2020 Chevrolet Trax

Rivaling this American SUV are quite a few well-established badges. The segment leader Mazda CX-3, Honda's HR-V and the Toyota C-HR stack up to give the Trax a run for its money. Having said that, the Trax still does a fine job of competing and holding up. Read on to find out more.

Offered in 3 different configurations – LS LT, and Premier - all the trims are further split in two different drivetrains – FWD and AWD. With a difference of $1,500 between the two drivetrains, the subcompact crossover starts at $21,200 for the FWD. It introduces a modest list of features as standard.

Further up the trim, you’d find better-equipped packages, but you could always buy from packages to equip your Trax with certain features. The highest trim, Premier, costs $27,500 and is feature-rich. A 1.4L engine with a 4-cylinders mated to 6-speed automatic transmission powers the entire lineup.

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Choosing the LT trim is the wisest option for it offers almost all the features and technology of the top trim but at a lesser cost. It is a sweet deal for it bridges the gap between the top and base configurations.

Other than confined city driving, which can be a bit challenging given the Tahoe's size, we found most driving situations to be quite comfortable and free of drama. -Autotrader

Engine and Transmission

Under the hood, propelling the front wheels of the 2020 Trax sits a turbocharged 1.4L with 4-cylinders mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Wait, what turbocharged? Like most similarly sized crossovers in this segment, sluggish and lazy gear shifts, galling noise, and uninspiring engine performance make up the SUV’s frail powertrain. There’s nothing much left to write about the feeble machine under the Trax.

Among the competition, the mightiest crossover is the Jeep Compass Sport, with a 2.4L I-4 spurting 180 horses. The Trax holds the lowest powertrain joined by the Buick Encore.

Acceleration

Painstaking flat power delivery in the light-duty drives the front wheels of the Trax from naught to 60 mph in 9.3s. The quarter-mile drag sprint is done leisurely and completed in 16.8s. In the segment of a mix of underperforming motors across the field, the Buick Encore takes the fastest crown followed by the Mazda CX-3 while the rest come home half a second and more.

*These figures are based on the 2018 powertrain, which going into 2020 has remained unchanged.

Ride and Handling

Chevrolet Trax is nimble with responsive, light and quick steering input. Body roll is controlled at a certain speed and bumps are easily absorbed. Driving around the city is quite easy for this light-duty SUV, thanks to its short turning radius and agility. Driving the SUV inspires no fun, staying as mundane as its powertrain is.

Compared to other SUV’S in the segment, the ride quality is sub-standard. Its handling borderlines mediocrity, while remaining predictable. At high speeds, the crossover feels unsure and underpowered, especially at high speeds.

Braking

Well well Trax, there’s one place in your mechanics that works better than most of the crossovers in the segment. Along with good modulation and firmness with good pedal feel, the rear-disc brakes with front-drum decelerate the 2800 pound heavy crossover with ease.

Fueling the Trax to drive 33 miles per gallon on the highway with a combined figure of 28 mpg is quite an average task by the powertrain. While these figures may seem impressive at first glance, when compared to its rivals, they fall short. The segment leader, Mazda CX-3 impresses with quite an efficient powertrain while Honda’s HR-V follows suit.

“A smart interior layout makes the most of the Trax's relatively small — but still competitive for the segment — interior space. Visibility is good, the controls are straightforward, and getting in and out is pretty easy.” -edmunds

Seating and Comfort

Ability to seat 5 passengers inside, the cabin space in the Trax is ample and spacious for the segment. However, the legroom for both the front and rear seats is a bit compromised due to the SUV’s small design. The seats in itself are quite comfortable covered with cloth-upholstery. The headroom, on the other hand, is ample on both rows.

Aesthetically, the cabin is modest at best with plastic touch and feel alongside cheap materials and quality in places. Apparently, noise isolation is less of a concern for the American manufacturer; imagine driving comfortably sans the cabin around you. Visibility is commendable thanks to the position of the raised seats.

Infotainment System

Chevrolet’s MyLink 7” touch screen infotainment system sits on the center console. An intuitive system with a user-friendly interface otherwise fails to impress in its physical controls which are plastic in material and have redundant use for some functions.

