The Chevrolet Blazer made a comeback in 2019, re-entering the market as a stylish and versatile SUV. For prospective buyers and current owners of the Chevy Blazer 2022, understanding its safety performance is paramount. This article delves into the comprehensive safety evaluations conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), providing a detailed analysis of the 2022 Chevy Blazer crash test results and safety features. We’ll break down each test, from small overlap front crashes to roof strength and headlight effectiveness, to give you a clear picture of how well the Chevy Blazer 2022 protects its occupants.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side
The small overlap front crash test simulates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or a fixed object like a tree or pole. In the driver-side small overlap test, the Chevy Blazer 2022 demonstrated robust protection, earning a “Good” rating, the highest possible.
Specifically, the structure and safety cage of the Chevy Blazer 2022 held up exceptionally well in this demanding test, also achieving a “Good” rating. Measurements taken after the crash revealed minimal intrusion into the driver’s compartment. The maximum intrusion at the lower hinge pillar was only 1 cm, while the footrest also showed just 1 cm of intrusion. Key areas like the toepan and brake pedal exhibited minor displacements of 5 cm and 2 cm respectively, indicating a well-maintained survival space for the driver.
Alt text: Driver-side small overlap front crash test of a 2022 Chevy Blazer, showing vehicle deformation and airbag deployment.
Injury measures for the driver dummy were equally impressive. All body regions assessed – head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot – received “Good” ratings. Technical measurements reinforced these ratings, with a very low Head Injury Criterion (HIC) of 90, indicating minimal head impact risk. Chest compression was a mere 19mm, and femur forces were negligible. Crucially, the risk of knee-thigh-hip injury was calculated at 0% for both legs. Tibia index and axial forces were also well within acceptable limits.
Alt text: Post-crash dummy position inside a 2022 Chevy Blazer after a driver-side small overlap test, showing excellent survival space.
The restraint system and airbag deployment in the Chevy Blazer 2022 also performed flawlessly, earning a “Good” rating. The frontal and side curtain airbags worked in coordination to effectively contain the driver dummy, preventing head contact with hard structures or external objects. Overall, the driver-side small overlap test highlights the 2022 Chevy Blazer’s strong capability to protect the driver in a serious frontal collision.
Alt text: Close-up view of the footwell area of a 2022 Chevy Blazer after a driver-side small overlap crash, demonstrating minimal intrusion and low injury risk to legs and feet.
Alt text: Airbag deployment in a 2022 Chevy Blazer during a driver-side small overlap test, illustrating effective head protection.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side
The passenger-side small overlap test evaluates how well the vehicle protects the front passenger in a similar frontal offset collision. The Chevy Blazer 2022 also achieved an overall “Good” rating in this assessment. However, the structural performance received an “Acceptable” rating, a slight step down from the driver-side.
Measurements indicated more intrusion on the passenger side compared to the driver side. The lower hinge pillar showed an intrusion of 11 cm, and the upper hinge pillar measured 9 cm. The upper dash and right lower dash also exhibited significant intrusion at 9 cm and 12 cm respectively. Despite this increased intrusion, passenger injury measures remained at “Good” across all body regions (head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, lower leg/foot). The passenger dummy’s kinematics and restraints were also rated “Good,” indicating effective occupant protection systems are in place for the passenger as well. Driver injury measures, recorded during the passenger-side test, also earned “Good” ratings across the board, showing consistent protection for both front occupants in this type of crash.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Original Test
In the moderate overlap front test, a larger portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts a deformable barrier. The Chevy Blazer 2022 earned a “Good” overall rating in this test, mirroring its performance in the small overlap driver-side test. The structure and safety cage again received a “Good” rating, demonstrating consistent structural integrity in frontal impacts.
Driver injury measures were predominantly “Good,” with head/neck, chest, and left leg/foot protection all rated as “Good.” However, the right leg/foot protection was rated “Acceptable.” Intrusion measurements showed footwell intrusion ranging from 3 cm at the footrest to 11 cm on the right side. Steering column movement was well controlled. While most injury metrics were low, the right femur force was slightly elevated compared to the left, contributing to the “Acceptable” rating for the right leg/foot. Despite this, the overall “Good” rating for the moderate overlap test signifies strong frontal crash protection for the 2022 Chevy Blazer.
Side Impact Crash Test: Original Test
The side impact test assesses occupant protection in a T-bone style collision. The Chevy Blazer 2022 once again achieved the highest rating of “Good” in the side crash test. Both driver and rear passenger injury measures were rated “Good” for all body regions (head/neck, torso, pelvis/leg). Driver and rear passenger head protection also received “Good” ratings, highlighting the effectiveness of the side airbags and structural design in mitigating side impact forces.
