2025 Chevrolet Trax

2025 is the second model year of the second-generation Trax (launched for 2024) and a carry-over year. Every trim (LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS, ACTIV) uses the same 1.2L turbo three-cylinder, so the volume LT figure is also the range maximum, and it sits below the SUV band floor.

162 lb-ft is the only torque figure offered for 2025. The turbo gives it decent low-end pull for its size, but the number is near the bottom of the SUV band.

Instrumented tests of the one 137-hp/6-speed setup fall between 8.5 and 9.5 s. Car and Driver got 8.5 s from a 2025 ACTIV, and other tests landed at 8.8–9.1 s. We use 9.1 s as the representative figure. That is enough for merging but among the slowest SUVs in the dataset.

Reviewers note a lull before boost builds, then a fairly abrupt surge that can feel lurchy in town. The three-cylinder is well isolated and quieter than the price suggests. Smooth enough overall, but with clear turbo lag under load.

The conventional six-speed automatic shifts smoothly and avoids the drone of the CVTs many subcompact rivals use. It is slow to kick down for passing, and six ratios are few, which keeps it mid-band.

Chevrolet publishes no trailering rating for the second-generation Trax in any configuration and offers no factory hitch. Third-party sites that quote about 1,263 lbs are carrying over the discontinued first-generation figure.

No 2025 Trax offers all-wheel drive. Every trim, including the rugged-looking ACTIV, is front-drive only, which puts it behind the AWD-optional Trailblazer, HR-V, Kicks and Crosstrek.

Built for pavement only: front-drive, with no terrain modes, skid plates or low range. The ACTIV trim is an appearance package, and roughly 7 in of ground clearance handles curbs and snowy parking lots at best.

One powertrain, take it or leave it: a 1.2L turbo three, six-speed automatic and front-drive on every trim. There is no hybrid, bigger engine or AWD variant, and the only variation is flex-fuel versus gasoline-only certification.

Every 2025 Trax uses the same 1.2L turbo three, six-speed automatic and front-drive. EPA lists the flex-fuel build (the figure Chevrolet advertises) at 30 MPG combined. A gasoline-only build is rated 29 MPG.

28 MPG city is strong for a non-hybrid SUV, though well short of the hybrid subcompacts, since the Trax has no electric assist at low speed.

The small turbo triple and front-drive-only layout give it a good highway figure for a gas SUV.

A 13.2-gallon tank at 30 MPG combined works out to about 396 miles per fill. That is mid-pack at best, because the small tank offsets the good economy. EPA rates E85 range at 288 miles.

EPA's current estimate at 15,000 mi/yr on regular is $2,150 for the 30-MPG flex-fuel build and $2,250 for the 29-MPG gasoline-only build. That is cheap to run by SUV standards, though hybrid subcompacts cost less.

The turbocharged 1.2L runs on 87-octane regular with no premium recommendation. The flex-fuel build can also use E85, which adds a cheap-fuel option where it is sold.

NHTSA published a 4-star overall rating specifically for the 2025 Trax SUV, with 5 stars in side impact but only 4 stars for frontal crash and rollover.

No Top Safety Pick of any kind for 2025: Good in small overlap front, but Poor in the updated moderate overlap test (driven by rear-passenger injury measures) and only Acceptable in the updated side test. A Poor result in a core crashworthiness test puts it in the bottom band despite the Good small-overlap result.

Chevy Safety Assist is standard on all 2025 trims (LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS, ACTIV): automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, following distance indicator and IntelliBeam auto high beams. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise, however, sit in the extra-cost Driver Confidence package — core standard, key items optional.

IIHS front crash prevention is the Trax's weakest area: Poor in the updated vehicle-to-vehicle test and Marginal for pedestrian detection, with weak nighttime performance compounded by short-reaching low beams.

Blind-spot monitoring with lane-change alert and rear cross-traffic alert are available on every trim via the Driver Confidence package, but they are alert-only, not standard, and there is no safe-exit warning or active intervention.

Lane keep assist with lane departure warning is standard, but it is a corrective nudge only — the Trax offers no lane centering at any trim.

Adaptive cruise is available only as an option on upper trims, so LS and 1RS buyers get conventional cruise only, and with no lane centering there is no combined highway-assist mode.

Super Cruise is not offered on the Trax at any trim or option level; there is no hands-free capability.

IIHS rates the Trax's headlights Marginal across the range with no better-rated option on upper trims; low and high beams fall short on left curves. Standard IntelliBeam auto high beams are the one mitigating factor.

The upright greenhouse and low cowl give good forward sightlines, which reviewers praise, but thick rear pillars leave over-the-shoulder blind zones, there is no 360-degree camera, and blind-spot monitoring costs extra.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable, with two rear positions carrying full LATCH hardware. Rear legroom and door openings are generous for a subcompact, but three-across isn't realistic and anchors take some digging.

