Compare the2025 Kia NiroVS 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. HJKTU-JPW1C 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/07/04

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Niro EX/SX has standard Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Niro EX/SX has standard Parking Distance Warning to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, optionally, in front of the vehicle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Niro has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trailblazer’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Niro has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Trailblazer and the Trailblazer’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The Niro’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 and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

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:

	Niro	Trailblazer
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	362	401
Neck Stress	107 lbs.	153 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	601/129 lbs.	409/383 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Niro	Trailblazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	1 inches	1.1 inches
Hip Force	424 lbs.	459 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches

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 6.1% to 6.7% less likely to roll over than the Trailblazer.

Warranty

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.

Reliability

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.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

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 Consumer Reports the Kia Niro is faster than the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

	Niro	Trailblazer
Zero to 30 MPH	3.3 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	9.5 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.6 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.9 sec	17.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84 MPH	82 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Niro
	FWD	1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/54 hwy
		Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/45 hwy
Trailblazer
	FWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/33 hwy
		1.2 turbo 3-cyl.	30 city/31 hwy
	AWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/29 hwy

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 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Trailblazer. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

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.

Suspension and Handling

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.

The Niro has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Trailblazer (107.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Niro is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Trailblazer.

The Niro SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Trailblazer RS AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro SX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Trailblazer RS AWD (27.9 seconds @ .59 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).

Passenger Space

The Niro has 6.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trailblazer (105.1 vs. 98.2).

The Niro has .5 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

Cargo Capacity

The Niro has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trailblazer with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

Servicing Ease

The Niro uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Trailblazer uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Niro SX, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Niro SX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

On a hot day the Niro’s driver can lower the front windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Trailblazer can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Niro EX/SX’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Trailblazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Niro’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet only offers heated mirrors on the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS.

When the Niro SX 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.

Both the Kia Niro and Chevrolet Trailblazer offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Niro offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Trailblazer’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro SX 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 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Trailblazer LS doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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 EX/SX 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.

With standard voice command, the Niro SX/EX offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Compared to the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the Kia Niro eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Recommendations

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

See Available Inventory