One of our test units, an Activ trim with chunky 18-inch tires and zesty yellow interior accents, had infotainment software that spazzed out on two occasions, eventually bricking the system and rendering the central touchscreen useless save for the backup camera. Be sure to sample both if you’re concerned about noggin space during Trax shopping. Note well: the power seat found in the top rung Activ could be placed lower than the manual chair found in other trims. This 6’6” writer found satisfactory headroom up front, even with the optional sunroof. This is a detail with which some car companies struggle not GM, this time around. Legroom was more than adequate in the front row while hard and scratchy plastic appears on door cards and console caps, and surfaces on which one’s knee will rest whilst driving was sufficiently padded. Ventilation controls are smartly placed where they can be twirled without lifting one’s hand off the shifter and are trimmed with a reasonable facsimile of real metal. Gone are the acres of rental-grade black plastic and dour switchgear, replaced with large screens and spears of colour darting through the cabin like lasers (the hue depends on trim: blue for LS/LT, yellow for Activ, red for RS). The interior is a massive walk from last year’s Trax, the type of glow-up not seen since Drake hopped off Degrassi and onto the rap scene. Trims range from mainstream LS and LT to blacked-out RS models, plus an Activ which brings knobbier 18-inch tires and a smattering of offroad-esque styling cues. Every Trax also gets the likes of heated seats, a raft of USB ports, and wireless CarPlay. General Motors has wisely paired this engine with an honest-to-Detroit six-speed automatic which, while sometimes slow to downshift, places the old continually variable transmission in the bin where it belongs.Ĭhevrolet has made the decision to offer the Trax solely as a front-wheel drive proposition, meaning customers will have the same number of driven wheels no matter how much cheddar they spend (or finance over 72 months). We saw 5.8L/100km on a 45-minute highway run. Fuel economy is rated by the feds at 7.9L/100km in combined driving, a figure we had no trouble matching after cruising Quebec City and its rural environs. The three-banger doesn’t provide any aural delight, but nor are any expected. Lawrence River exposed no real holes in the power band, with the little 1.2L spinning dutifully as it pulled us through rural areas of La Belle Province. Caning the mill through Quebec hill and dale near the St. Chevy told us a full 90 percent of torque is on tap by just 1,700 rpm, with all the twist showing up by 2,500 rpm and remaining present until just a few strokes short of the redline. Under the hood is a 1.2L turbocharged engine, packing just a trio of cylinders good for 137 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft of torque. These jaundiced eyes think the taillamps are too far apart but that’s subjective. There are enough character lines on its flanks to provide visual interest, while the de rigeur black plastic cladding does its job of making the Trax look taller than its dimensions imply, though ground clearance does check in at a respectable 7.3 inches. The front end is all Chevy, with LED running lights bookending a grille bifurcated with a spear of plastic on which the brand’s bowtie resides. Ditching the dorky tall-n-narrow proportions has helped the Trax immensely, but it’s those new threads which really leave the old model to the pages of history. For this model year, the Trax is 11 inches longer than the old model, roughly 2 inches wider, has a thoroughly modern interior with the latest tech, and wears dandy new styling. If the automotive community awarded a “Most Improved Award”, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax would be a top contender. The last one actually did happen in this author’s high school, though the prize was seeing the top administrator spit his drink across the room like Old Faithful, not a shiny trophy.īut I digress. Readers of a certain vintage may recall annual school assemblies in which various and sundry teachers would dole out honours for year-long achievements such as perfect attendance, highest marks in a particular subject, and the ability to swap sugar for salt in the principal’s tea.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |