Five-star safety for Holden’s Trailblazer

GM HOLDEN’S new Trailblazer large SUV has scored the maximum five stars in Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash safety testing despite only a marginal result for driver chest protection.

The facelifted SUV, formerly known as the Colorado 7, scored a total of 34.49 points out of a possible 37, only dropping points in the frontal offset test (13.89 out of 16) and for not having seatbelt reminders in the third row (2.6 out of three).

Compared with its ute-based SUV peers, the Trailblazer scored below the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (36.22) and Ford Everest (35.98) but above the Toyota Fortuner (34.05) and Isuzu MU-X (33.58).

In the frontal offset crash test, Holden’s latest seven-seater scored the full four points for head and neck, and upper leg protection, while lower leg protection was rated as acceptable at 3.56 out of four and chest protection was deemed marginal at 2.33 points out of four – the lowest score in that test compared with its rivals.

The same test saw Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport score 15.22, the Ford Everest score 15.38, Toyota’s Fortuner score 13.45 (despite the driver’s head making contact with the steering wheel through the airbag) and Isuzu’s MU-X score 13.58 out of a maximum 16 points.

All ute-based SUVs including the Trailblazer scored a perfect 16 out of 16 in the side impact test, a maximum two out of two in the pole crash test, and overall whiplash protection for occupants was rated as ‘good’.

The pedestrian protection test saw the Holden score 28.87 out of a possible 36 points, with “mostly good levels of pedestrian protection” while “improvements could be made at the bonnet leading edge and at the rear of the bonnet in the region of the air cowl”, according to the ANCAP report.

Standard safety features on the Trailblazer include front, side and chest airbags for the driver and front passenger, a driver’s side knee airbag, side and head airbags for the second and third row, antilock brakes (ABS), automatic headlights, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA), hill start assist and trailer stability control.

While the Colorato ute was crash tested, results were applicable to the the Colorad-based Trailblazer seven-seat SUV.

Holden’s Colorado 7-replacing Trailblazer hits Australian showrooms next month.