2025 is the second model year of the second-generation Trax (launched for 2024) and a carry-over year. It is a two-row, five-passenger subcompact SUV on every trim, with no third row or six-seat option.

Front headroom is generous for a subcompact. The figure is for the volume LT without a roof opening. The $895 power sunroof takes some of that space when fitted.

Front legroom is middle-of-the-pack for SUVs overall and roomy for a subcompact, thanks to the second-generation body being about 11 in longer than the first.

The roofline is low, but the rear seat sits low enough to leave 38.1 in of headroom, above the midpoint of the SUV band.

Rear legroom is the Trax's best dimension. At 38.7 in it is close to midsize-sedan space and among the best of any subcompact SUV, so adults fit behind adults.

The 2025 Trax has two rows only. No trim offers a third row, so this item falls in the low band by definition.

25.6 cu ft behind the rear seat competes well with subcompact rivals. In absolute terms it sits at the bottom of the all-SUV band, which reaches up to full-size three-row utilities.

The 54.1 cu ft maximum is useful space for the class but sits just under the floor of the SUV band.

Small-item storage is conventional: a padded center armrest bin, an open console shelf and decent door bins. Wireless charging is optional on the upper trims. There is no underfloor cargo storage, no 110V outlet and no rear center armrest, so nothing here counts as clever packaging.

Reviewers disagree on the seats. Consumer Reports finds the second-generation front seats hard and short in the cushion, while 2025 testers (Clean Fleet Report on the ACTIV with its 8-way power driver's seat) call them comfortable and supportive. The volume LT has manual seats only. The roomy rear bench helps, but the CR complaint keeps this below mid-band.

The ride is smooth and composed on the highway and good for the price. Sharp impacts still come through as jolts, a result of the short wheelbase and torsion-beam rear axle, especially on the larger wheels of the upper trims.

Active noise cancellation keeps highway wind noise low, and some 2025 testers found the cabin surprisingly quiet. Consumer Reports, however, marks the car down for the three-cylinder's gravelly note under load and for elevated road noise. The sunroof also buffets when open.

Comfort equipment is thin. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are optional on the volume LT and standard only on 2RS/ACTIV. No trim offers ventilated seats, rear-seat heat or rear climate controls, and reviewers note there are no rear air vents. Automatic climate control and widely available remote start help.

The 2025 Trax LS lists at $20,400 plus a $1,395 destination charge after GM's March 2025 price increase, one of the cheapest new SUVs in the US and well below the bottom of the SUV band.

The mid-range LT, the popular pick for its 11-inch touchscreen, remote start and automatic climate control, lists at $23,995 delivered; even the top 2RS/ACTIV at $25,795 sits below the SUV band floor.

A simple 1.2L turbo three-cylinder with a conventional six-speed automatic, FWD only, keeps service needs modest; estimates spread from KBB/CarEdge's lower figures to Edmunds' dealer-rate model, and a midpoint lands in the better half of the SUV band.

Resale is the Trax's weak ownership metric: it depreciates faster than the subcompact-SUV average, a common penalty for a value-priced domestic crossover with heavy volume. The low sticker keeps absolute dollar loss small even though percentage retention is below the class norm.

GM's standard 3/36 bumper-to-bumper coverage is the industry floor and trails the Hyundai/Kia 5/60 on the Venue, Kona and Seltos it competes with directly.

5/60 powertrain coverage is the mainstream baseline and half the term of the 10-year/100,000-mile Hyundai and Kia rivals at the same price.

A single complimentary service visit is token, but 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance beats most rivals' 3-year cover and 2025 is the first model year with OnStar Basics included for 8 years. Short included maintenance plus solid roadside puts it mid-band.

$23,995 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $11,998) leaves about $11,998 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $17,598 in total.

The survey-based signals for the 2025 Trax, a carry-over second year of the generation launched for 2024, are above average: Consumer Reports rates it more reliable than other 2025 models and J.D. Power predicts 83/100 ("Great"). Those models don't yet capture the growing count of NHTSA complaints about 1.2L engine failure across 2024–2026 Trax, and that keeps this score out of the top band.

Chevrolet sits in the upper-middle of the recent dependability studies but isn't top-tier. It placed 5th overall at 169 PP100 in the 2025 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study and 3rd among mass-market brands at 178 PP100 in the 2025 Initial Quality Study, where the industry average was 192.

The 2025 model year has one campaign, 26V539000, for a rearview camera image that can be distorted or blank. That is a hardware replacement shared across a 306,511-unit GM small-crossover population, and the 2024 cars also had a recall for instrument-cluster software. Recall activity is typical with nothing yet systemic, but the complaint pattern for 1.2L engine failures is unresolved with no campaign, which puts this in the lower half of the middle band.

