2024 Chevrolet Trax Bigger and More Refined

With the arrival of the Trailblazer, there was a tendency to believe that Chevrolet would drop the Trax for good. It seems not. In reality, General Motors approaches a strategy similar to certain competitors, that is to say, it abandons the segment of subcompact cars to replace it with – surprise – another SUV.

Indeed, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax will replace the Spark as Chevrolet’s most affordable vehicle. This strategy is similar to that adopted by Hyundai with its Venue and by Ford with its Maverick.

However, just like its predecessor, which will cease production in a few months, the Trax will be very small and will try to maintain its affordable price range so as not to cannibalize the Trailblazer.

Unlike the model it replaces, the Trax will not offer the 4WD option. In other words, like the Hyundai Venue, the Nissan Kicks, and the Kia Soul, the Trax will only be available in front-wheel drive. It will therefore be a utility vehicle with an urban vocation.

Brand new and styled like a Blazer

We are dealing with a completely redesigned Trax, which is good because the old model dates back to 2015. This one is 295 millimeters longer, 46 millimeters wider and 74 millimeters lower. Inevitably, this stretching of the proportions makes it possible to increase the total cargo space, which goes from 1,370 to 1,532 liters, which allows this new Trax to approach certain compact SUVs in terms of versatility.

Chevrolet also took the opportunity to give it a bold look that draws inspiration from the Blazer and Trailblazer with its slim, streamlined headlights and sweeping roofline. It’s tasteful, and it adds a touch of refinement to an affordable vehicle. This design language is replicated in the cabin where the Trax receives the same angular instrument panel but with a new flush-mounted multimedia interface featuring an 11-inch screen as well as fully digital instrumentation with an 8-inch display.

A well-known mechanism

Under the hood is the same turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine found in the base Trailblazer. This engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox; it develops 137 horsepower and produces 162 lb-ft of torque.

Those numbers are oddly lower than those of the old 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine (155 horsepower/177 lb-ft); however, because the all-wheel drive will no longer be offered, the small engine might suffice. However, we will have to test it to confirm these claims.