Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer

The Niro has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Niro and the Trailblazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 5.8% to 6.4% less likely to roll over than the Trailblazer.

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Trailblazer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Trailblazer. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Trailblazer ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Niro’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trailblazer’s camshafts. If the Trailblazer’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 2 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 2 more horsepower (139 vs. 137) and 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 162) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 21 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Niro is faster than the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Trailblazer:

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Niro offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Niro LX/LXS/EX Premium’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trailblazer L’s standard 65 series tires. The Niro Touring SE’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Trailblazer RS’ 55 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Niro has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trailblazer has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Niro has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Niro flat and controlled during cornering. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Trailblazer (106.3 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Niro Touring SE handles at .82 G’s, while the Trailblazer RS AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro Touring SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Trailblazer RS AWD (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Niro’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Trailblazer’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

The Niro has .1 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

The front step up height for the Niro is 1.2 inches lower than the Trailblazer (15.5” vs. 16.7”). The Niro’s rear step up height is .8 inches lower than the Trailblazer’s (16.2” vs. 17”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Niro easier. The Niro’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Trailblazer’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

The Niro EX Premium’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Trailblazer’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

When the Niro with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Trailblazer’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Niro’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Niro and the Trailblazer offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Niro Touring/Touring Special Edition’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trailblazer’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Niro and the Chevrolet Trailblazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.