Chevy->ke199 released the Trax->ke4367 to the worldwide market in late 2012, but it didn’t make it to the U.S. until its debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show.->ke226 It went on sale here in the U.S. for the 2015 model year and was essentially a Buick Encore with some modifications and a different badge. Aimed at a younger audience, the Trax was pretty successful, with Chevy selling more than 63,000 units in the U.S. during 2015. Since its worldwide launch in 2012, Chevy has sold more than 400,000 examples of this small SUV.->ke145

Despite being updated in 2014 for the U.S. market, the Trax has gone through another facelift for the 2017 model year. The new Trax brings better looks and more functionality than the outgoing model and is definitely sportier on the outside. Along with its new look, the Trax will also hit the showrooms sporting a new trim level – Premier – sitting alongside the returning LS and LT trim levels.

More than 60 percent of Chevy’s customers that have purchased a Trax in the past are female, and of all the customer that purchase a Trax, more than half of them traded in something that wasn’t a Chevy. That just goes to show the popularity of this little SUV, even if it is a "girl’s car." With that said, let’s take a dive into the 2017 Trax and see what kind of updates Chevy is bringing for the new model year.

Update 08-02-2016: Chevy has announced pricing for the 2017 Chevy Trax. Check out the details in the pricing section below.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Chevrolet Trax.

Exterior

Outside, we can see a welcomed departure from the current model. The front fascia has been completely reworked, and the front end now has Chevy’s “proportioned, dual port grille.” As you can see the headlights take a completely different shape, and the Chevy emblem has been moved up to that upper air dam. The grille itself now has a stretched hexagonal shape, so the front end doesn’t look like it is smiling at you anymore – hopefully, that isn’t the feature that attracted all the female buyers. On the corners, the fog lights aren’t as sunk in as they are on the previous model, and the trim insert around the lights has also taken on a new, more stylish shape. Since the headlights are now shorter, the hood doesn’t appear as elongated as it did on the previous model, which allows the Trax to look more like an SUV as opposed to a glorified minivan. LT and Premier trim levels also have projector headlamps with LED signature lighting.

To the sides, there aren’t any significant changes to speak of. The fenders aren’t as flat on top thanks to the new headlights, and the body cladding is a darker color now. The darker color allows the cladding to blend a lot better at the door seams than on previous models. It’s a much cleaner look.

Around back, the only significant change comes in the form of new taillights. They have the same general shape and size, but the lens itself has a different layout. The Premier trim level gets LED signature lighting in the rear, just like in the front. The new Trax rides on 18-inch aluminum wheels that look like an evolution of the five-spoke rims used on the outgoing model. They are still five spoke rims, but the spokes have a different design to them as opposed to the flat spokes on the outgoing model.

Interior

The interior brings even more welcomed changes, with the most obvious being the changes to the dashboard. Instead of the pad on the dash that extended down around the center stack, the pad on the new model provides a slight overhang above the seven-inch MyLink color touch screen. The trim insert around the screen and the center vents is Chrome, as is the trim that surrounds the corner vents and the center console.

The corner vents on the dash are also of a different design. Instead of going with the “chameleon eyes” look that had circular vents, Chevy went with more rectangular units that sit vertically in each corner. The other major update to the interior is the instrument cluster itself. The outgoing model had a single gauge positioned on the left, with a digital display to the right. The new Trax has two gauges – one for engine speed and the other for vehicle speed – with a small 3x4-inch driver information screen in the lower right corner. The instrument cluster also has more of a rounded shape as opposed to the outgoing model's rectangular unit. The instrument cluster on Premier models will have contrasting color trim that matches the leather seat trim.

That seven-inch MyLink infotainment system offers connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (Remember when your choice in smartphone dictated what car you bought?) The system is also equipped with a 4G LTE internet connection with Wi-Fi hotspot capability. When the hotspot is activated, up to seven devices can be connected at once. Additional features include keyless open and start capabilities.

Drivetrain

Here in the drivetrain department, it’s a “more of the same” situation. Chevy didn’t feel the need to provide any upgrades whatsoever, so under that newly designed hood sits the same 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It is still mated to the Hydra-Matic 6T40 six-speed automatic. The Trax is pulled down the road by the front wheels, but an all-wheel drive system is available. Even when equipped with all-wheel drive, the system is still biased toward the front axle, so don’t expect much from the rear wheels until traction becomes an issue.

