2015 Chevrolet Trax Review

Today, buyers in this segment are limited to some of the more quirky (but fun) crossover-y hatchback offerings like Kia Soul, Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, but this market is about to explode over the next year with a new breed of B-segment crossovers such as the Fiat 500X, Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade. Slowly rolling into dealerships now, the 2015 Chevrolet Trax is leading the charge, and we recently headed to San Diego to see what this baby Bowtie is all about.

Before we go too far, though, we’d be remiss to point out that the idea behind the Trax is hardly a new one for General Motors. For starters, if Pontiac was still around, there is probably a good chance the Trax would be a successor to the Pontiac Vibe, which bears the closest resemblance to the Trax in recent GM history right down to the fold-flat front passenger seat. Going a little further back in the GM catalog, the Geo Tracker also predates the Trax in the same import-fighting, entry-level utility vehicle pricing point. And that’s not to mention the Tracker was actually smaller than the Trax.

This latter aspect just goes to show how big vehicles have gotten these days. Comparing body dimensions, the 2015 Chevrolet Trax is about 10 inches (25 cm) longer than a Geo Tracker, five inches longer (12.5 cm) than a first-gen RAV4 and it is even three inches longer than a Jeep Cherokee (XJ).

As surprising as this size difference is to see in black and white, perhaps the most surprising thing about the 2015 Chevrolet Trax is how little it shares with closely related Buick Encore/Opel Mokka, which both ride on the same Gamma II platform that underpins the Chevrolet Sonic.

That matches the respective brand’s identity and like many small cars, the 2015 Trax comes with a vibrant color palette that includes the Brilliant Blue Metallic and Orange Rock Metallic hues we had a chance to photograph.

In terms of the design language, the Chevrolet Trax is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the Trax has Chevrolet’s familiar attitude that starts with large, rectangular headlights and pronounced wheel arches at each corner, and there is also plenty of dark plastic cladding along the lower edges of the Trax to give it the appearance of a taller ride height.

On the other hand, the split grille is identical to what is found on the Sonic rather than the newer grille designs found on cars like the 2014 Impala and 2015 Cruze, but that is likely due to the fact that the production Trax was unveiled in 2012 and has been on sale since early 2013 in many markets. Perhaps the biggest challenge that Chevy’s 2-year-old faces is the fresh new look of the previously mentioned B-segment crossovers that are about to go on sale soon – especially those from Fiat and Mazda.

As a likely sign backing this up, we didn’t get the usual attention to the vehicles that we normally experience during new-vehicle launches like this. Usually when we’re out driving new cars that aren’t on sale yet, we tend to get at least a handful of random people coming up to inquire about the car especially while we’re doing the photo shoot. That just didn’t happen in the Trax including one point where we pulled into a parking lot in busy downtown La Jolla, CA for a driver change where we were in a convoy of three Trax crossovers all painted up in the same bright orange color.

The overall packaging gives the 2015 Chevrolet Trax a small footprint, but inside there is plenty of room for passengers and their gear. For such a small vehicle, the Trax has a tall seating position that SUV and crossover buyers demand, and the decently sized door openings and tall roof make it easy to get into and out of – not something that can be said for all small cars. And when it comes to space, don’t let the small exterior dimensions fool you.

Sitting in the front seats not only reveals more than enough legroom, but there is also plenty of headroom and seat travel that helps provide for a tall riding position for the driver with a commanding view of the road. The small size of the Trax is obvious, however, when it comes to elbow room, which is highlighted by the fact that only the driver gets an armrest. On our daylong test drive with our co-pilot, we can tell there will be plenty of jostling for the armrest from married couples and close friends.

Going back to comparisons in regards to other small SUV and crossovers from the past, one of the biggest improvements Chevy made was by giving the Trax a rear seat that is actually useful. For anyone who has ever had to endure time in the cramped back seat of a Geo Tracker or Jeep Cherokee XJ will appreciate the added space. The bench seat can easily fit three kids or two adults very comfortably, although trying to squeeze a third adult in the middle might be pushing it a little. Even for passengers taller than six feet, rear headroom and legroom are impressive for such a small vehicle. For families, there is enough room in the back seat to easily accommodate a pair of child seats without having to push the front seats too far forward.

Making the 2015 Chevrolet Trax even more practical, there is also plenty of cargo space. Even with a full load of passengers, the Trax offers 18.7 cubic feet (530 liters) of cargo space behind the rear seats not to mention the 15 storage bins throughout the cabin including dual glove boxes and a hidden cubby beneath the front passenger seat. When more space is needed, the rear seats fold flat easily to open up 48.4 cubic feet (1,371 liters) of available cargo volume, and that doesn’t even include the aforementioned folding front passenger seat, which can fold flat to allow the Trax to accommodate longer items (up to eight feet) such as a surf board.

Following the example set by the hot-selling Kia Soul, Chevrolet seemed to focus as much of its attention on the amount of styling, technology and equipment found inside the Trax as it did on the overall comfort. On the tech front, the key here is the standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system with the seven-inch touch screen display. This system is not only easy to operate, but it also allows for the use of apps including Pandora, TuneIn, Stitcher and even BringGo navigation (as an option).

MyLink is one of the best infotainment systems on the market right now due to its ease of use – if you can work a smartphone, you’ll have no issues with MyLink. The Chevy Trax also comes with the added convenience of Siri Eyes Free, an AC 110-volt, three-prong power outlet in the rear seat as well as GM’s widespread use of OnStar with 4G LTE and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. When it comes to tech, you can’t ask for much more out of a vehicle priced in the low- to mid-$20,000 range.

