A new generation of the Chevrolet Trax subcompact crossover is on the way. This comes despite the Buick Encore getting the axe, even though this model rides on the same platform and is mechanically similar to the Chevy.
Chevrolet "will reveal an all-new Trax later this year," an automaker spokesperson told Roadshow. The current model will end production in late 2022. Assembly of the next-gen crossover will begin in the first half of 2023.
Gallery: 2017 Chevrolet Trax: First Drive
Chevy moved 42,590 examples of the Trax in 2021. This was down 59.9 percent from the model's 106,299 deliveries in 2020. In the first quarter of 2022, the Trax's volume was 5,801 units, which was a 65.8 percent drop from the 16,955 vehicles in Q1 2021.
In March, a report claimed Buick planned to discontinue the Encore after the 2022 model year. This turned out to be accurate.
Recently, it has sold even worse than the Trax. The company delivered 20,072 of them in 2021 – a 51.9 percent drop from 2020. For Q1 2022, Buick moved 2,620 Encores – a 57.9 percent drop from the same period in the previous year.
Chevy updated the Trax for the 2021 model year by introducing an updated 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 153 horsepower (114 kilowatts) and 177 pound-feet (240 Newton-meters) of torque. The previous version had 138 hp (103 kW) and 148 lb-ft (201 Nm). The changes included adopting direct fuel injection, rather than port injections.
The Trax and Encore were closely related to the Opel Mokka in Europe. Since Opel is now part of the Stellantis stable of brands, the latest Mokka has no relationship to the previous version.
In Europe, the Mokka is even available as an EV. It boasts a powertrain making 136 hp (100 kW) and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) of torque. A 50-kilowatt-hour battery offers 200 miles (322 kilometers) of range. The top speed is 93 miles per hour (150 kilometers per hour).
