The Detroit Newspapers's view

What if you could add a rear seat, a roomy cargo bay and all-wheel drive to your Corvette?

Better still, what if you could buy America’s best-selling SUV and equip it with stiffer shocks, bigger tires, beefier rollbars and, best of all, a genuine Corvette LS2 6.0-liter V-8 engine?

That’s exactly what the folks at General Motors’ Performance Division figured when they turned their attention to the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, which just this past year unhorsed the Ford Explorer as the No. 1 SUV in the country.

The go-fast gang has worked its magic on the lowly TrailBlazer, converting the modest five-passenger utility vehicle that is a favorite of Middle America into the flame throwing, 395-horsepower TrailBlazer SS, a tough-as-nails hot rod for weekend warriors who still need to haul families and lots of stuff day in and day out.

Back in November, we tested the closest competitor to the TrailBlazer SS — the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 — and found it wanting in some respects. Likewise, while we felt many aspects of the TrailBlazer SS are highly entertaining, it falls short in critical areas, including the interior environment.

But first some fast facts. To turn a garden-variety TrailBlazer into a testosterone-laden SS, the Performance Division must:

Lower the truck’s suspension an inch and fit it with stiffer springs.

Install firmer shocks and larger stabilizer bars.

Install 20-inch alloy wheels and performance tires.

Enlarge and upgrade the four-wheel disc brakes to provide better stopping power.

To complete the kit, an LS2 engine is shoehorned under the hood, where its 400 pounds-feet of torque are directed to the front and rear through a Hydra-matic 4L70-E four-speed automatic and a Torsen center differential that automatically splits the torque depending on road conditions and traction.

The straight-line performance is pretty remarkable for a sport-utility with such humble origins. With only a little urging, the TrailBlazer SS will gallop from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds — just a fraction off the Grand Cherokee SRT8’s claimed 0-60 acceleration time of 5.5 seconds.

Fuel economy, as you might expect, is dismal. The EPA city/highway numbers are 14 and 17 mpg, respectively, which in fact are better than those posted by the SuperJeep, which is fitted with a more modern five-speed automatic.

But the TrailBlazer SS is all about utility with attitude. It chews up the road sort of like the Detroit Pistons tear up a basketball court — with no pretensions, but deadly effectiveness and more than a little excitement. Back to work, indeed.

This SUV-on-steroids feels decidedly less Corvette-like when you begin to push it in hard corners and rough pavement. The TrailBlazer SS hugs the road, but it still exhibits the limitations of its truck-based chassis. Handling is a tad crisper and more responsive than on the standard TrailBlazer, while the ride is firm, but not unduly harsh until the road surface gets really choppy.

Chevy distinguishes the SS from the regular TrailBlazer with some subtle visual cues, notably a black-mesh grille in front and big, bright exhaust tips in the rear. The body-side moldings, the roof rack and other cladding have been stripped from the vehicle, the rear pillars have been blacked out and the door handles, mirrors and grille crossbar are painted body color, for a monochromatic scheme. Only four exterior colors are available: Black, white, silver and blue. That means no self-respecting male has to be embarrassed to order his truck in charcoal, ivory or some other ambiguously and gratuitously named hue.

Prices start reasonably enough on the TrailBlazer SS, at $27,199 for a base LS rear-wheel-drive model plus the cost of the SS package. But don’t be fooled. By the time you add any equipment, the sticker climbs steeply. Our all-wheel-drive LT started at $32,075 and rapidly escalated from there, with a variety of free-standing options and equipment packages swelling the price by more than $11,000.

The bottom line: $42,845, which isn’t much less expensive than the $44,615 Grand Cherokee SRT8 we tested earlier.

The standard TrailBlazer LT all-wheel-drive model comes with such features as stability control, four-wheel disc brakes with antilock, dual-zone air conditioning, CD player and a power driver’s seat. The SS package inflates the sticker by $5,195. Two different LT packages add $1,970, while a new Sun/Sound/Entertainment package ($1,865) bundles a power sunroof, a Bose premium audio system, a six-disc CD changer and XM satellite radio. Freestanding options on our vehicle included a navigation system ($1,600), side curtain air bags ($495), power adjustable pedals ($150) and a rear-seat entertainment system ($495), which incidentally knocked the power sunroof off the list.

Our biggest gripe concerns the cabin of the TrailBlazer which, despite the addition of such SS amenities as sport bucket seats, leather steering wheel and performance gauge cluster, still looks cheap and dated — truly a relic of the Nineties. Many less expensive competitors with nowhere near the Chevy’s sporting capability look considerably more refined and tasteful. We expect most buyers who are willing to part with nearly 43 grand will likely be disappointed by such a pedestrian cockpit in such a scintillating performer.

You do tend to overlook the blue-collar trappings once you trip the hammer and the SS begins to scamper down the highway at hyperspeed. Life, as they say, is a compromise, and the TrailBlazer SS is no exception.

Still, there must be another, better solution out there — the ultimate performance/utility vehicle that delivers speed, style, safety and space all in one convenient package.

Corvette station wagon, anyone?