Every 2025 Trax uses GM's 1.2L turbo three-cylinder (137 hp) with a six-speed automatic. That engine family is the subject of a March 2026 federal class action alleging connecting-rod failures, with NHTSA complaints describing failures well under 20,000 miles and several fire reports, and no remedy has been issued. The six-speed automatic has a proven record, but the open engine-failure pattern puts this in the low band.

The 2025 cabin is unchanged from the 2024 launch and is dominated by hard, budget-grade plastics on the dash and doors, which reviewers accept at the price but rank below rivals such as the HR-V and Seltos.

Assembly is better than the materials. Reviewers find the Korean-built Trax solidly put together, with no squeaks or rattles reported, and Chevrolet placed 3rd among mass-market brands in the 2025 J.D. Power IQS. Scattered complaints about electrical and infotainment problems in NHTSA filings keep it out of the top band.

Chevrolet has one of the densest US dealer networks, with about 2,800 franchised dealers, which is a real advantage in rural areas. Service satisfaction is good but trails the mass-market leaders.

Parts are cheap and widely available through GM's supply chain, and routine repair costs run below the all-model average. An out-of-warranty 1.2L engine replacement would be a very large bill relative to the car's value.

The volume LT is the cheapest 2025 trim with the 11-inch color touchscreen. The LS and 1RS get an 8-inch unit. The hardware carries over from 2024.

The 11-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system gets consistent praise for speed and legibility, and physical climate controls remain. It is an older architecture than the Google built-in system in the Equinox and Traverse, and two of the five trims get the smaller 8-inch screen.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on every 2025 trim, including the LS. That is best practice at this price and the strongest part of the Trax's tech package.

Voice control is basic OnStar/embedded commands, with no natural-language assistant and no Google built-in. No trim offers embedded navigation, so mapping depends on CarPlay or Android Auto.

Audio is basic: four speakers on the LS/1RS and six on the LT and above. No branded premium system is offered on the second-generation Trax, unlike its platform-mates the Envista and Encore GX, which offer Bose.

The LT and above get an 8-inch reconfigurable driver information display that testers find easy to read. The LS and 1RS drop to a smaller display, and even the 8-inch unit offers only modest configuration.

GM delivers over-the-air infotainment and software updates through OnStar Connected Services on this platform. Because the Trax is not a Google built-in or Ultifi vehicle, those updates are maintenance and fixes rather than new features.

The myChevrolet app covers the essentials: remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle location, diagnostics and hotspot management. Remote commands need a paid plan after the trial, and there is no phone-as-key.

USB-A and USB-C ports cover the basics, and a Wi-Fi hotspot is available. Wireless charging is an add-on on the upper trims only, and there is no 110V outlet.

Remote start is widely available, and keyless entry with push-button start comes on the LT and above. Sources differ on whether proximity entry is standard on the LT or part of a package. The LS and 1RS keep a conventional key, and no trim offers a hands-free liftgate or phone-as-key.

Every trim has a standard HD rear camera, but that is the only standard aid. Rear park assist comes only in the optional Driver Confidence package. There are no front sensors, and no trim offers a surround-view camera.

No 2025 Trax trim offers a head-up display, which matches the rest of GM's subcompact lineup.

Family logistics are the Trax's strength. It has 38.7 in of rear legroom, wide rear door openings, and a low cargo floor with 25.6 cu ft behind the rear seat, enough for a stroller without folding anything. Two things keep it out of the top band: only two LATCH positions and an Acceptable, not Good, IIHS LATCH ease-of-use rating.

Chevy Safety Assist is standard on every trim: automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, following-distance indicator and auto high beams. But IIHS rates the second-generation Trax Poor for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention and Marginal for headlights, and NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall. Blind-spot alert, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise cost extra in the Driver Confidence package.

Rear passengers get real legroom, and 25.6 cu ft of luggage space with every seat filled is good for the class. Long-trip comfort suffers from the lack of rear air vents and a rear armrest, no rear heated seats or entertainment, a three-cylinder that stays audible, and a 13.2-gal tank that means frequent stops.

Commuting suits the Trax well. It has light steering, a conventional six-speed automatic instead of a droning CVT, enough turbo torque for stop-and-go traffic, and good forward visibility from a slightly raised seat. Highway merges take some planning with a roughly 9-second 0–60 time.

At 30 MPG combined on regular fuel, fuel costs roughly $1,650 a year over 15,000 miles, and running costs are low. It falls short of the top band only because hybrid rivals cut per-mile cost much further.

A 178.6-in length, a roughly 36.7-ft turning circle and light steering make the Trax easy to thread through a city. A standard rear camera helps. Rear visibility is only adequate, and rear park assist and cross-traffic alert are optional.

Chevrolet publishes no tow rating for the Trax, and 137 hp driving the front wheels only leaves no margin for loaded work. Its one work asset is 54.1 cu ft of flat, wide load space for light supply runs.

