The new Chevrolet Trax could be a welcome addition to the thin ranks of entry-level vehicles. Longer, more fuel-efficient and more attractive, the South Korean-built ’24 Chevy Trax seeks to redefine the moribund entry-level segment.
Once merely cheap and cheerful, Chevrolet is trying to make the new Trax CUV a more substantial vehicle experience by giving it some attractive curb-appea, while maintaining it as a great value at a time when average transaction prices for all-new vehicles are more than $47,000 in the U.S.
With Chevy the volume brand for General Motors, it needs a strong entry-level product line to bring new new-car buyers into the brand. And that means crossovers and multi-activity-vehicles for both young buyers and retiring empty-nesters who don’t fancy sedans, which are becoming an endangered species with U.S. buyers.
The redesign, which clearly identifies the Trax as a sibling of the Trailblazer and Blazer, is a substantial upgrade from the current model, which has always looked a bit like a giant shoe, with its front and rear squeezed into stubby mediocrity as if you put a longer car in a vise.
To maximize value and enable GM to keep the sticker price down, Chevy adapted the Trailblazer platform, making the new Trax longer but leaving out an all-wheel-drive option and EV version that is reserved for its more expensive stablemates.
Some may question whether Chevy even needs both Trax and Trailblazer, both of which have similar starting prices.
But with the subcompact crossover category booming, and the elimination of most sedans and hatches that would constitute entry-level vehicles based on price, Chevy global vice president Scott Bell says the division is not worried about cannibalizing Trailblazer. He expects to draw customers from those still seeking an entry-level price point, and those who might normally buy a used vehicle. The small-SUV category has grown 385% since 2015, according to Chevy data, and is expected to grow at least another 32% over the next five years.
“This is an entry-level vehicle that will surprise and delight customers with its value and plays a critical role as the gateway into the Chevy brand,” Bell says.
Chevy would like to beef up its value-priced offerings with more compelling products, and the new Trax appears to be a good start. The Malibu was down to 39,376 in 2021. Trax was down to 42,590 last year. Granted, the lower volumes are due to COVID-19 and supply-chain issues impacting the whole industry, but neither existing vehicle is aspirational. Chevy is also discontinuing the Sonic and Spark. And the trend is clearly away from sedans and econo-hatches, with customers wanting crossovers, even if they end up taking six-, seven- and even eight-year loans to pay for them.
The starting price of the ’24 Trax will be around $21,495 with all trims starting under $25,000. The ’22 Trailblazer starts at $21,000, but transacts mostly above $25,000.T he new Trax does not offer some of the upper-end options and features of the Trailblazer, but it is certainly not a rental-fleet dog. Yes, it is limited to a front-drive setup and offers only a 6-speed automatic transmission, but it is a better, bigger and more refined package overall compared with the outgoing model.
Built in South Korea, as is the current model, the Trax is powered by the same 1.2L turbocharged I-3, mated to a6-speed automatic shared with the base TrailBlazer.
It has the minimum-required bundle of features just about everyone wants these days: 8-in. (20-cm) telematics display screen (with an option to go up to an 11-in. [28-cm] screen), as well as a 3.5-in. (9-cm) driver information screen; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; 4-wheel disc brakes; and LED headlamps. Compared with the old Trax, the new Trax is also 2 ins. (51 mm) wider, 6 ins. (152 mm) longer and has 3 ins. (76 mm)more legroom for rear-seat occupants.
With 137 hp and 162 lb.-ft. (220 Nm) of torque, the Trax’s 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time is 8.6 seconds, according to Chevy’s test data. Fuel economy improves compared with the current model’s 24 city/32 highway (11.8-8.8 L/100 km),despite being larger and somewhat heavier. Final numbers will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Chevy’s Bell says there is no announcement regarding a possible EV version; the brand will introduce the larger Blazer EV next summer as a ’24 model. The Trailblazer also offers a 9-speed transmission and CVT that is not available on the Trax.
Chevy Safety Assist, a suite of six safety technologies, is now standard on the new Trax: automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keeping assist with departure warning, forward collision warning, auto high-beam control and following distance indicator.
The proportions of the new Trax are much more attractive than the current stubby one. And it has some nice details like a slight angling of the center screen toward the driver and round aviation-style air vents. It also comes with options of 17-, 18- or 19-in. wheels.
Trim Level Breakdown
- LS and LT trim features standard 17” wheels.
- RS trim has a unique grille with the RS badge. Unique 18-in. machine-faced aluminum wheels, two-tone stitching on upholstery. Standard remote start.
- New ACTIV trim has a monochromatic look with chrome accents, rear skid plate. Black 18-in. wheels. 11-in. (28-cm) telematics screen. Evotex seats with yellow accents. Standard remote start.
