Road-going sport utility vehicles originated in the US in the 1970s and since then American brand Chevrolet has had a long history building them. But none have ever been as small as its latest Trax, a boxy, chunky crossover SUV designed to rival cars including the Nissan Juke, the much-celebrated Skoda Yeti and the Renault Captur. These small, family-focused, ‘crossover’ SUVs are selling well in Europe. Like its rivals in this quickly emerging segment the Trax is available with all wheel drive as well as front wheel drive only. Which may seem like a strange choice for an SUV, but there it is.
Compared to its competition, the Trax is not exactly handsome. It’s boxy, stocky and ungainly and certainly not very sporty-looking for a sports utility vehicle. I got behind the wheel of the front-wheel-drive 1.7 LT diesel model – which looks likely to be the most popular model in the UK, thanks to its decent fuel economy of 45mpg and low CO2 emissions (149g/km) – and the all-wheel-drive 1.4-litre petrol version. While this diesel model has the bigger engine, it’s really very noisy and it labours under acceleration. The all-wheel-drive 1.4-litre petrol on the other hand, was a lot more fun to drive. It feels faster – though it isn’t – and it feels lively with a 0-62mph of a reasonable 9.8 seconds. Handling is pretty good, even if there’s quite a lot of noise in the cabin and ride can be choppy.
Don’t expect it to take you over very turbulent terrain though. This car has been created for a predominantly urban audience, so while it should be able to competently tackle icy tarmac no one is saying that you’ll be able to ford streams in it. Good job, as even the all-road version doesn’t have the ground clearance to plough through really deep mud. In fact despite its name, the Trax hasn’t really been designed for deep tracks, or hardcore treks at all. Really it’s for people who want something a little more exciting than a straightforward hatchback runabout.
Inside the Trax has a sort of plasticky, wipe-clean simplicity, which ensures it’s practical for family use. It’s also pretty spacious, so you’ll get three adults in the back and you can play about with the seating. The rear seat folds 60/40 and the front passenger seat can be folded flat to accommodate up to a maximum of 1370 litres with the front passenger seat folded down. Meanwhile the cabin is peppered with little cubbyholes throughout. Higher-spec models have the useful MyLink tech which acts as an extension of your smart phone so you can link to apps, take calls and choose tunes through the car’s infotainment system.
With a starting price of £19,795, the Trax is more expensive and less fuel-efficient than some of its rivals including the more distinctive Nissan Juke. It’s not a bad option, but it just doesn’t really offer much to write about over and above its competition.