MyLink’s touch screen looks good but delays in responsiveness make it less appealing. Fortunately, the Trax features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which comes optional even on some of the most high-end cars with premium features. Some standard features include –

• 6-speaker audio system
• 2 USB ports
• OnStar Communications with 4G connections and Wi-fi hot spot
• 7” Infotainment System

Cargo Volume

Offering 18.7 cubic feet with unfolded seats is quite a decent task for the Trax. The compact crossover is evened by the Buick Encore but is bettered by the rest. Surprisingly, the segment leader, Mazda CX-3, has the lowest of the lot at 12.4 cubic feet.
 

Coming to the rear seats when folded, you’ll find 48.4 cubic feet available on the Chevrolet Trax, standing along the top of the segment. However, the Honda HR-V offers the best practicality along the segment in both instances.

Interior Features

• Mirror: Rearview, manual day/night
• Remote Keyless Entry with panic alarm
• Rear vision camera
• Steering column: tilt and telescopic

“The dowdy 2020 Chevrolet Trax doesn’t say much about its driver.” -thecarconnection

Designs and Dimensions

Rolling over 16” steel wheels, the Trax has a compact, conservative design. Headed by chrome-accented dual-element grille flanked by Halogen headlights, the SUV sits 6.2” above the ground and measures 100” in its total wheelbase. Weighing 2805 pounds, the crossover blends itself amongst its diverse compact rivals, sitting on the lightest spectrum.

The design philosophy of the Chevrolet Trax is very simple to understand – not overdone but simply curved and molded with a dash of – ‘this will do’ – mindset. A rear lip spoiler rests above the windowpane, while the same hard plastic design found in the front is twinned in the back.

Exterior Features

Some of the features include in the Trax LS trim are –

• Body-color door handles
• 16” steel wheels
• Halogen reflector headlamps with automatic exterior lamp control

As of writing this review, the Chevrolet Trax SUV is yet to be rated by the NHTSA and IIHS. Since the crossover is an unchanged iteration since the previous year, we suspect the test ratings to be likewise for the 2020 model.

The compact SUV offers a scarce list of standard features found in other rivals in this segment. Some standard features included in the Trax are –

• 10 airbags - 2 Frontal and knee for driver and front passenger
• Seat-mounted side-impact and roof rail-mounted for front and rear outboard seating positions
• Passenger Sensing System
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) for child safety seats
• OnStar Safety & Security Plan with 1-month coverage, including Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Roadside Assistance, Turn-by-Turn Navigation and more

Chevrolet Trax vs Mazda CX-3

Going up against the segment leader, the Chevrolet Trax is doomed here. The Mazda CX-3 costs less than the American crossover, overall better driving dynamics with superior powertrain, finer cabin quality and space alongside comfortable seats. Evidently, the CX-3 is the obvious winner here.

Chevrolet Trax vs Toyota C-HR

Leaving aside comparing the rest of the field, the Chevrolet Trax edges the Toyota C-HR in terms of features and AWD availability, spacious interior and boot space. While the Japanese SUV manages to stay inches ahead in due to its slightly greater powertrain, it isn’t enough to defend its lead over the American crossover. Choosing the Trax over the C-HR would be a wise option. Wiser option? Skip both.

Chevrolet Trax vs Honda HR-V

With an efficient powertrain together with spacious interior and large boot space, the HR-V is otherwise a tad similar to the Chevrolet Trax. But driving dynamics are ahead in the Japanese SUV and so is a feature available in the base model. Priced similarly, the competition is stiff, however, due to Honda’s practicality, it makes the better buy here.

What exactly does the Trax offer? It has great boot space, good handling, decent fuel efficiency and spacious interior along with comfortable seats. Nonetheless, its powertrain is mediocre at best and features list alongside safety equipments are disappointing.

If you truly want something out of this compact crossover, you’d have to spend a few more bucks and get higher trims or additional packages. Considering other rivals, however, is a safer bet if Chevrolet Trax does come under your radar.