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Test Drive: Chevrolet Trax



 The meeting of the owners of American cars was held last week in Pravetz, Bulgaria. I didn’t have the opportunity to go there so I did a test drive of Chevrolet Trax.
 Chevrolet Trax is a small SUV and is designed to be driven in the city. The dimensions are:  width: 1766 mm; length: 4248 mm; height: 1674 mm; wheel base: 2555 mm; front/rear wheel base: 1540 mm. There are two options for drive: Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and All Wheel Drive (AWD). But the AWD is neither permanent nor eligible. Trax AWD models are with permanent FWD and in case the front tires slip, then the rear drive triggers.   
 The design of the SUV is very stylish. The design of the headlights is simple, which I like a lot. The fog lights are marked with chrome frames.  The front grill is separated into two parts. The Chevy logo is placed between them. The logo is big enough so it can be seen a mile off. The front and rear fenders are so huge that this makes impression to everybody. I don’t think that this is necessary but it’s a fact. Probably there is a reason why it’s like that.  The side mirrors are big but there is space between them and the window. This is strange for me but this can also be seen on other cars. Probably the mirrors are separated from the window for more visibility. I consider the trapezoidal window to be ugly next to the mirror.
 The rear bumper is made of black plastic material with a silver patch. The same can be stated for the front bumper. The two bumpers are connected with side bars, which aren’t in the color of the body. Usually designers use plastic side protectors to prevent scratches on the body while driving off-road.  This is a city SUV and I don’t think that somebody will drive off-road on it. Even the clearance from the road is too small. There are holes on the roads in Bulgaria so if somebody doesn’t miss the hole the car can be damaged.
 However, when you open the back door there is enough space for some baggage even for suitcases. If you want more space, the rear seats can be fallen down. The floor is almost flat.
 The rear seats are comfortable but for a short trip. The producer claims that there are three seats. Practically, the space will be narrow for three passengers. I think a limited edition of this model with 2+2 seats type can be designed. Maybe that will be pretty comfortable for a long-distance trip. Something interesting, there is a 230- volt socket between the front seats with max power consumption 150 watts on the back. This can be very useful.
 The space near the front seat is narrow. But if the driver and passenger are mid-sized it will be ok. There are a lot storage spaces as you can see on the picture. The position of the driver is high like in every SUV.  It’s too easy to drive Chevrolet Trax.
 The producer has come out with hybrid dashboard with analog tachometer and digital speedometer with a board display. I consider it ugly and cannot accept it. There is a system which helps to drive at low consumption of fuel. When the engine reaches a definite rpm an arrow showing the change to the next gear appears on the board. Additional information such as the average consumption of fuel, kilometers left to the next fuel reload, clock and so on are as a standard on the board display. Also a compass is integrated there so you cannot get lost. In case somebody got lost in the concrete jungle, which means in the city, the middle mirror could show who this guy is. (HA-HA-HA)
 You can use Chevrolet MyLink system, which is integrated in the car. It is very useful but unfortunately, the navigation system can be shown on the 7-inch-touch screen monitor only from your smart phone. Maybe it’s better that MyLink uses the navigation system from a smart phone because you can make updates of the maps faster. But that will charge the battery of the phone.  I don’t know how the integrated navigation systems in other cars update their maps. This is a good question and I’ll search for the answer.  
 There are a few engines in Bulgarian market:
-         1.4 Turbocharged AWD, 6-speed manual transmission, single dry clutch. This is a petrol engine with 140 hp @ 4900 – 6000 rpm and 200 Nm @ 1850 – 4900 rpm;
-         1.6 FWD, 5-speed manual transmission, hydraulic clutch. This is a petrol engine with 115 hp @  6200 rpm and 155 Nm @ 4000 rpm;
-         1.7 FWD/AWD, 6-speed manual transmission, single dry clutch. This is a diesel engine with 130 hp @ 4000 rpm and 300 Nm @ 2000 – 2500 rpm. There is an automatic 6-speed transmission with this engine but only with FWD.
 The tested Trax had 1.4-petrol engine and the acceleration was very good. But all the time while driving I had the feeling that the engine was in the trunk because of the noise, coming from there. I don’t know what kind of insolation there is but it’s strange. The only reasonable explanation is that this noise was coming from the cardan. Chevrolet Trax, which I tested, had a downhill and brake assists.
 Chevrolet Trax can be found in different markets under the names of: Buick Encore for North America, Opel Mokka for Europe, Chevrolet Tracker in Brazil and Russia.
 This SUV will look better if the exterior is of Chevrolet Trax and the interior is of Buick Encore (Opel Mokka).
 That is all for this week. I’ll be here next Sunday. Bye.

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