2014 New York Auto Show: 2015 Chevy Trax comes to the U.S.
Chevrolet is pushing further into the small-SUV segment. Having already introduced six new models into the segment in the last four years -- and enjoyed a triple-digit growth of small car sales -- the automaker will be unwrapping its 2015 Trax.
They’re hoping to take a bigger bite out of the small SUV market, going up against the Nissan Jook and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
Promising “small-car agility with the utility of an SUV,” the Trax comes stock with a little engine and a lot of room -- a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine, and almost 50 cubic feet of storage space. With options, it can be an all-wheel drive vehicle, with its own Wi-Fi hotspot, OnStar and MyLink systems, a 7-inch color touch screen in the dash, and Siri Eyes Free communication for the iPhone IOS 6 and IOS7.
PHOTOS: Highlights from the 2014 N.Y. Auto Show
A rearview camera is standard equipment, with a rear park assist available as an option. A ten-station airbag system, which includes side curtain air bags for front and rear passengers, is standard.
Already available in Mexico and Canada, but making its US and China debut next year, the Trax is essentially the same car as GM’s already-introduced Buick Encore, which AutoPacific analyst Dave Sullivan said has been much more successful than GM originally anticipated. The company, which Sullivan says is ramping up production at a man Encore/Trax plant in Korea, says more than 90,000 Trax have been sold globally, in 60 markets.
The new one comes in LT and LTZ variations on the standard LS -- the LT and LTZ offering varieties of trim options, including aluminum wheels on the LT and oversized aluminum wheels on the LTZ.
The Trax promises fuel consumption at 26MPG around town and 34MPG on the highway. Pricing? The 2013 Encore retailed between $24,950 for standard models to more than $33,000 with all the extras, but Chevy says this model will skew toward the low end of that.
