2016 Chevy Trax: Somewhere In Between
In an attempt to reach the new demographic of young “on the go” do-ers, Chevy has introduced the 2016 Trax. Because this generation was more likely raised in large SUV’s rather than minivans, they, too want to have their new adventure in their own SUV.
It’s just that now, the SUV of this new generation is much smaller, more versatile and well, not really an SUV at all. The 2016 Chevy Trax is a compact crossover and it’s zooming through your city streets.
Somewhere In Between….
If you’re the person who lives ‘in between’, the person who can’t decide on this or that, big or small, black or white, it’s in this gray area that you’ll find the Chevy Trax. Without fully being an SUV but just about too large in size for a compact car, the Chevy Trax is somewhere in between.
_ How can a car be in between? _
The rise in sales of compact cars had manufacturers taking notice. These small vehicles were selling mostly because of their amazing fuel efficiency, but also because they could simply park anywhere. City dwellers were impressed with their low cost, precarious parking, and super low gas economy.
Given the rising interests of compact cars and the steadily increasing sales of SUVs, it wouldn’t take long before the idea of melding these two into one super selling compact crossover would come to fruition.
_ “Hey, I know! What if we raised the suspension on the Sonic to be a crossover and combined that with our favorite features from the Equinox?!!” _
I mean, it may not have happened exactly like that, but I’m sure it was something similar….
Chevy Shares
The 2016 Chevy Trax shares the same platform as the Chevy Sonic. Because the Sonic is Chevy’s top-selling compact car, it’s already coming on a small base. Taking the elevation of an SUV, like the equally impressive Equinox, the Trax has a little something for everyone. Its little stature means it gets to go and park anywhere, but its height and power give it the oomph that those who love SUV’s are still looking for. Add to it a turbocharged ECOTEC engine, finer luxuries from the Equinox, cleverly designed spaces made to fold, fit and stow away for the ultimate getaway, and the Chevy Trax is ready for your next adventure.
Tech to Connect with You
Fully reaching this young demographic means fully committing to the technological upgrades and using only the very best of what can be achieved when one is connected. Keeping the standard Chevy infotainment system, MyLink , they’ve allowed for full connectivity. As the very basic function of technology is to improve the daily functions of our lives and simplify our lives, so the Trax works in the same way to help us.
Connecting to MyLink, you can stream your own music, use Siri Eyes Free to voice-activate your calendar, texts, phone lists to employ hands-free calling. Bluetooth connectivity will allow you to make hands-free calling an option to carry on conversations with those people you can’t live without, even though you just left them!
In a segment first, Chevy is proud to announce that they are the first feature built-in 4G LTE WiFi to the Trax. While the car is running, it will have a stronger connection than a smartphone or mobile hotspot. This connection is so strong and reliable that it can effectively connect up to 7 devices and the best part and the best part, it won’t run on your phone’s battery!
These are the moments that we have mini panic attacks and only once we settle down do we think silently to ourselves, “how did we ever live without cell phones?”. It may be inexplicable, but there’s comfort in knowing that matter where you go, your connection will remain through the available 4G LTE Wifi Hotspot.
No Matter Your Lifestyle, the Trax Fits You
Maybe you once owned a compact car and fell in love with how little you paid to keep it, but moving along in your life wanted to upgrade. Maybe you owned an SUV and thought, “Man, this is too much vehicle to pay for.”
What you’ll notice with the Chevy Trax is that what you lacked for space in the compact car, the Trax more than makes up for it. What you lacked in fuel economy, the Chevy Trax outperforms there, as well. There is no compromising in this crossover.
Are you someone who needs your weekends to pack the car up and get out of town? There is enough storage behind the rear seats or fold them flat to double the cargo room available. Thoughtful and convenient storage are plentiful in the 2016 Trax.
Perfectly Powered
As a compact vehicle, it’s going to be the fuel efficiency that stands out most. Getting an impressive 34 mpg highway driving, it’s still ranked above the average when city driving, getting 26 mpg. Standard Variable Valve Timing, a Chevy plus, helps to improve fuel economy.
The Trax is powered by a 1.4L turbocharged ECOTEC engine that produces 138 horsepower when fully loaded. Available AWD enhances performance especially in situations where weather conditions can be challenging. As an extra smart feature, AWD will shift into FWD when necessary.
When you’re settled into city life, you know that it’s not about power in the car you’re driving but about efficiency, size, and economy. But for those times that you want to venture out and see the great expanse of the countryside, it’s good to know that the Trax is built for those journeys too.
Not the First, and That’s Okay
In this relatively new segment of compact crossovers, there are those who came first and those who have followed. Sometimes, people look on the followers with a bit of disappointment, but it pays to be reminded that there are real advantages to not being first.
Whoever is first sets the bar. Because there was no standard before hand then the first sets the expectations and standards. What follows may be better or worse, but what’s always true is that once the standard is set, then improvements can be made. This is what happened with the Trax and this new segment.
The initial reactions to compact crossovers weren’t entirely positive, “What? a tiny station wagon on steroids?” It took the crowd a while to settle in on the idea of a crossover that small. Stylewise, it looked different. How could you fit all the goodness of an SUV into the body of a compact car, now crossover? The standard hadn’t yet existed.
By the time the Chevy Trax came into the scene, more people were familiar with this segment. Fans of Chevy already know they produce great trucks, SUV’s and cars. They win awards regularly. Therefore, it wasn’t a stretch to see them create yet another great vehicle for this new segment.
This time, Chevy could offer what its competitors couldn’t. They could design a concept that would put the Trax ahead of the game, ahead of everyone else. They could style it differently, make it sporty, youthful and fun. They could add extra cargo room and still call it compact. They could incorporate technology where others weren’t. They could speak to a specific audience and design a car just for them.
This is what Chevy did when they came up with the Trax. They made the crossover for those who need a little bit of this and a whole lot of that, for those who live in between. The 2016 Trax is the perfect answer for those of us who understand the in between.
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