The 2024 Chevrolet Trax Is A Value For Money Subcompact SUV

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax is redesigned completely and marque's least expensive SUV in the lineup? Is it good enough to compete and win? 

The previous generation Chevrolet Trax was first released in 2013, and back then it was only good for its small size and cheap price. But other than that, it was bland and slow, and as time went on, its price kept climbing while its design kept getting uglier.evy took it off its lineup for the 2023 model year and brought it back for the next MY with a complete redesign. 

The result? The 2024 Trax is better, larger, safer, and cheaper than before, and it gets its style and tech from the bigger Blazer. The Chevy Trax, gets a major update in 2024 including a new engine from the Trailblazer with a bit less horses. Other than that, you now have a total of 5 trims to choose from, while previously only two options were available. The new Trax also has longer wheelbase resulting in better interior space with more cargo area, and rear legroom. 

Besides getting a new look for 2024, the Chevy Trax has also gotten cheaper. With 5 trim levels on offer, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax price starts at $21,495, making it $1,400 cheaper than the 2022 Trax. The top-level Activ trim has a price tag of $24,995, which is $300 more expensive than the previous generation's top trim. Let's have a look at the pricing of the different trims. 

Aggressive Styling

The previous-generation Chevy Trax was not good-looking at all and had a rental car vibe to it. The design of the new Trax is a radical departure from that design and looks more modern and aggressive than before. It does have a very non-GM-like look, and this is because the car was designed and built in GM Korea. That’s why the style of the new Trax is very similar to the Trailblazer, which was also designed there.

The front has been completely updated and looks way better now. The one I'm reviewing is the Activ trim, which comes with LED headlights, LED DRLs, and a black bowtie. It also comes with a different and, in my opinion, better-looking grille. One thing you’ll notice about the front is that the DRLs are above the headlights, which is something you see on a lot of Hyundai vehicles. 

11-inches longer than the previous gen Trax….

If you were to compare the old and new Trax side-by-side, it would become quite clear to you that the new one is quite longer. 11 inches, to be exact. This includes an extra 6 inches between the front and rear wheels. This increase in size makes it one of the biggest subcompact SUVs (including the Trailblazer) on the market right now. It also happens to be wider and shorter, which helps with its aggressive stance.

The side profile of the new Trax is a lot sleeker than before. The rear spoiler also helps with that sleek profile. The rear tail lights look interesting and kind of reach around the side of the car like a lot of Korean cars.

Chevy didn’t go overboard with the badging, and that, along with the hidden exhaust tips, helped the rear have a clean look.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax Activ trim comes with 18-inch black aluminum wheels that look pretty cool. The 19-inch machined two-tone wheels that come with the 2RS also look good. The wheels that come with the LT and the 1RS look fine, but the wheels that come with the LS don’t look great at all.

Spacious And Functional Interior

The interior of the new Trax isn’t as bold as the exterior, but it does what it needs to do well, which is be spacious and functional. It also does feel much more luxurious than the older trax while being comfortable. The overall fit and finish of the interior are pretty good. There is a lot of hard plastic in the interior, but it makes sense given the price. Most of the plastic does have an attractive texture to it, which helps it avoid feeling cheap.

The center console is made of glossy black plastic, and the higher trims come with colored bits of trim, which help elevate the look of the interior. The 2RS comes with red stitching, while the Activ comes with neon green accents all around the interior, which I’m a big fan of. The 2RS also comes with a flat-bottom steering wheel, which is cool.

There is one area where I wish they had used something besides hard plastic, and that is the armrest, specifically the one situated on the door. It becomes very annoying very quickly while you’re sitting there in the car, and I think this is one thing Chevy could have spent a bit more money on.

Other than that, the Trax is a comfortable car. The one I'm reviewing comes with synthetic leather that has a lot of cushioning and feels nice. The Activ trim also comes with a power-adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, and a heated leatherette-wrapped steering wheel.

The rear passenger space is missing a few things but it is spacious….

Unfortunately, the rear seats don’t get either feature. They also don’t get the benefit of a sunroof, which is quite small and is only there above the front seats. Some other things missing from the rear seats include air vents, armrests, or central cupholders. The rear seats do get a USB-A and USB-C port and get extra legroom. 3 inches, to be exact. 

The space in the rear seats is most likely going to be one of its biggest selling points. And even though the Trax has a sloping roofline, there’s plenty of headroom for anyone tall. This makes for a comfortable seating experience in the back.