Intrusion measurements showed minimal deformation into the occupant compartment, with the B-pillar intruding less than 20 cm towards the driver’s seat centerline. Injury measurements for both front and rear dummies were low across all categories, indicating a low risk of significant injuries in a side impact collision for occupants in the Chevy Blazer 2022.
Roof Strength Test
Roof strength is a critical factor in rollover crashes. The Chevy Blazer 2022 demonstrated excellent roof strength, earning a “Good” rating. With a strength-to-weight ratio of 4.81, the roof of the Blazer 2022 can withstand nearly five times the vehicle’s weight before significant crush. This high strength-to-weight ratio translates to enhanced occupant protection in rollover scenarios.
Head Restraints & Seats
Whiplash protection in rear-end collisions is evaluated through head restraint and seat testing. The Chevy Blazer 2022 received a “Good” rating for its head restraints and seats. Both the dynamic rating and the seat/head restraint geometry were assessed as “Good,” indicating effective design in minimizing whiplash risk in rear impacts.
Headlight Performance
Headlight performance is crucial for nighttime driving safety. The IIHS evaluates headlight effectiveness and glare. The Chevy Blazer 2022 has two different headlight variations, and their ratings differ significantly.
For RS and Premier trims equipped with the Driver Confidence II package, the Chevy Blazer 2022 features LED projector headlights, earning a “Marginal” overall rating. While low beams provided good visibility on straightaways, visibility on curves was only fair. These headlights also produced some glare. High beams offered good straightaway visibility on the right side but were only fair on the left and on curves, except for sharp right turns where visibility was inadequate. High-beam assist partially compensates for low beam limitations.
For 3LT, 2LT, RS, and Premier trims with standard HID projector headlights, the Chevy Blazer 2022 received a “Poor” overall rating. Low beams provided good straightaway visibility but fair visibility on curves, with excessive glare being a significant issue. High beams offered inadequate visibility on straightaways and curves. High-beam assist again offers some compensation for low beam deficiencies, but the “Poor” rating highlights a significant area for improvement in headlight performance for these trims of the Chevy Blazer 2022.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are designed to mitigate or prevent frontal collisions. The Chevy Blazer 2022 offers two front crash prevention system variations, both achieving “Superior” ratings.
The optional Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking system (part of the Driver Confidence II package) and the standard Automatic Emergency Braking system both successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph vehicle-to-vehicle tests. Both systems also meet the criteria for forward collision warning, demonstrating excellent performance in preventing or mitigating frontal vehicle collisions for the Chevy Blazer 2022.
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day)
Pedestrian automatic emergency braking systems are increasingly important for urban safety. The Chevy Blazer 2022 offers two pedestrian front crash prevention systems, both earning “Advanced” ratings.
The optional Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking/Front Pedestrian Braking system (available on RS and Premier trims with specific packages) and the standard Automatic Emergency Braking system both demonstrated “Advanced” performance in pedestrian detection and avoidance. In tests involving a crossing child and crossing adult, both systems avoided collisions at 12 mph and significantly reduced impact speed at 25 mph. In the parallel adult test, both systems avoided collision at 25 mph, and substantially reduced impact speed in the 37 mph test. These “Advanced” ratings indicate effective pedestrian front crash prevention capabilities for the Chevy Blazer 2022.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
Child seat anchor ease of use is evaluated using the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren). The Chevy Blazer 2022 received an “Acceptable” rating for its LATCH system. The vehicle has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with a tether anchor.
While tether anchors were generally easy to locate, lower anchors in certain positions were noted as being not too deep in the seat and requiring reasonable force to attach to. However, some hardware could be confused for anchors. Overall, the “Acceptable” rating indicates that while the Chevy Blazer 2022 provides LATCH anchors, there’s room for improvement in ease of use and clarity of anchor identification.
Conclusion
The Chevy Blazer 2022 demonstrates a strong overall safety performance in IIHS crash tests. It achieved “Good” ratings in most crashworthiness evaluations, including small overlap front (driver-side and passenger-side overall), moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength, and head restraints & seats. The front crash prevention systems for both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian scenarios also earned “Superior” and “Advanced” ratings respectively.
The primary area for potential improvement identified in these tests is headlight performance, particularly for trims equipped with standard HID projector headlights which received a “Poor” rating. Prospective buyers of the Chevy Blazer 2022 should consider the trim level and headlight options to ensure optimal nighttime visibility.
Despite the headlight rating, the comprehensive safety evaluations indicate that the Chevy Blazer 2022 is a safe SUV choice, offering robust occupant protection in various crash scenarios and effective crash prevention technologies. For families and safety-conscious drivers, the Chevy Blazer 2022 provides peace of mind with its strong safety credentials.
