2015 Chevrolet Trax

The 2015 Trax is available in three trims- LS, LT, and LTZ. All three trims come with a front-wheel drivetrain as standard and can be updated for an all-wheel-drive experience for an extra $1,500. The price tag starts from $20,120 and goes up to $25,030 for the top-of-the-line LTZ trim. As standard, the LS trim packs decent specs for the price and is loaded with safety features that are uncommon in the competition, like a post-collision safety system, stability control, etc. The LTZ trim sports some posh interior features that enhance the experience to another level.

We Recommend

As the LT trim has a few added features along with the standard ones, it is the best trim that we recommend at that price point. Starting at $22,445, it is a great buy over the standard variant. It also gives you Cruise Control as a standard which will be helpful for highway driving. You can go for the FWD variant if you don’t need the AWD for your specific requirements.

Powering the 2015 Chevrolet Trax is a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline 4 petrol engine that puts out 138 horses and 148 pound-feet of maximum torque. This engine is mated to a 6-speed shiftable automatic and comes with a frontal-wheel drivetrain as standard. There is an optional all-wheel-drive system that can be upgraded by throwing some extra cash. The transmission system acts sluggish in sudden accelerations but has adequate power for city drives. 

On the highways, the transmission system does not cooperate properly and sometimes delays shifts. The engine is very refined and can hold higher speeds without breaking the power and also offer good fuel economy. In terms of straight-line accelerations, the Trax does a decent job and performance is what we cannot expect from the segment. It does 0-60 mph in 9 seconds and a standing quarter-mile in 16.8 seconds.

In terms of the raw engine power and accelerations, the Jeep does quite a good job but the Chevy is not far away. The Kia is the most underpowered car in the competition. The Buick and Chevy share the same powertrain but the latter’s heavier curb weight does not translate well in the accelerations.

Chevrolet has been very thoughtful in not providing a massive engine power and that contributed to a very impressive fuel economy considering it has a turbocharged engine. In the city, the vehicle returns 26 mpg, 34 mpg on the highways, and a combined fuel economy of 29 mpg. Coupled with a 14-gallon gas tank, the range is quite impressive too with 406 miles combined and ensures minimal gas station stops.

The Chevy tops the fuel economy section with the best-in-class performance and that translates well in the overall tank range. The next in line would be the Buick and Jeep. The Kia with its underpowered engine does not perform well in delivering a good fuel economy. However, the Kia Soul delivers a better range than the Jeep because of the bigger tank size that it offers.

The 2015 Trax sports a minimal design cabin with a lot of cheap materials used such as hard plastics. There is nothing extraordinary about the design and the features that are inside. The front has the hard-plastic-made dashboard that holds the 7.0-inch infotainment display at the middle and an all-analog instrument cluster with a plastic-made steering wheel. The steering wheel found on the higher LTZ trim sports a leather steering wheel which offers a much superior feel than the standard one.

The cabin can hold up to 5 people but is best suited for 4 if you want a more comfortable ride. The seats are cloth-covered as standard and offer good cushioning for daily drives. The cabin dimensions are not as spacious as the competition but decent. The front has enough space for the head, shoulder, and legs compared to the rear which offers tight and slightly uncomfortable seating. The cargo capacity on offer with all seats up is 18.7 cubic feet and can be extended further 48.4 cubic feet with the rear row folded down.

Both the Kia and Jeep have a more comfortable cabin experience than the GM brothers. The Kia offers more rear legroom than the Jeep and also sports a bigger cargo area than the competition. The Kia Soul also has the biggest cargo area in the competition. A few key features of the interior are as follows:

• Leather steering wheel
• Single-zone automatic climate control
• 6-way power-adjustable driver seats
• Heated driver and passenger seats
• Interior air filtration

How intuitive is the 2015 Chevrolet Trax’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment system on offer is quite good and sports a 7.0-inch touchscreen display that is coupled with the MyLink interface for a more intuitive experience. However, the screen lags quite a bit with extensive use and does not provide a good viewing experience. As standard, the infotainment features are quite decent for the price and the functionalities go high up as you climb up the trims such as a Bose sound system that includes 7 speakers and a subwoofer, navigation, and SiriusXM. A few of the infotainment features are as follows:

• 7.0-inch touchscreen display
• SiriusXM
• HD radio
• Navigation
• Bose premium 7-speaker audio system
• USB connection
• Auxiliary audio input

The Trax has a very influenced exterior look from Chevrolet’s other offerings and holds its compact form factor really well but has quite a muscular outlook. The front has halogen headlights and DRLs with a blacked-out intake grille. The rear has minimally designed taillamps with a blacked-out rear bumper. 

The SUV sits on 16-inch alloy wheels and comes equipped with all-weather tires. The exterior dimensions are quite similar to the competition and also weigh much lighter at 2,805 pounds. The ground clearance on offer is 6.2 inches and that is enough for everyday rides and can be driven in almost every road condition.

The Chevrolet, Jeep, and Buick share almost similar dimensions with the Buick being the heaviest in the lot. The Kia has more compact dimensions with its smaller length, height and also sports the lowest ground clearance in the competition. The Jeep has the most ground clearance and is the only off-road friendly option in the competition. A few of the exterior highlights of the Trax are as follows:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Heated mirrors
• Sunroof (Optional)
• Wheel lock kit
• Keyless entry

The crash testing agencies have been very kind to the 2015 model year of the Trax and that is quite evident because of its good build quality and a lot of safety features on offer as standard. The NHTSA has rated the SUV with a complete 5-star rating for its overall crash resistance. On the other hand, the IIHS has rated the same with “Good” in almost every major category. The safety features on offer include both active and passive ones, they are as follows:

• 4-wheel ABS and traction control
• Front and side airbags for the front row
• Stability control
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Post-collision safety system
• Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation
• Dusk-sensing headlamps

The Chevrolet Trax offers a great value for its asking price and is definitely better than the competition in terms of fuel economy, safety, and reliability. However, there are a few problems with the interior spaciousness, especially in the rear row which might turn a few buyers away. Regardless, this mid-size SUV is great for city usage as you get most of the features you'll need along with great fuel economy.