2023 Chevrolet Blazer vs 2022 Genesis GV70

Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand has only been around for about five years, but it’s progressed so much in that time it seems like much longer than that. Genesis has quickly gone from selling two repurposed Hyundai sedans to fielding a full lineup of luxury cars and creating a distinct identity through bold design.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 is the brand’s latest effort. Not to be confused with the Genesis G70 sedan, the GV70 is a crossover SUV positioned below the recently-launched Genesis GV80 in size and price, meaning it competes with the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Volvo XC60, and numerous other small luxury SUVs. As with the larger GV80 and the Genesis sedans, the challenge for the GV70 will be convincing new-car buyers to abandon familiar nameplates for something they might not have heard of.

The GV70 launches with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and optional 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6. The four-cylinder is available with Standard, Select, Advanced, and Sport Prestige trim levels, while the V6 engine is available with all trim levels except the Select. Our test car was a GV70 3.5T, a range-topping AWD Sport Prestige model with the 3.5-liter V6.

The Chevrolet Blazer is one of the oldest SUV nameplates on the market, and while the current version might disappoint fans of the original, it’s very much on-trend with modern times.

Chevy launched the Blazer as truck-based off-roader, starting with the original K5 Blazer, and following that it up with a smaller S-10 Blazer based on its compact pickup truck. The Blazer was shelved in the early 2000s, then revived for the 2019 model year as a car-based crossover SUV, eschewing ruggedness for greater efficiency and on-road refinement in a shift that reflected the utility-vehicle market as a whole.

General Motors’ decision not to go all-in on nostalgia with a new off-road Blazer might seem questionable in the wake of the revived Ford Bronco, but the market for two-row midsize crossovers like the modern Blazer is even stronger, and it's filled with rival offerings like the Ford Edge, Honda Passport, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan Murano, Toyota Venza, and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.

For 2023, notable changes include a new 10-inch touchscreen display and available wireless charging for all trim levels, some styling changes, and new wheel designs and color options. The lineup still consists of 2LT, 3LT, Premier, and RS trim levels (we checked out a Blazer RS for this review). A Chevy Blazer EV is also on the way for the 2024 model year, but this will be a completely different vehicle based on GM’s Ultium EV component set.