Driven: 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS Is Sensibly Swift

An SS-badged Chevrolet conjures images of racing stripes, a big-block V-8, and clouds of tire smoke. But Chevy’s shorthand for Super Sport has come a long way since its introduction on the 1961 Impala, signifying power and performance on all manner of bow-tie-adorned vehicles, from turbocharged sport compacts to pickup trucks. We’re surprised the 2025 Blazer EV SS took this long to materialize. While it’s not the first SS-badged family-hauling SUV—a distinction owned by the TrailBlazer SS of the 2000s—the electric Blazer SS does a credible job of carrying the Super Sport torch. We’ll pause here to note that SS has meant many things over the years. Sometimes it has merely denoted a bump in power and some stickers, and other times it has indicated a comprehensive performance upgrade or even a standalone model, such as the SS sedan of the 2010s. As for the Blazer EV’s worthiness in this iconic club, the Malibu Maxx SS set a pretty low bar for entry. Power PlayWhether you approve of it or not, the Blazer EV SS adheres to Super Sport tradition, offering a meaningful go-fast enhancement at a reasonable price. Starting at $62,095, this 615-hp all-wheel-drive model costs just $5005 more than the next most powerful Blazer EV trim, the 365-hp rear-drive RS. That’s no pocket change, but it is currently the cheapest way to corral 600 ponies in a new car. Among its peers, the Blazer SS sits between the 480-hp Ford Mustang Mach-E GT ($54,490) and the 641-hp Hyundai Ioniq 5 N ($67,675), bringing similar if not more passenger space than both. Its larger 102-kWh battery also makes for a solid 303 miles of EPA range—23 to 38 miles more than you get from the most powerful Mach-E models and 82 more than the Hyundai. Though the Blazer SS’s development included turning laps on racetracks, Chevy is upfront about it being a back-road bomber, not a track-day hooligan. Characteristic of all big-power EVs, it excels at startling passengers with neck-straining thrust, thanks to front and rear electric motors that combine for a baseline 515 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. However, engage Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode—which might have a groan-inducing name but can thankfully remain active until you turn off the vehicle—and it unlocks an extra 100 horses and 200 pound-feet, bringing the totals to 615 and 650, respectively.New segmented magnets in the Blazer’s motors help dissipate heat and improve efficiency, but they can’t mask the weight penalty imposed by its sizable 400-volt battery. We reckon the SS weighs on the porky side of 5600 pounds, or several hundred pounds more than its rivals. Yet with launch control engaged, Chevy claims this SS will sail past 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and trip the quarter-mile lights in 11.8 seconds at a 115 mph, putting it neck and neck with the last Mach-E Rally model we tested and not far behind the racier Hyundai. It’s a similar story at the fast-charger, where the Blazer SS can draw electrons at up to 190 kilowatts—more than the Mach-E’s 150-kW max but less than the 800-volt Ioniq 5 N’s 238-kW peak. Chevy says the SS can add about 78 miles of range in 10 minutes on a sufficient DC hookup. Rubber, Meet RoadThe SS’s chassis upgrades are thorough and include stiffer springs and anti-roll bars at both ends, which help maintain good body attitude in the face of increased cornering forces. Passive monotube dampers, as opposed to the twin-tube units on other trims, nicely control the mass of the SS’s standard 22-inch wheels. A quicker steering ratio (15.8:1 versus 18.5:1 on lesser Blazers) plus revised calibrations sharpen the steering response, albeit without providing much in the way of feel or feedback, regardless of how much weighting you select in the SS-exclusive Z drive mode (accelerator response and brake feel also are adjustable).
Also new is a Competitive setting. Adapted from the Performance Traction Management system found in the Corvette and other GM performance models, the Blazer’s system aims to limit understeer by managing the power delivery and chassis electronics. Think brake-based torque vectoring, metering the power across the front axle, and elevated stability-control thresholds. It works. Additional assistance comes via the optional $395 Performance package, which brings grippier 275/40R-22 summer tires in place of the standard all-seasons, plus higher-friction brake pads and rotors (15.3-inch units clamped by Brembo six-piston calipers are standard in front; 13.6-inch rear rotors with sliding calipers are shared with lesser trims). More on Chevy Blazer EVThough heavy and rather aloof in feel, the Blazer SS made a respectable showing around an undulating road course on the grounds of Charlotte Motor Speedway, rocketing neatly out of hairpins with little tugging at the steering wheel or pushing wide under power. Despite the squeal of its tires being the only tell that we were nearing its handling limit, the Blazer’s turn-in is direct and we could easily modulate our speed if we pushed too hard. Its brakes have a reassuring initial bite, and its composure when aggressively changing direction is well mannered, bordering on unflappable. Accepting RealityStill, the Blazer SS was happier on the roads surrounding the track, be it trekking down the highway with standard Super Cruise hands-free assistance or flowing from bend to bend on sinewy two-lanes, teleporting past slower traffic with ease. Ride comfort feels as good if not better than other Blazer EVs we’ve driven, with minimal clomping or shuddering over sharp impacts. The on-demand regen paddle on its steering wheel is an effective supplement to the main recuperation settings that include full one-pedal operation. And its attractive if plasticky interior builds on the RS model’s accommodating cabin with subtle flourishes; video-streaming capability has been added to the Blazer EV’s Google-based 17.7-inch touchscreen, though Android Auto and Apple CarPlay remain absent.Chevy’s big miss here is not upgrading the Blazer EV’s flat and unsupportive front seats, which lack chunky side bolsters to hold you in place during hard cornering, an oversight that makes this SS feel somewhat less super. Expected theatrical sound effects attempt to spice up the hot-rod Blazer’s locomotion, but we quickly tired of the whirring noises and turned them off. It all makes for an opportunistic driving experience—enough performance capability to enjoy a good road, but not enough enticement to search one out. Still, the Blazer SS has plenty going for it: an attractive price, stonking acceleration, impressive range for its class, and a handsomely modern design with a more aggressive front bumper, rocker panels, and a standard black roof. As a practical, mass-market medium of serious speed, the Blazer EV SS is a commendable addition to Chevy’s extended Super Sport family. It’s just a shame that, with the loss of the Camaro, an electric SUV is all the SS badge has to offer at the moment.SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE

Base: $62,095
POWERTRAIN

Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Combined Power: 615 hp
Combined Torque: 650 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 102 kWh
Onboard Charger: 11.5 kW
Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 190 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 121.8 in
Length: 192.6 in
Width: 78.0 in
Height: 64.8 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 59–61/48–50 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 59–60/26 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5650 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)

60 mph: 3.4 sec
100 mph: 8.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.8 sec
Top Speed: 120 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/City/Highway: 79/88/71 MPGe
Range: 303 miMike Sutton is an editor, writer, test driver, and general car nerd who has contributed to Car and Driver‘s reverent and irreverent passion for the automobile since 2008. A native Michigander from suburban Detroit, he enjoys the outdoors and complaining about the weather, has an affection for off-road vehicles, and believes in federal protection for naturally aspirated engines.
Source: caranddriver.com