Features

In terms of features, the 2024 Trax comes with enough of them for the price. The base trim comes with an 8-inch touchscreen and an analog gauge cluster. From LT onwards, you get an 11-inch touchscreen and an 8-inch digital driver display. The infotainment screen is pretty high resolution, but the software can be laggy sometimes. It is easy to use and customizable.

It also doesn’t come with its own navigation system. Fortunately, you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, which is great. It’s as if they expect you to connect your phone. The standard analog gauge is decent, and the 8-inch digital gauge cluster is just fine. 

Most other tiny multi-function displays do have more configurability and show more information. It does have one neat feature that shows you how many seconds you are behind the car in front of you. Surely, that's something no other car in its segment would show you precisely. 

Try to at least get the LT to have enough features

The four-speaker audio system's in the lower trims aren’t great at all. I would give you that as a reason to skip out on them and get the LT at least, which adds a tweeter to give you an adequate listening experience. Another reason to at least opt for the LT is automatic climate control. Some other features that come as an option include a wireless charging pad and a sunroof.

In terms of safety, the 2024 Trax is yet to be rated or tested by both the IIHS and the NHTSA, but you do get autonomous braking and lane departure prevention as standard. You can also get blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise as extras. Being a new-gen, I expect it to receive at least a four-star rating in the safety tests. 

Impressive Cargo Space

The Chevrolet Trax 2024 model comes with a spacious cargo space, which measures out to 25.6 cubic ft. You can increase this space by folding down the rear seats. But not only do these seats fold flat, you can even fold the front passenger seats to make space for extra-long items. There is no powered tailgate option, but the trunk does have a low lift-over height and no giant sill. You also get a useful spare tire and some nice cubbies on either side of the trunk to keep small things.

Powertrain And Mileage

The 2024 Chevy Trax comes with a 1.2-liter turbocharged inline 3-cylinder that produces 137 hp which is less than what you used to get with the old Trax but good enough for a car of this size. Though, you do get 162 lb-ft of torque, which is more than most competitors. This power can get you to 0-60 in 8.6 seconds, which is something I don’t think most people will be worried about while buying the car. 

In terms of mileage, you get 28 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway and 30 mpg combined. These numbers are decent and quite similar to what its competitors also get. However, it is not something to brag about as it's not class-leading in any way. Some rivals like the non-turbo Mazda CX-30 deliver about the same numbers with a bigger engine. 

Driving Experience: Gets The Job Done

The new Trax is not the best car to drive but its gets the job done. There are a few things that are stopping it from being a fun car to drive. The very first and obvious reason is the 1.2-liter turbocharged engine, which is expectedly slow. The low-end torque available is pretty good for an engine of its size. There is a bit of throttle lag, which I think must have been implemented to make it more fuel-efficient. But other than that, there’s not much to talk about the engine. 

The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, and they work pretty well together. It does tend to shift a little rough sometimes. Also, the upshifts could have been quicker. I think having a 9-speed automatic transmission would have been a better option for this engine. That, along with paddle shifters and drive modes in the higher trims, would have made for a fun driving experience.

The last thing that stops the car from being fun to drive is the steering wheel. The steering feels sloppy, and you don’t get enough feedback when you’re turning the wheel fast. The on-center feel isn’t that great either. If the Trax had tighter steering, it would have been a good-handling car.

Other than that, the new Trax feels fine to drive. It’s pretty comfortable on the road and good enough for daily driving. Both the suspension and the damping are compliant; there is no body roll, and all body motions are very well controlled. The 19-inch tires have a low profile but stiffen the ride a bit compared to the 17-inch tires. 

So that’s kinda sad because they look way better. For better functionality, you have to compromise on styling. However, they did a great job of getting rid of all of the engine vibrations, so it's very quiet. It's so quiet that you can barely hear it when it's idle. Even at highway speeds, the noise level is quite low. 

Conclusion: Pros & Cons Of The Chevrolet Trax

Pros:

• The 2024 Chevrolet Trax gets a new design language, looks more aggressive and commanding on the road over the boring exterior of its predecessor. 
• As a basic A-B transporter, the Chevrolet Trax does an amazing job of being a reliable workhorse!

Cons: 

• The powertrain could be a lot more fun but seems like Chevrolet chose the wrong transmission with the Trax.
• The steering lacks feedback, however, not a very important thing that you need in a compact SUV.