The North American 2013 Buick Encore and its European twin, the Opel Mokka, will soon welcome a new member in their family as Chevrolet has unveiled the third variant of GM’s small crossover in advance of its world premiere at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September.
Chevrolet’s version is named Trax, evidently after the company’s unrelated 2007 concept. GM says the new Chevrolet Trax will be offered in more than 140 countries around the world with Mexico to be the first market to launch the crossover in the fourth quarter of this year. The small SUV will arrive at European Chevrolet dealerships in spring of 2013.
Officially, the Detroit carmaker says it has no plans to offer the Trax in the U.S.A “because of the strong position of the [Chevrolet] Equinox“, but we reckon the company’s decision has more to do with the fact that it has the small crossover segment already covered with the almost identical Buick Encore.
From the single picture released by GM, it appears that the styling differences between the Buick Encore and the Trax are limited to the latter’s Chevy grille, redesigned headlamps and the more pronounced front and rear wheel arches.
“The Trax provides Chevrolet an entry into a growing small SUV segment and delivers the flexibility, great fuel economy and car-like handling that urban explorers around the world require,” said Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of Product Development.
She continued: “After a record sales year in 2011 and a record first quarter, Chevrolet continues to meet customer needs by expanding its portfolio with strong new entries.”
More details including information about the available powertrains are to be published within the next few months.
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