The Chevrolet Blazer made a comeback in 2019, marking its return to the market as a stylish and versatile SUV. For those considering the 2020 model, understanding its safety performance is crucial. This article delves into the 2020 Chevy Blazer safety ratings as evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), providing a comprehensive overview of its crashworthiness and safety features.
Driver-Side Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Excellent Performance
The 2020 Chevrolet Blazer underwent the driver-side small overlap front crash test, a challenging evaluation that simulates a collision where only a small portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts an object. In this test, the Blazer demonstrated outstanding protection for the driver.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/Thigh | G |
| Lower Leg/Foot | G |
| Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics | G |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
The 2020 Chevy Blazer achieved the highest rating of “Good” across all categories in the driver-side small overlap test. This “Good” rating extends to the structure and safety cage, indicating that the Blazer’s structural design effectively maintained its integrity during the crash. Furthermore, all driver injury measures – head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot – received “Good” ratings, signifying a low risk of significant injuries in a similar real-world crash. The driver restraints and dummy kinematics were also rated “Good,” indicating that the airbags and seatbelts worked effectively to control the occupant’s movement and minimize injury risk.
Action shot from the 2020 Chevy Blazer driver-side small overlap frontal crash test, highlighting vehicle deformation and airbag deployment.
Post-crash dummy position in the 2020 Chevy Blazer driver-side small overlap test, showing excellent maintenance of driver survival space.
Close-up of the footwell area after the 2020 Chevy Blazer driver-side small overlap crash, indicating minimal intrusion and low risk of leg and foot injuries.
Airbag deployment in the 2020 Chevy Blazer small overlap frontal crash, demonstrating effective head protection.
Technical measurements from the driver-side small overlap front test further support the “Good” ratings. Intrusion into the lower occupant compartment was minimal, with measurements of 1 cm or less for the lower hinge pillar and footrest, and 5 cm for the left toepan. Driver injury measures were also low, with a Head Injury Criterion (HIC-15) of just 90 and minimal chest compression (19mm). Femur and tibia forces were also very low, indicating a minimal risk of leg injuries.
Passenger-Side Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Good Overall, Acceptable Structure
The 2020 Chevrolet Blazer also underwent a passenger-side small overlap front crash test. While the overall rating remained “Good,” the structure and safety cage received an “Acceptable” rating, a slight step down from the driver-side test.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | A |
| Passenger Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/Thigh | G |
| Lower Leg/Foot | G |
| Passenger Restraints and Dummy Kinematics | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/Thigh | G |
| Lower Leg/Foot | G |
| Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics | G |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
Despite the “Acceptable” rating for structure, the 2020 Chevy Blazer still provided “Good” protection for both driver and passenger injury measures in this test scenario. All injury measures for both occupants were rated “Good,” as were the passenger and driver restraints and dummy kinematics.
Technical measurements reveal more intrusion on the passenger side compared to the driver side in the small overlap test. The lower hinge pillar showed 11 cm of intrusion, and the upper dash 9 cm, indicating more structural deformation on the passenger side. However, injury measures remained low for both occupants, suggesting that while the structure showed more compromise, the restraint systems effectively protected occupants.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Top “Good” Score
In the moderate overlap front crash test, which simulates a more common type of frontal collision, the 2020 Chevy Blazer again earned the highest possible rating of “Good” across the board.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Leg/Foot, Left | G |
| Leg/Foot, Right | A |
| Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics | G |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
The structure and safety cage maintained their integrity with a “Good” rating. Driver injury measures were also excellent, with “Good” ratings for head/neck, chest, and left leg/foot. The right leg/foot received an “Acceptable” rating, the only non-“Good” rating in this test, but still indicating a good level of protection.
Measurements of occupant compartment intrusion were relatively low in the moderate overlap test. Footwell intrusion ranged from 3 cm at the footrest to 11 cm on the right side. Steering column and A-pillar movement were minimal. Driver injury measures were also low, with a HIC-15 of 136 and chest compression of 23mm.
Side Impact Test: “Good” Rating for Occupant Protection
The 2020 Chevy Blazer performed admirably in the side impact test, earning a “Good” rating for overall occupant protection.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/Leg | G |
| Driver Head Protection | G |
| Rear Passenger Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/Leg | G |
| Rear Passenger Head Protection | G |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
The Blazer achieved “Good” ratings in every category of the side impact test, demonstrating excellent protection for both the driver and rear passenger. This includes structure and safety cage, all driver injury measures (head/neck, torso, pelvis/leg), driver head protection, rear passenger injury measures, and rear passenger head protection.
