The Chevrolet Trax Is a Crossover in a Smaller Package

AMERICANS shun station wagons and hatchbacks, but they cannot get enough of sport utility vehicles and crossovers. The Chevrolet Trax, a name that word processors desperately want to correct, is much like a small hatchback dressed in North Face gear. It’s something you’ll be seeing much more of — the subcompact crossover. Look for Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V at a campsite (or Jamba Juice) in the near future.

Trax is new to the American market, but travelers to Canada and Mexico in the last 18 months may have seen it. Perhaps General Motors just didn’t have the production capacity, or, it could be Buick’s doing.

Its Encore, a hit with younger buyers, shares its architecture with the Trax, and Buick could not make enough.

Trax looks different inside and out, but the skeleton and guts are the same as the Encore. A 1.4-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine delivers 138 horsepower and 148 pound feet of torque to the front wheels (all-wheel drive costs $1,500 more). The 6-speed automatic calls no attention to itself as it smoothly goes about its business.

Like the Buick, the Trax saunters to 60 miles an hour in 9.5 seconds. Two of its competitors, the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul, will have little trouble dusting the Trax. City skirmishes are helped by healthy low-end torque and a diminutive size that is 11.4 inches shorter than a Toyota RAV4.

Like the Buick, it’s quiet when cruising, though a heavy right foot, steep roads and highway merging call attention to the engine. At least it’s refined. At 26 city, 34 highway for the front-drive model, E.P.A.-rated fuel economy is about the same as the larger Honda CR-V.

The Trax feels solid, steering is well weighted, and the ride quality is dialed toward comfort but not mushy. Overall dynamics are well sorted for a tall, pint-size crossover, but handling fans will gravitate to the Subaru Impreza. Expansive glass gives the cozy cabin a roomier feel. Visibility is great except out the back.

Inside, materials look soft but aren’t. If hamsters go for the Kia Soul, squirrels will choose Trax with its veritable forest of places to stash stuff. Premium LTZ models have comfortable heated leatherette seats.

The back seat has generous foot, knee and leg room, but feels as if I’m sitting on the seat, not in it. There are belts for three, but it’s best to keep it to two grown-ups. The cargo hold is small when the back seats are in use. Drop them forward and the Trax gobbles up a good amount of kit. The front passenger seat folds forward for loading surfboards (or toboggans for New Englanders).

With 10 standard airbags, this crossover earns solid safety ratings. Pricing begins at about $21,000, but you’ll roll on old-school steel wheels. Add all major options, including all-wheel drive for light off-roading and a sunroof, and the retail price ventures into Buick territory at $28,300.

The Kia Soul (technically a wagon, not a hatchback or crossover) offers heated and vented seats, panoramic roof, keyless ignition and much more for an additional $700 than a front-drive Trax. The small Chevy has its charm, but direct competitors offer bigger value.