The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet vehicles and parts in the Philippines, recently conducted an economy run on the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer and Tracker under the supervision of the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP).
Last July 18, the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer and Tracker proved to be fuel-efficient vehicles after an extensive highway test run with a total distance of 263.3 kilometers from Clark to TPLEX Rosario exit and back. The said models were driven under the following parameters to simulate realistic driving conditions:
Total of two (2) passengers per vehicle with no heavy luggage
Tires were set according to the factory-recommended tire pressure
Vehicle speed maintained at 80-90 kilometers per hour (kph) on the highway with an observation of traffic regulations and limits
Efficiently Blazing Trails
More than the striking exterior, generous space, creature comforts, and advanced technologies equipped in the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer, this compact SUV was also able to tick off fuel efficiency in its winning list of features after the Premier variant achieved an impressive 20.87 km/L in the conducted eco run with AAP.
Powered by the GM E-Turbo 1.3L DOHC Turbocharged engine matched with a New Generation Lightweight CVT with Multi-Mode Drive System, Engine Start/Stop System, and Advanced Active Thermal Management, this compact SUV is capable of delivering 155 hp and 236 Nm of torque.
These systems work together to provide efficient fuel consumption without compromising the performance of the vehicle.
An efficient drive is even more pleasurable and safe with the wide array of driver assistance systems that are standard to the Trailblazer such as Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, 6 SRS airbags, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Rear Park Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, which can all be enjoyed on both the Premier and LT variants.
Right On Track
Another Chevy model that delivered an impressive performance in the fuel economy run is the Chevrolet Tracker Crossover SUV. This globally acclaimed model that boasts practical functionality in Chevy’s line of quality crossovers took it up a notch after achieving a remarkable 25.05 km/L fuel consumption.
Under the hood of this nifty crossover SUV is a 1.0L 3-Cylinder ECOTEC Turbocharged engine that powers up to 116 hp and 175 Nm of torque, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and Active Thermal Management System that intuitively optimizes the engine performance and fuel efficiency.
It is also equipped with Enhanced Stability Control systems and safety technologies that come standard on both the LS and LT Redline trim to ensure ease and comfort for everyone inside.
The Chevrolet Tracker truly offers an enjoyable ride with the crossover’s roomy interior and generous cargo space, modern technology, and a fuel efficiency rating that’s almost as good as, or even better than a subcompact sedan.
“Chevrolet Philippines is proud to offer Chevrolet vehicles that live up to the brand’s established reliability and its commitment to providing mobility that fulfills the current demands of the market,” said Atty. Albert B. Arcilla, President, and CEO of Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company Inc. “We are glad to offer fuel-efficient products in the Chevrolet line-up with the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer and Tracker. These globally recognized SUVs have attained exemplary results from the recent AAP fuel economy run. This further underscores our message that the Tracker and Trailblazer are smart choices in the crossover and compact SUV segments.”
Disclaimer: The fuel efficiency ratings provided are solely based on the specific parameters carried out during the 2022 AAP fuel economy run of the 2022 Chevy Trailblazer and Tracker. Results may vary depending on driving conditions, driving style, and other factors.
When Microsoft introduced the Xbox One in 2013, it was a disaster. They made the wrong moves and said the wrong things while introducing their system then and as a result, it made me buy a PlayStation 4 before eventually getting an Xbox One.
This generation, however, it seems like Microsoft went back to the drawing board and learned from its mistakes. For this new console, they went with acquiring game studios to build their exclusive library and introducing new programs to their platform.
And with the availability of new-gen consoles, I’m fortunate enough to get my hands on Microsoft’s new and most anticipated console — the Xbox Series X.
Design and Aesthetics
We won’t go with the entire unboxing but I just want to quickly mention one aspect. On the outside, there’s nothing too special about it. You have the image of the console as well as some features and specs printed on and we’ve also got Master Chief at the back.
But tilt it on its belly and open the lid and it’s like opening a chest in a game before it reveals the console itself — just like an in-game treasure. This small, but carefully planned presentation just makes unboxing it way cooler if you ask me.
With the console itself, I really like the compact and minimalist design of the Series X. The thick block design is subtle and easily blends well with its environment either on its side or standing up. This is the very opposite of its competitor, the Sony PlayStation 5, which stands out and demands attention with its size and design.
There are a couple of small issues that bother me a little with the general design of the Series X. The plastic body of the box is a bit prone to fingerprints while the power button itself has sort of a cheap hollow click to it upon pressing, unlike its predecessor’s power button (the Xbox One) which is touch-sensitive.
Additionally, when the Series X is placed on its side there is no way of taking out the big round base stand either, and it just looks awkward. But I do like its concave design on top with green accents on the vents that make it seem like it’s illuminating a green light even when it’s powered off.
Up front, you’ll see the power button, disc drive, and USB port while at the back it has two more USB ports, HDMI and Ethernet ports, the power input, and its Seagate external SSD slot.
Xbox Dashboard
If you own an Xbox One, you’ll probably feel like you’re booting up your old console as everything looks familiar with the user interface of the dashboard. For some, this could be disappointing because it might not feel that you just had an expensive upgrade.
However, Microsoft has decided to stick with its interface for continuity across generations so there’s not much we can do about that. Although in the company’s defense, they have been tweaking it constantly throughout the seven years of their last-gen console lifespan. It may not be a new experience for old Xbox One owners, but it’s concretely tested throughout the years.
One major thing I noticed was it’s now faster to load between different menu pages especially when jumping in and out of a game.
Set up and data migration
The setup starts with your smartphone and a prompt will make you open the accompanying app on your phone. From there, you can choose whether to perform a fresh setup or migrate all your data from an older generation to the Series X while it prepares and updates its firmware.
