Chevy expects under-$25,000 Trax to become one of brand’s top sellers

Pricing ranges from $21,495 for the base LS trim to $24,995 for the 2RS and Activ trims, including shipping. Chevy says it’s gearing the Trax at younger adults and empty nesters, and it also wants to balance the vehicle’s gender mix, which has skewed more heavily toward women. The brand says it anticipates about half of buyers will choose the Activ trim or one of the RS trims — 1RS or 2RS.

Frank Kent Motor Co., which sells Chevrolet at its dealership in Corsicana, Texas, has customers on a wait list for the Trax for the first time, dealer principal Will Churchill said.

The new design improves its appeal with shoppers, particularly its styling given its price, Churchill said.

“New cars have become less affordable for a significant portion of the population, and usually when you get into a vehicle at that price point, for some reason, they’re not the most desirable-looking vehicle,” he said.

“The fact that automakers are putting design into the entry level is a smart thing,” he added.

The Trax will come standard with Chevy Safety Assist, which includes automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, and forward-collision alert. Previous versions did not have those features, Chevy said.

Andy Guelcher, dealer principal of Mohawk Chevrolet in Ballston Spa, N.Y., said the Trax will be “absolutely incredible” and allow Chevy to better compete in a fast-growing segment.

He said he is training his sales teams now on features the Trax offers since it has more content than other vehicles did at that price point in the past.

“I think it’s going to be a home run, I really do,” he said.

“There’s a push to get these prices down but also get the content in the vehicle up so you’re creating this great value for the consumer,” Guelcher added. “In the past three years, all they have known is less content and more price increases, so it’s trying to get back to that value proposition.”