GM’s new small car entry for the 2014 New York Auto Show wasn’t the next generation Spark after all, but a vehicle we already know and one that the automaker had shown in Detroit last year: the Buick Encore’s plainer Chevrolet-badged stable mate, the Trax.
When GM introduced the Trax in 2012, it said that it had no plans to offer it in the States “because of the strong position of the [Chevrolet] Equinox“. So, does that mean the Equinox has lost ground or does GM’s decision have something to do with the Buick Encore’s sales success, the fact that Chevy will soon pull out of Europe or a little bit of everything? Who knows…
According to Alan Batey, General Motors senior vice president, Global Chevrolet, “[The] Trax offers customers another option in the Chevrolet family and will be a strong competitor in the emerging small-SUV market, which is expected to grow more than 80 percent by 2016.”
Featuring the same silhouette as the Encore but with different styling inside and out, the Trax will go on sale in the U.S. early next year with only one engine option, the same Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 138hp and 148 lb-ft of torque (200 Nm) as the Buick. A six-speed automatic will come as standard, while all-wheel drive will be optional.
More or less, you get the same interior space as the Encore, with Chevy stating that it offers 18.7 cubic feet (530 liters) of boot storage behind the split-folding rear seat and 48.4 cubic feet (1,371 liters) with the rear seat folded.
Ten standard air bags and a seven-inch color touch screen will be standard across the range that will include LS, LT and LTZ trims. Available options include next-generation OnStar and MyLink with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.
By John Halas
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