I once worked with a colleague who had spent time in the executive ranks of GM Korea, where some of the automaker’s least-expensive vehicles were manufactured for the U.S. market. A rising star at GM at the time, he had been on hand at GM Korea when the first Chevrolet Trax was being developed alongside its identical cousins, the Buick Encore and Opel Mokka.
While GM Korea was set to build the vehicle, an Opel executive was in charge of its development. As my colleague told the story, this German executive was determined that no Chevrolet would outshine an Opel. Perhaps coincidentally, then, the final form of the Trax was, shall we say, wanting in comparison to the Opel. As this executive didn’t regard Buick as a rival, my colleague explained, it received fittings appropriate to its segment.
Take that version of events or leave it; what is indisputable is that all three vehicles were built by the same company, and their designs were emasculating, resembling innocuous warts with alloy wheels. These cars had presence for all the wrong reasons. If that sounds overly harsh, I am pleased to say that all these deficiencies have been resolved for the second-generation 2024 Chevrolet Trax, which boasts a truly impressive redesign.
