I tested the Trax when it first arrived and have reviewed it each year since, the 2014 model being a base LS and last year’s being a full-load 1.4 Turbo AWD LTZ, so as you might imagine I was delighted to get back behind the wheel for the 2016 model year, this time in LT AWD trim, a model that bridges the gap between almost basic and near luxury. I always say that if you want to find one of the best in the biz, just “ask the audience”, a phrase coined by the popular late ’90s game show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” It’s not always the surefire way to find the best in a given vehicle’s class, but if the numbers stay strong, as has been the case for the Trax throughout its three-yearĬanadian tenure, it’s a very good indication as to the merits of the vehicle in question. Renegades platform, the total only climbs to 70,409 units), while here in Canada the Trax was just dislodged from its number one spot by the new Honda HR-V, and only slightly, with the upstart Japanese crossover finding 8,959 buyers to the Trax’ 8,156, whereas if you combine both domestic models’ sales the number rises to 13,071 units, making the GM duo the clear favourite amongst subcompact SUV buyers. compared to just 60,946 for the next bestselling Jeep Renegade (even if you include seven months of new Fiat 500X sales, which shares the Yes, it’s impressive to think that General Motors, an automaker once associated with large as a barge American iron, isn’t just outselling the imports and domestics alike in the fast-growing subcompact SUV segment, but downright slaughtering all competitors with last year’s Trax and Encore sales combining for 130,579 units in the U.S. Our friends to the south couldn’t access it until December of 2014, two years later, after which it immediately jumped up to second place with 63,030 sales throughout calendar year 2015, only beaten by the bestselling Buick Encore. Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto PressĪnd immediately became the bestselling subcompact SUV in Canada with 7,013 units sold throughout the 2013 calendar year. It arrived here in December of 2012 as a 2013 model, might just recognise.Most Canadians won’t know this, but we were first to get the Chevy Trax. Sure, the brand still does 'apple pie and hotdogs' with cars like the V8 Chevrolet Camaro, but it's also serving up dishes that Michel Roux Jr. So here it is, another Chevrolet that's taking the fight to Europe. But we're hopeful, because the Chevrolet Aveo is proof that the company can do competitive ride and handling. The company promises much improved handling and steering, but if refinement and ride comfort are high priorities for you, you'll have to bear with us as we wait to get our hands on a right-hand-drive car in the UK. Chevrolet has said that the UK will be getting its own chassis tuning, which is a good thing as the European left-hand-drive Trax simply isn't good enough. However, fold the rear seats down and you've got a 1370 litres of space. The only slight caveat is that the boot is a bit on the small side with all the seats upright. And the Trax does the usual flex-seating thing, with even the front passenger seat folding flat so you can carry objects nearly 2.3 metres long. Inside all models you'll find reasonable space with good head and legroom for four adults (officially it's five, but that would be a bit of a squeeze). So unless you live in a snowbelt, the extra cost for four-wheel drive doesn't look like it's worth it. It's the pick of the range, and while it lacks all-wheel drive, the Trax isn't much cop off-road anyway. Chevrolet's MyLink with smartphone connectivity and a 7-inch display features, as does a reversing camera, 18-inch alloys and much more. That model isn't cheap, but it is one very well equipped car. And the least expensive two-wheel-drive only version is the 1.7 LT VCDi. It offers the best combination of performance and economy, with a non-too shabby claimed combined fuel consumption of 62.8mpg. No, the default engine, as with virtually all competitors in the B-segment SUV market, is the diesel. There's only one engine on offer in LS trim, and that's the weedy 1.6 petrol, so we'd have to agree with their assertion. There are just two trim levels, LS and LT, but Chevrolet reckons that virtually everyone will opt for LT trim. There's an entry level 1.6-litre petrol with a miserly 113bhp, a more potent 138bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and a 128bhp 1.7-litre turbodiesel. To any European, the engine range will look like familiar territory.
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