7 Big Things You Should Know About the Chevy Trax
Chances are, unless you own a Chevrolet Trax, you probably know very little about the vehicle if you live in the U.S.
Since Chevy started selling the small SUV here last December, it’s kind of sat under the radar, overshadowed by some of the other nameplates in the Chevy line-up that have been soaking up the limelight. In fact, I wouldn’t’ be surprised if there are even a few people here on Chevrolet Forum who’ve never heard of the Trax.
Don’t worry, nobody’s judging here. I actually had to Google the SUV myself to remember it when asked by a Chevy rep if I’d like to test drive the vehicle.
Despite the fact that the Trax has had great sales success since first going on sale globally in 2013, it seems that the SUV has still struggled a bit to garner attention here in the States among car buyers (and even a few car journalists too). And yet, after spending some time with the Trax, I’m convinced it might be one of the best kept secrets in Chevy’s line-up.
Here are seven reasons why…
1. Bigger Than it Looks – At first glance, you’re inclined to call the Chevrolet Trax a compact crossover. The idea of it being an SUV would never come to mind until you step inside the vehicle. It’s then that the reality of why Chevy has chosen to call the Trax an SUV becomes clear. Offered in three different trim levels (LS, LT, and LTZ), it’s far more spacious than you’d expect.
2. Fun to Drive – Although it’s certainly the interior that first grabs your attention when inside the Trax, it’s the experience of being at the wheel that really sells the SUV. Sure, it’s a far cry from the feeling you get hitting the gas in the new Corvette Z06. But its peppy 138-horsepower 1.4L turbocharged engine makes the small SUV a lot of fun on the road.
3. Tech Newbies Dream – Considering that the Trax is aimed at a more youthful market, you expect technology. It’s more of how it’s all so seamlessly packaged in the small SUV that impresses most with features like the ability to connect up to seven portable devices to the vehicle’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi system.
4. Lots of Utility – With 43.1 cubic feet of cargo space and more individual compartments than you’d expect in a much larger vehicle (I counted at least 25), the Trax is plenty spacious. Chevy says the small SUV, which features a lot of the same design cues as the mid-size Traverse, is capable of storing items up to eight-feet long in the passenger compartment.
5. Perfect for City – Aimed at urban commuters, the Trax’s size and 26 city/34 mpg highway estimated EPA makes it ideal for driving in the city. Not to mention the loads of utility you can get out of the vehicle (mentioned previously) that provides some of the same functionality as some larger vehicles, only in a much smaller package. And with a starting price of under $21,000, it makes it easier to afford to live in big cities and own a vehicle.
6. Male Appeal as Well – Despite the fact that some of the early numbers had women accounting for 58 percent of all Trax buyers (the highest in the segment), the SUV has a lot of male appeal as well. Now, don’t get me wrong, the small SUV doesn’t necessarily have the bravado of an all-black Chevy Tahoe with tinted windows and black wheels, but I’d hardly classify the Trax as a strictly female vehicle.
7. All Chevy – The more time you spend with the Trax the more you realize it’s the fact that the small SUV encompasses different elements of a lot of Chevy vehicles which really wins you over. And while the SUV might be listed as one of the smallest vehicles in Chevy’s line-up, it leaves a huge impression.