Evotex synthetic-leather upholstery (LT and up) and hard plastics clean up easily, and Chevrolet's dealer network is dense. Against that, the 1.2L turbo three-cylinder has no fleet-duty track record, and the basic warranty is a short 3 yr/36,000 mi.

There is little provision for work use: no 110V outlet, no factory hitch or tow rating, and minimal tie-downs. What helps is the roof rails on the LT, 2RS and ACTIV, a mature aftermarket crossbar market, and wipe-clean surfaces.

The Trax cruises the highway better than its price suggests, thanks to active noise cancellation, a smooth highway ride and a real six-speed automatic. It is held back by only about 396 miles of range, front cushions that Consumer Reports calls hard, and adaptive cruise being optional, with no lane centering.

The Trax is built for pavement. It is front-wheel drive only at every trim, has no tow rating, and the ACTIV trim changes styling only, not hardware. It does offer 7.3 in of ground clearance, roof rails for bikes or a cargo box, and a flat-folding rear seat, which keeps it out of the bottom band.

Cargo space is the Trax's headline feature. It has 25.6 cu ft behind the rear seat and 54.1 cu ft folded, near the top of the subcompact class, with a wide opening, a low floor, a 60/40 folding seat and roof rails. It misses the top band because it has no underfloor storage, no hitch and no power liftgate.

The chassis handles like a car. Body control is good and reviewers rate the handling above most subcompact rivals, though some body roll shows up in hard cornering. The limits are modest and the car is not sporty, so it lands in the upper half of the secure-but-ordinary band.

The electric steering is light and quick, which suits the city. Reviewers split on feedback: some call it surprisingly communicative, others vague. It is accurate enough but fairly numb.

The brakes stop straight and the pedal is firm and easy to modulate. The hardware is basic, with vented front discs and rear drums, and no instrumented 60–0 figure was found for 2025, so this stays below the top band.

The 137-hp 1.2L turbo three-cylinder has noticeable lag before boost arrives, then surges. The six-speed automatic can hunt at low speeds and is slow to kick down, and Consumer Reports calls the power delivery uneven. 2025 testers praise its smoothness once it is moving.

Active noise cancellation and a balance shaft keep vibration in check, and some 2025 testers found the engine quiet. Consumer Reports still flags the three-cylinder's gravelly sound under load and pronounced cabin noise, so the intrusion is real under hard acceleration.

The second generation's front-drive-only chassis, carried over for 2025, turns in 36.7 ft curb to curb. That is tighter than the middle of the SUV band and handy in parking garages.

Visibility is a strength: a raised seat, thin pillars and physical climate controls within easy reach. The volume LT's manual seat and Consumer Reports' complaint about short, hard front cushions hold it to mid-band.

The Trax is lively in town and corners with easy confidence, which is more character than its price suggests. With a 0–60 time of about 9 seconds, no paddle shifters and a coarse three-cylinder, the fun fades once you ask for pace, so it is pleasant rather than memorable.

Even the $21,795 LS includes an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, LED headlights, push-button start and the full Chevy Safety Assist suite (AEB, lane keep assist, forward collision alert, auto high beams). It stops short of higher because the LS has steel wheels and four speakers, and blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise are reserved for upper trims.

At $21,795–$25,795 delivered the Trax is among the least expensive new SUVs sold while offering near-compact rear-seat and cargo space and an 11-inch screen from LT up — the price-to-content case behind its 10Best awards. Held just short of the top by a 137-hp three-cylinder and no AWD at any price.

Five trims — LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS, ACTIV — offer a value ladder and a sporty or rugged styling choice at the top. But there is one engine, one transmission, no AWD configuration, and only a ~$4,000 spread from base to loaded.

The second-gen Trax became the runaway US subcompact SUV sales leader almost immediately, topping the class through 2024 and 2025 with roughly 200,000 annual deliveries, well clear of the HR-V, Crosstrek and Corolla Cross.

Chevrolet is a strong, widely considered mainstream brand but carries no aspirational halo, and the Trax's below-average residuals reinforce a neutral reading.

Buyers have seen steady subvented financing (2.9% APR for 48 months), national lease programs and, on leftover 2025 stock, a $500 cash allowance on LT/2RS/ACTIV — real if modest support on a car this cheap, without desperation pricing.

2025 is only the second model year of the second-generation Trax introduced for 2024, so the design is current with no replacement in sight; changes for 2025 were minor. The dated powertrain — three-cylinder, six-speed automatic, no hybrid or AWD — limits it to the upper-middle band.

The 2025 Trax earned Car and Driver's 10Best Trucks and SUVs for the second straight year, with the editor calling it 'an automotive tour de force.' Broader buyer-guide rankings place it mid-pack in the subcompact class rather than at the top, keeping it at the band's edge.