Chevrolet Trax

– Chicago, Illinois

When the books were closed on 2015 only two entries in the subcompact crossover/SUV segment outsold the Chevrolet Trax: in-family rival Buick Encore, and the Subaru Crosstrek. More than 63,000 Trax were moved, and life looked good for the guys behind the bowtie.

Fast forward three-quarters of a year, and the tiny utility vehicle space has heated up considerably. According to our friends at GoodCarBadCar.net, Trax sales are up nearly 17 percent year over year, but it currently lags the Jeep Renegade and Honda HR-V, in addition to the Subaru and Buick. Toyota has a CH-R waiting in the wings, too. Cue the mid-cycle refresh, or as Chevy calls it, a “significant mid-cycle enhancement.”

Pros

• Stuff that’s new for 2017 is mostly stuff I’d want, if I wanted a Trax. The new instrument cluster is cleaner and easier to read, and now-available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto do the same for the touchscreen-based infotainment system. Keyless-open doors and a push-button start fit the theme of easy-operation.
• This wouldn’t be a facelift without a new front and rear fascia and an updated interior, too. By and large I think the change in appearance, inside and out, represents an improvement.
• I believe most folks will find this to be a cheerful and functional small car. Especially with the rear seats folded, there’s a massive amount of space for hauling stuff around. And the small-but-tall body shape (admittedly one shared with lots of stuff in this class) is great for ...