Minimal occupant compartment intrusion was observed in the side impact test, with a measurement of -19.5 cm for the B-pillar to the driver’s seat centerline, indicating the crush stopped well short of the occupant space. Driver and passenger injury measures were also low, reflecting the “Good” ratings.
Roof Strength Test: “Good” Rating
The roof strength test evaluates a vehicle’s ability to withstand rollover crashes. The 2020 Chevrolet Blazer earned a “Good” rating in this evaluation.
| Overall evaluation | G |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 4,300 lbs |
| Peak force | 20,696 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 4.81 |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
With a strength-to-weight ratio of 4.81, significantly exceeding the minimum requirement, the 2020 Chevy Blazer’s roof demonstrates robust strength in rollover scenarios.
Head Restraints and Seats: “Good” Rating for Whiplash Protection
The design of head restraints and seats plays a crucial role in preventing whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions. The 2020 Chevy Blazer’s head restraints and seats received a “Good” rating for dynamic performance and geometry.
| Overall evaluation | G |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | G |
| Seat/head restraint geometry | G |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
Technical measurements confirm the effective geometry of the head restraints, with a backset of 16mm and distance below the top of the head of 47mm. The system also passed seat design parameter tests and showed low neck forces in dynamic testing, contributing to the “Good” overall rating.
Headlights: Mixed Ratings Depending on Trim
Headlight performance is critical for nighttime visibility and accident prevention. The 2020 Chevy Blazer’s headlight ratings vary depending on the trim level and headlight type.
LED Projector Headlights (Certain RS and Premier Trims): “Marginal”
For RS and Premier trims equipped with specific packages including LED projector headlights, the overall headlight rating was “Marginal”.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | M |
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
While low beams provided good visibility on straightaways, visibility on curves was only fair. Low beams also created some glare. High beams offered good visibility on straightaways and gradual curves, but performance was inadequate on sharp right curves. High-beam assist partially compensated for low beam limitations.
HID Projector Headlights (Certain RS, Premier, and other Trims): “Poor”
For RS, Premier, and other trims equipped with HID projector headlights, the headlight rating was “Poor”.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | P |
| Low-beam headlight type | HID projector |
| High-beam headlight type | HID projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
Low beams provided good straightaway visibility but fair curve visibility, with excessive glare. High beams were inadequate across the board. High-beam assist offered limited compensation.
HID Projector Headlights (L, 1LT, 2LT, 3LT, RS, Premier Trims): “Poor”
For base trims and many other trims with standard HID projector headlights without high-beam assist, the rating remained “Poor”.
| Evaluation Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | P |
| Low-beam headlight type | HID projector |
| High-beam headlight type | HID projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | No |
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
Performance was similar to the HID projector headlights with high-beam assist – good straightaway low beam visibility but fair curve visibility and excessive glare, and inadequate high beam performance.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle – “Superior”
The 2020 Chevy Blazer, when equipped with optional Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Alert (part of the Driver Confidence II package), earns a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention.
| Overall evaluation | Superior |
|---|
Rating Scale: Superior, Advanced, Basic, Not Rated
The system meets forward collision warning requirements and successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests.
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day) – “Advanced”
With optional Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking/Front Pedestrian Braking (available on certain RS and Premier trims), the 2020 Chevy Blazer achieves an “Advanced” rating for pedestrian front crash prevention in daytime conditions.
| Overall evaluation | Advanced |
|---|
Rating Scale: Superior, Advanced, Basic, Not Rated
The system avoided collisions with a crossing child and crossing adult at 12 mph. At 25 mph, it avoided a collision with a crossing adult and significantly reduced impact speed in the crossing child test. It also reduced impact speed in higher-speed parallel adult tests.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH): “Acceptable”
The LATCH system in the 2020 Chevy Blazer for child seat installation received an “Acceptable” rating.
| Overall evaluation | A |
|---|
Rating Scale: G=Good, A=Acceptable, M=Marginal, P=Poor
The Blazer has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and one additional position with only a tether anchor. While generally acceptable, some lower anchors were not the easiest to access.
Conclusion: 2020 Chevy Blazer – A Safe Choice
Overall, the 2020 Chevy Blazer demonstrates strong safety performance in IIHS crash tests, earning “Good” ratings in most evaluations. While headlight performance and LATCH ease of use are areas for potential improvement, the Blazer offers excellent crash protection for occupants in various collision scenarios and boasts a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention and “Advanced” for pedestrian front crash prevention when equipped with optional safety systems. For families and individuals prioritizing safety, the 2020 Chevy Blazer is a compelling option in the SUV market.
