive program on track at North Carolina's newest private circuit, the Ten Tenths Motor Club, seemed very much like a stretch. Not that other manufacturers don't do the same, though. Hyundai brought the Ioniq 5 N to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last year, where the sporty hot-hatch character shone through but, more importantly, the batteries held up to five hard-charging laps pushing right up to the limits of sanity, and beyond.

Laguna Seca's long straight, wide curves, and elevation gain definitely felt large for such a demonstration, and the I5N's acceleration certainly died off at higher speeds. Which perhaps explains why Dodge then chose a much smaller track at Radford Racing School to show off the newly electrified Charger Daytona. By contrast, at Radford the Charger Daytona felt hugely big—especially for a two-door coupe—but the quick transitions and braking zones stacked on top of each other then proceeded to cook the batteries and brakes after just three laps.

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Both the I5N and Charger Daytona fared much better on public roads, though, so I flew to North Carolina decidedly curious how the Blazer EV SS might manage the split. The program got off to an inauspicious start, admittedly, when Chevy reps revealed the plan to limit each journalist on site to just two laps in the $60,600 (plus destination) EV on the larger track, then three trips around a smaller handling circuit, and then a cooldown lap back to the pits.

Resigned to my fate, I climbed into the driver's seat, dove into the Z-Mode screen, selected the WOW Mode that I know well from previous GM EVs, and then the new Competition Mode, which plays with ESC programming. A development engineer hopped in to my right, and coached me through launch mode first. I stood on the brake pedal, pressed the accelerator straight to the floor, and then stepped off the brake.

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The Blazer EV SS largely lacks the sensation of jerk—the scientific term for instantaneous rate of change of acceleration—but ramped up to full power by maybe 15 miles per hour. A few seconds later, after maybe an eighth of a mile, I hit the brakes again and made a tight uphill left turn to shadow another development engineer in a matching car ahead. Even into the first corner, I noticed the improved body control of this new package.

For the SS, Chevy swapped on 60% stiffer front and rear sway bars, and 30% stiffer springs all around. New monotube dampers also fit into the mix, plus a tighter steering ratio with different electric assist calibration. All of the above, plus an ECU that prioritizes power delivery in a straight line, helped me push the tires right up to the edge of functionality as I hustled right up onto the lead driver's tail.

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The Ten Tenths track includes a surprising amount of elevation gain and descent for North Carolina, or at least more than I expected. Call it halfway between Laguna and Radford. Dropping down into a tight lefthand hairpin on my second lap, letting the all-wheel drive scrub through slip angle, I asked the engineer in my passenger seat whether we needed to worry more about brake or battery temps—to explain the minimal lapping. Little bit of both, maybe, though of course he stayed fairly mum to tow the company line.

The course's front straight includes a slight right that prevents too long of a launch pad, before a tight left back toward where I experience launch control. But then we moved onto the handling course, where I actually learned more about the Blazer EV SS's traction and stability control programming. The rear drive unit peaks at 530 Nm (391 lb-ft of torque), versus 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) for the front, and I sensed the SS wanting to be tail-happy, trying its best to get a little waggle going.

But through these tighter corners, if I tried to feather in electrons even for maintenance speed, the ECU balked. I needed to pick the widest line possible, driving more smoothly rather than sending full-oversteer slides to preserve momentum (and regain some of the absent fun factor). Otherwise, I just clunked into oversteer while braking hard, then put pedal to the metal without any response due to overboard countersteering angle. Only when I returned to a straight line, then the Blazer EV SS happily leapt forward, with just a bit of squat as the classic EV instantaneous torque delivery finally hit hard.

Momentum slides with the steering wheel held steady worked just a little bit better, in similar fashion to a Lucid Gravity on a rallycross circuit, where I simply kept my right foot on the floor and let the computer do the work based on my steering input and yaw angle. Down through the final cooldown lap, I wondered aloud whether Chevy should have gone whole-hog and at least specced Brembo brakes for the rears, in addition to the fronts, so that we might get a few more laps in without toasting up the pads.

Then again, the best engineering can only do so much to help such a big and heavy EV rip around a racetrack. Even if the 103-kilowatt-hour battery contributes mightily to a curb weight pushing 5,800 pounds, the cells also allow for an EPA-estimated 303 miles of range. That's only 30 miles lost versus a base Blazer EV, note, despite nearly doubling the horsepower and torque.

GM's Ultium-based EVs clearly prioritize efficient range over speedy power delivery (and regen), and for good reason. Those 303 miles, plus the steering and suspension revisions that largely remedy my main gripes about lower Blazer EV models, almost stand out as more impressive than the step up in power. 

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The sharper response and improved communication all vault this crossover up above strictly commuter status. and–much like the I5N and Charger Daytona–the SS definitely hits a new level on public roads. 

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Throughout a full day of driving in idyllic North Carolina, the 22-inch wheels and stiffer suspension only resulted in a slight increase in clunking and shuddering, over only the roughest sections. Standard Super Cruise always helps for daily driving, too.

All told, out of the many Blazer EVs, the SS would almost certainly be my choice—even tacking on the additional $15,000 (or so, depending on a short options list). I only drove the Mustang Mach-E's borderline hilarious Rally variant, but the Blazer's interior volume and slightly more upright design fit my lifestyle better. And we're still a fair cry below Jeep's Wagoneer S, another dubious exercise in bastardizing classic American nameplates. I do struggle to justify a Blazer EV SS versus a dual-motor Polestar 3, though, even if that means committing to another chunk of money, especially for the Performance Pack. But a Polestar 3 Long range Single motor, on the other hand...

The Blazer EV SS's exterior augmentations contribute minimally to the conversation, since only a slightly revised front fascia, side skirts, and those 22-inch wheels make up most of the changes. The whole design still caters more to the sport crossover aesthetic than any kind of a K5 Blazer off-roady 4x4. Maybe a Blazer ZR2 with some knobbies and skid plates and tow hooks might have made more sense. 

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As is, the current form probably appeals more to the average crossover buyer who wants something with a bit more room and a bit more pep than the perfectly simple–and much more affordable–Equinox EV. All of which undoubtedly factored into Chevy's long list of decisions for this quintessential nameplate, whether or not the current craze of anti-Tesla sentiment leading buyers to look longer and harder at other brands played perfectly into the Blazer EV's delayed development timeline.