2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS

An SUV that's FTD

Dan Lyons / autoMedia.com

Q. Name three words not normally associated with SUVs.

A. Fun To Drive

This used to be a given. Traditionally, the sport-utility vehicle was known for its middle name. Long on utility, it was short on sport—unless you defined the latter as the ability to traverse rough trails. But, sport as in sports car? Fuhgeddaboudit.

SS Style

Then, there was a surprise development. In the last few years, sport-utility vehicles started to evolve. After years of wondering if high fuel prices would ever take the wind out of SUV sales, it actually happened. And not at the glacial rate of normal change, but swiftly. As a result, the breed is experiencing a metamorphosis. New variations on the SUV theme are appearing every year with models looking and driving less and less like the original sport-utes.

If you're looking for an SUV that's truly fun to drive, though, that's still a tall order, with a short list of vehicles that fill the bill. As of last year, we could count Chevy among them. Midway through the model year, they rolled out the new, TrailBlazer SS. This year, SS has graduated to separate model status, and is offered in two trim levels. Chevy has now had Super Sport models in their lineup for nearly 50 years. While there have been a few poseurs wearing the letters over the years, the SS badge has mostly been reserved for serious performers. The '07 TrailBlazer SS certainly means business, and the first evidence is found under the hood.