![]() 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. And when it comes to space, don’t let the small exterior dimensions fool you. 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. The overall packaging gives the 2015 Chevrolet Trax a small footprint, but inside there is plenty of room for passengers and their gear. 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. 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. 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.Īs 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. 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. 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. In terms of the design language, the Chevrolet Trax is a bit of a mixed bag. 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. With the exception of the identical front doors, the Trax and Encore share no sheet metal giving each crossover its own distinctive styling. 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).Īs 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. This latter aspect just goes to show how big vehicles have gotten these days. And that’s not to mention the Tracker was actually smaller than the Trax. 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. ![]() 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. 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.īefore 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. 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. ![]()
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