Sub compact SUV or small SUV are the next big thing in the car industry. With features to let you have an SUV car but with the price rage of a full sized sedan is a big benefit, especially with the growing market for personal cars among millennials, young professionals and families.
We got a chance to try out the new Chevrolet Trax (LT 1.4L Model) last week for a few days and we used it as an everyday work car. So we are mostly going to talk about our quick encounter with this interesting SUV from Chevrolet.
In my experience of driving, mostly my car is a sedan which is the general choice in the market. So it was very interesting for me to see how a small SUV would play against my experience to cars such as a mid-sized sedan or an MPV.
Outside
On the outside, you will be welcomed by a modern and up-to-date look. Generally taking Chevrolet’s design philosophy with a twist for the young generation’s taste. We loved the Boracay Blue color of our test unit, it gives a very proud and energetic look that really represents the owner. Other colors are also available such as Nighthawk Black, Taffeta White and Passion Orange.
Interior Look and Feel
On the inside, the interior is generally the standard black plastic with accents of silver, aircon vents with nostalgic feel like a turbo of a jet plane. We also we appreciated the leather wrapped steering wheel and very clean dashboard control similar to the Soinc.
Dash compartments are well placed without being too prominent, we like the curved dashboard to give the trax more space and better visuals. Center controls are also nice and neat, giving the overall look of a modern and sleek.
Steering wheel controls is very straight forward with the audio on the right with the cruise control on the left. Notable to mention is the nudge based control to let you control the music track of forward, back or press to play, honestly this is more preferable than separate buttons for a more intuitive control.
Door, window and side mirror controls are very simple to understand. With it’s diagonal base placement, you will get some time not to get confused with the front and back window controls. A bit of a gripe though is the locking mechanism of the doors is still using a pull stick, we wished it was similar today where it’s along with the door knob for a more intuitive feel.
Seats are comfortable, wrapped with standard black leather that is overall comfortable. Driver seat equipped with motorized controls for flexible seat adjustment and a special lumbark switch for a better fit for your back (We love this feature BTW).
Overall view on the windshield is nice and wide, has good visibility minimal obstruction in view. Though the rear view mirror has a mechanism that needed some space on the top, a bit annoying at first but we eventually got used to it.
Photo from Chevrolet Website
Center controls is really nice, the chevrolet myLink lets you pair your smartphone to answer, make calls, do voice controls right at the car’s dash controls. We were puzzled first in where is the USB and Aux port, but eventually we saw it at the dash compartment hidden neatly.
Aircon control is straight forward, we found the level 1 fan a bit weak but you can just simply adjust according to your preference.
Space for the back isn’t that big, mostly for 2-3 medium sized boxes. Fortunately the back seats are foldable for more room space when needed, to put bigger stuff such as appliances, bikes and more.
Driving Performance
Though we had to admit, 2 days isn’t enough to experience fully the vehicle especially given the Metro Manila traffic. Still the Trax was overall pleasant to drive with a 1.4L 4 Cylinder DOHC MFI Turbo Intercooled engine that is 6 speed automatic, making fast acceleration from Gear 1-3.
The manual controls for the gear can be found right at the gear shift. Controls are responsive and gives better control of the car when needed especially when running around 40-70km/ph. Ride comfort is considered above average in our experience, it was able to handle potholes and humps nicely which is very much needed in Metro Manila’s roads.
Steering is light and accurate, along with the responsive engine of the trax made it a delightful drive. The feel was like driving a 1.5L sedan in terms of speed but with more feel as you’re driving an SUV. Interior noise is kept minimal when in low revs of around 1,500 but once you go higher, it gets more noticeable but not to the point of being annoying.
Other special features such as the hill assist control and cruise control was unfortunately not used since we had limited roads to travel.
Headlights are automatic in sensing surroundings for easy adjustment, it has multiple variables to control for indoor or outdoor driving. There was no fancy DRL lights to be seen, but the always-on headlight is sufficient enough for additional protection when in daytime driving.
Additional Features
The multiple view camera is very appreciated with views such as wide, normal and up-close for better parking assistance. We also liked that the sensors can detect side collisions, which is very neat for tight parking spaces.
Overall the Chevrolet Trax is a fresh new perspective when it comes to an small sized SUV. Great looking exterior, 18″ wheels for a more prominent feel, fast and responsive drive, full safety features and ample storage space. We would most likely peg the Trax for people with achievements around age 25 above, loves driving in urban environment and craves for weekend outings with friends or family from time to time.
One last thing we can say for the Trax is that it doesn’t compromise in features just to say it’s an small sized SUV. While other brands stripped their versions just to reach below 900k, Chevrolet’s perspective for the trax is definitely different and made it a jam packed featured small sized SUV for Php1,080,000 (LS AT model).
Currently Chevrolet Philippines is offering the Trax for up to 24 months 0% interest, check out the vehicle and promo details at http://chevrolet.com.ph/cars/trax/
*Review unit : LT 1.4L Model for Php1,218,000.
