From early next year, GM will have two models vying for a place in the growing small crossover / SUV category in the States: the current Buick Encore and its brother from another badge-mother, the Chevrolet Trax, which was officially presented today at the 2014 New York International Auto Show.
The Trax isn’t all that new as it has been on sale in more than 60 global markets since 2012 having shifted some 90,000 cars worldwide. GM initially decided not to bring the Trax to the States, even though it offered it across both borders in Mexico and Canada, because it was afraid that it would harm the bigger, mid-size Chevrolet Equinox’s sales.
Not anymore, with the new Trax’s rivals including the Kia Soul, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the funkier Nissan Juke, and from 2015, the Jeep Renegade as well.
The relatively short (168.5 inches or 4,280mm long), but tall (at 65.9 inches or 1,674mm) Trax 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.
The only available engine at launch will be GM’s turbocharged 1.4-liter inline four delivering an estimated 138 horsepower and 148 pounds-feet of torque connected to a six-speed automatic driving either the front or optionally, all four wheels. GM says the Trax will return up to 26mpg city and up to 34 mpg highway, evidently for the FWD version.
By John Halas
PHOTO GALLERY