Although the base price is for the LS trim level, we were only able to drive the LT and LTZ trims. The LTZ is for buyers who want as much of a luxury look and feel as possible with leatherette seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a Bose audio system, but the Trax LT we drove had the best styling with brown-on-black color scheme to go along with optional deluxe cloth seats with dark leatherette accents.

The cloth portions of these seats feature a stylish circuit board-like design similar to the Volt. In a similar styling element as the Sonic and Spark, the Trax also receives a motorcycle-style gauge cluster, but it does so with a more integrated execution while retaining the similar layout consisting of an analog tachometer and a rectangular-shaped digital multi-function screen. Like the Sonic, the best way to describe the interior of the Trax is “cool,” which bodes well for Chevrolet actually attracting its target market.

Chevrolet is hopeful that the 2015 Trax will act as a gateway for younger buyers while luring downsizing empty-nesters at the same time, but it is the starting price that will put this small crossover on the radar of many new-car shoppers. Starting at just $20,995 (18.015,00 € in Europe), the Trax is positioned right in the heart of the Chevrolet lineup standing at about a $3,000 premium over the Cruze while being almost that same amount less than the Equinox.

We had the chance to drive an all-wheel-drive version of the mid-level Trax LT priced at $25,315 as well as a front-wheel-drive Trax LTZ carrying an as-tested price of $26,805, and both would be great values depending on the specific equipment buyers are looking for. While Chevy has yet to release final option pricing on its configurator, pricing for a fully loaded Trax should still remain well under the $30,000 mark.

Helping to keep the pricing in check, the 2015 Chevrolet Trax is only offered with a single powertrain – a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Buried deep in the engine compartment (seriously, it sits really low under the hood), this engine musters up 138 hp (103 kW) and 148 lb-ft (200 Nm), and it is the same mill found in most GM small cars including the Sonic, Cruze, Volt and even the Opel Adam. In its global configurations, the Trax can be equipped with a total of four engines (including a diesel) and three transmissions (including two manual gearboxes), but this peppy little engine is all that is needed for the U.S. model to motivate the 2,805-pound (1,272 kg) crossover.

During our day with the Trax, we had a long drive route that brought plenty of open-road driving that ventured out to the seaside community of La Jolla and a shorter urban route that snaked through downtown San Diego. The shorter route showed off the Trax’s strong points including its impeccable maneuverability in tight parking lots or while trying to make a U-turn, which is aided by the column-mounted electric power steering system that has been retuned specifically for the U.S. market giving it a looser feeling and helping to provide a turning radius of just 36.7 feet (11.1 m). Like the steering system, Chevrolet has retuned the Trax’s suspension for U.S. duty delivering a surprisingly smooth ride for a tall-ish vehicle riding on a short 100.6-inch (2.5 m) wheelbase.

An unscientific test run from 0-60 mph showed about 8.5 seconds, and steep grades definitely give the engine a workout. To ensure that engine noises (or any other road noises) stay out of the cabin, Chevy has enacted plenty of sound-deadening measures, like acoustic windshield and body insulation. To keep the interior quiet and short of the Chevy Cruze, the Trax probably has one of the quietest interiors of any small car on the road.

The sole drivetrain option of the Trax is a cost-effective and lightweight all-wheel-drive system. Depending on the trim level, AWD adds an extra 147 – 160 pounds (66 – 73 kg) to the curb weight and just $1,500 option to the as-tested pricing. As it was explained to us, this system can transfer all of the engine torque to the rear wheels at takeoff and at speeds of up to 37 mph (59 kph), and the automatic system works undetectable to the driver. We were given plenty of opportunities to test out this AWD system thanks to the uncharacteristic weather in San Diego consisting of steady rain showers throughout the day. Even while driving along an assortment of twisty roads and even traversing rain-slicked train crossings, the AWD Chevrolet Trax had a confident ride.

With or without all-wheel drive, the 2015 Chevrolet Trax is a top contender when it comes to fuel economy. In base form, the Trax has EPA-rated fuel economy estimates of 26 mpg city (9 l/100 km), 34 mpg highway (6.9 l/100 km) and 29 mpg (8.1 l/100 km), which beats the Encore by 1 mpg in each category. In addition to the added price, opting for AWD also costs 2 mpg city and 3 mpg highway. During our time with the Trax, it wasn’t hard to exceed these estimates when the road conditions were smooth and allowed for smooth acceleration, but anything more than a slight grade quickly negated any previous gains. In our short time with the Trax AWD (about 50 miles/80 km), we managed closer to 29 mpg (8.1 l/100km) for the hilly highway driving, while our shorter city route in the Trax FWD ended with the trip computer showing 26.5 mpg (8.8 l/100km).

Looking at its pricing and fuel economy, the Trax is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the big trucks/SUVs and performance cars that have been rolling into Chevrolet dealerships lately, but even though it is economical, efficient and practical, it will still be interesting to see how well it is received by U.S. buyers just as fuel prices are hitting their lowest points in years. The good news is that while GM’s last two attempts in this small crossover/hatchback realm (the Tracker and Vibe) were foiled largely by poor-performing brands or unimaginative badge engineering, the Trax is already a strong B-segment seller in other global markets. Like both of these examples, the Trax also has Asian roots (the Vibe was a joint venture with Toyota and the Tracker a joint venture with Suzuki) as the U.S. examples are assembled in South Korea.

It all comes down to the customers, though. The closely related Encore has been a hot seller for Buick ever since it went on sale in 2013, and Chevrolet is hoping it can replicate the same small-scale success with the Trax. Sadly, the Trax just doesn’t have as much personality as the slightly more expensive and more luxurious Buick, but the two vehicles are aimed at totally different customers. The true test for the Trax will spread over the next year as new rivals are introduced, and for that, Chevy has already set the bar quite high with a fun, small and affordable crossover offering lots of space and technology.