Power output remains the same from the outgoing model, with the little four-banger putting out 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. To me, it still seems that the little SUV is significantly underpowered, but then again, it does return 26 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway, so it isn’t all bad. Just don’t expect to pull much of anything with this crossover, or expect it to get up to speed in a hurry, and you’ll be Okay.

Safety

The new Trax comes standard with a rearview camera and 10 airbags. Depending on which trim level you go for, you’ll get some active safety features too. Chevy didn’t tell us which trim levels these can be had on, but we know that side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision alert, and lane departure warning are all available. If I had to guess, I would assume that these features are optional on the middle trim, the LT, and probably standard on the new Premier trim.

Prices

Surprisingly, the starting price of the Chevy Trax has actually gone down compared to the 2016 model year. The entry-level LS will set you back $21,895 in FWD form or $23,395 in AWD form. The LT starts out at $23,795 in front-wheel drive or $25,295 with all-wheel drive. The range-topping Premier trim starts out at $26,995 with front-wheel drive or $28,495 for all-wheel drive. The 2017 model goes on sale in fall of 2016 and includes a redesigned front and rear fascia, LED signature lighting on LT and Premier trim levels, and a dual cockpit design with chrome accents.

Competition

Nissan Juke

The Nissan Juke has to be about the boldest and funkiest little crossover to have ever been created. Introduced in 2011, the Juke saw overwhelming success. The Juke got a facelift in 2015 that gave it a refreshingly new look and additional cargo space. For the 2016 model year, the Juke is available in five trim levels – the S, SV, SL, Nismo, and Nismo RS. In all three “S” trims and Nismo trim, the Juke offers up 188 horsepower from a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine. In markets outside the U.S., an 81 horsepower diesel is available as is a 1.2-liter gasoline powered mill.

The Nismo RS has a power bump that moves it up to 215 horsepower – not bad for a little crossover. Needless to say, the Juke will take the Trax at every stoplight, while still offering up 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway (the Nismo RS drops a bit to 25 and 31, respectively.) The Juke starts out at $20,250 for the base model and climbs to $28,020 for the Nismo RS. The Nismo trim comes in at $24,830, so if you’re considering the range-topping Trax Premier, check out the Juke Nismo – you’ll get significantly more power for your buck.

Read our full review on the Nissan Juke here.

Kia Soul

To be quite honest I hate this boxy little SUV, but in all fairness, it does compete with the Chevy Trax and serves its overall purpose well. The Soul came into the second generation for the 2014 model year, and recent spy shots have suggested that we’ll see a new generation for the 2017 or 2018 model year. For 2016, the Kia Soul is offered in three different trim levels – Base, +, and !. The base model comes with a 1.6-liter that pumps out 130 ponies and achieves 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. In + and ! trims, the Soul comes with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder the delivers 164 horsepower and still manages to pull the same fuel economy figures. The base model starts out significantly lower that the Trax at $15,800. Plus trim comes with a sticker price of $19,300 and the ! trim commands $21,200. That means you can get the range-topping soul for $900 more than the base-model Chevy Trax. That should give you something to mull over before you start visiting dealers.

Read our full review on the Kia Soul here.

Conclusion

Chevy did a great job with the 2017 Trax. The design language of the current model was outdated and, at least to me anyway, kind of ugly. I never liked the hood, large taillights, or front fascia design, so I’m glad to see Chevy addressed every problem area that I saw with the Trax. You’ll never catch me buying one, but at least it will be more pleasurable to look at coming down the road at me or riding next to me. I know I’m pretty harsh on little crossovers, but that’s because I don’t see them as being purposeful to me. I guess I’m a little old school when it comes to having functional things. If I’m going to drive an SUV, I don’t want cargo room or passenger room to ever be a concern. All in all, the Trax is about to hit showrooms with a new look and new technology, and I can’t hate on that at all. Obviously, there are plenty of people that like it with the sales numbers Chevy has released, so more power to it. I hope the Trax performs as well as its predecessor when it does hit showroom floors.

Update History

Updated 02/12/2016: We added a series of new images of the new Trax taken during its official unveiling at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show. Check them out in the "Pictures" tab.