I migrated mine from the Xbox One and the entire process was easy and seamless. Transferring games was also a breeze if your old Xbox One is still connected to your WiFi as you can port them over via network transfer to the new Xbox Series X.
Another method for when you have games stored on an external hard drive is to simply plug it into the new console which will still be recognized.
From there, you can either play games through your external hard drive or transfer them to the new internal SSD memory of the Series X.
Even when loading saved files from old games on the Series X, there were no issues and games will seamlessly sync and download your data from the cloud. I really appreciate Microsoft’s efforts in giving gamers a smooth and issue-free transition.
Performance, Speed, and Features
Though it feels remarkably familiar when you start up the new console, you will still see the upgrade in power through speed just as its 12.1 teraflops of computational power comes into play. For comparison, that’s twice as powerful as the Xbox One X and also a tad better than the PlayStation 5 with the same US$ 499 price tag.
During gameplay, you’ll really see the difference in graphics performance especially while playing a game that’s optimized for the Series X.
The new standard in console gaming is 4K resolution with a refresh rate of 60Hz. I know that PC rigs go for higher rates but as a console gamer, playing on 60Hz is already a noticeable and welcome upgrade. Some games also have the option to play at a refresh rate of 120Hz but you’d need to sacrifice a bit of resolution.
Another thing that stands out is its new solid-state drive. Loading times are exceptionally faster — within only just seconds, your game is all ready to play. Sometimes I don’t even notice that I’m already at the starting menu.
Additionally, the Series X supports ray tracing which allows for better simulation of lighting effects in games. Unfortunately, since the launch title games have been delayed, there are not many Series X-optimized games that we can test right now and we’ll just have to wait when they become available to fully experience its performances for ray tracing.
Other features I personally found useful include the Quick Resume option. You can now jump out of one game and open a new one while leaving the previous game suspended. And anytime you want to switch back to it, you can easily do so just like jumping from a phone’s app to another.
This allowed me to pause my game while playing Cyberpunk 2077 after I got invited by friends to play Destiny 2. I got out of my first game, opened another, played for a few rounds, and within seconds jumped back to my original game exactly where I left off. I even tried suspending up to five games at a time and the Series X still ran fast and without hiccups.
Another commendable feature is Microsoft’s Smart Delivery. It’s a technology that allows you to buy a game once and whether you play it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X, you’re getting the right version of that game for the Xbox you’re playing on.
This means that when you buy Dirt 5 on Xbox One for example, you wouldn’t have to buy the game again once you get a Series X. It will also automatically enhance the resolution and frame rate of the game as you play on either console.
Of course, backward compatibility is a feature that we won’t miss out on. It’s not a first for the console since the older Xbox One already had this feature. But with it, you get access to the library of the classic Xbox, Xbox 360, and now the Xbox One.
When it comes to the console’s noise levels, it’s really quiet even while playing a game that requires some serious processing power. It doesn’t get too hot as well and maintains a cooler temperature than my Xbox One after hours of game time.
Controller
I believe the controller is the most important component of the entire gaming experience since it’s the bridge that connects us to the virtual world.
Having said that, there’s nothing much that has changed with the new Xbox Series X controller and it almost looks and feels the same as the Xbox One’s. That’s not a bad thing, though, since it’s ergonomically built and can be comfortably used for hours.
There have been subtle changes to the design, though, and one is the addition of textured bumps found on the shoulder buttons and triggers which add a bit more grip to the controller. It’s also slightly smaller when compared to its predecessor.
Another update on the Series X controller is its new Share button. Yes, Microsoft is the last of the big three console companies to add this feature, but this still is an appreciated addition for Xbox players. Better late than never I’d say.
More changes done on the controller’s design is the D-pad as it closely mirrors their Elite Wireless Controller. It is a hybrid of a four-way and eight-way directional pad with a concave design that’s comfortable for the thumb. Furthermore, the controller DLI (Dynamic Latency Input) feature should communicate in perfect sync with your console. This means that hardcore first-person shooter gamers will be rewarded better using their lightning-fast reflexes.
Aside from that, the new controller will be compatible with more devices as well. The Series X now has Xbox Wireless Radio feature which will allow you to connect with IOS, Android, and PC devices.
On top of that, the new controller can now remember multiple devices so you don’t have to sync them every time you play. It’s just not confirmed yet how many devices it can remember. This feature is great especially now that Microsoft is introducing its new service called Project xCloud that lets you stream Xbox games on an Android device anywhere, using a controller you’re familiar with.
Additionally, the new controller now has USB-C connectivity for charging with a wide range of headset compatibility just like the previous controller. And speaking of the previous controllers, you can still use them on the new Series X together with the current Elite Controller, and the opposite is also possible — using Series X controllers on an older Xbox One. It’s great that Microsoft went for this so customers won’t be forced to buy a new controller to accommodate more players.
Final Thoughts
I’m really enjoying the Xbox Series X so far, but the only disappointment I have is there are no first-party launch game titles to showcase the new console’s capabilities. Because of this, we will have to wait until next year to get the full experience of the new Xbox Series X. Thankfully, because of Xbox Smart Delivery, we can have a slight taste of the next-gen experience to pacify our excitement for now.
Most of you might be thinking about whether to buy this or the PS5. While both consoles have their pros and cons, the Xbox Series X is the unassuming console that just sits there unsuspiciously but churns out speedy performances with useful features.
The Series X is quiet and compact in size for the power it carries. Comparing its specs side by side with the Sony PlayStation 5 also shows that it has more crunching power for the same price of US$ 499 (though it’s more expensive here in the Philippines).
On top of that, it gives you convenient features like Quick Resume that lets you jump in and out of multiple games. I’m excited to see game developers unlock the Series X’s full potential in future games.
