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Chevy Trax already No. 2 Small SUV, behind Encore

7K views 60 replies 34 participants last post by  eaton53 
#1 ·
Chevy Trax already No. 2 Small SUV, behind Encore
By Justin King
Thursday, Mar 26th, 2015

General Motors has announced that its Chevrolet Trax is off to a hot start in the US market, quickly rising to the second position in the small SUV segment.

The Trax has found more than 6,000 US buyers in the first few months since launch, giving it a market share of 25.5 percent -- second only to its stablemate, the Buick Encore. Dealers are said to be requesting three- to five-times their initial allocation in an attempt to keep up with demand.

The company notes that 58 percent of buyers are female, the highest in the segment, while 19 percent are under the age of 35. The small crossover is also attracting people to the brand, with 47 percent of buyers new to Chevrolet.

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#2 ·
Good news, but honestly I've never seen one.
 
#3 ·
Good news, but I have to ask who else is in the segment?

The Encore has been a surprise hit for GM, requiring the company to significantly expand production after experiencing a 53-percent sales jump in 2014. It is expected to become Buick's best-selling nameplate this year, despite internal competition from the Trax and outside threats posed by incoming segment rivals such as the Honda HR-V.
That's great for Buick, but is their only "other" competitor the forthcoming HR-V? The Renegade would qualify, but don't think it's on sale yet.

Comments aside, I really like the Trax, but still think it needs a more powerful engine (as does the Encore) to truly win more converts in the market.
 
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#7 ·
Good news, but I have to ask who else is in the segment?


That's great for Buick, but is their only "other" competitor the forthcoming HR-V? The Renegade would qualify, but don't think it's on sale yet.

Comments aside, I really like the Trax, but still think it needs a more powerful engine (as does the Encore) to truly win more converts in the market.
The Renegade just hit dealer lots. When I was in Toledo a few weeks ago there was a mile-long string of semis hauling the Renegades out of the import lot.
Our local FCA dealer just got 2 in and they're already spoken for. I have a feeling the Encore and Trax will be feeling some heat from the Renegade.

EDIT: Not 'some' heat, a whole lot of heat.
 
#8 ·
Hopefully it gets a MCE so that it doesn't look like the offspring of the HHR and Aveo.

Imagine if this thing was a looker like the Impala where the sales numbers could be. GM is all about max profit with minimal effort when it comes to these lower segments. They could build some Subaru-esque customer relationships if they weren't so lazy with sub-$40k vehicles.

There's one on my local lot. A red LTZ. These look much nicer and bigger in person but still snooze-worthy.
 
#9 ·
I saw the Trax at the autoshow and came away impressed. Much more than i had with anything smaller than the cruze. My fiance really liked both the Trax and Encore.
 
#13 ·
The small crossover is also attracting people to the brand, with 47 percent of buyers new to Chevrolet.
Nice! Now keep it reliable and you'll have repeat customers Chevy. Don't blow it!

I checked out the Trax when I was shopping for my Sonic. A nice little package, I can certainly understand why it's selling. Isn't it Chevy's cheapest AWD vehicle? That won't hurt sales here in Maine where Subarus sell like hotcakes. My 2 cents.
 
#23 ·
To me it looks like a dumpling on wheels , but what do I know ? The only thing important is the number of new buyers purchasing this product , and that apparently 58% are women !! Keep up the great work in this segment , now add another model that is more streamlined looking , to this hot market segment . Take advantage of the publicity building for Chevy , and for sure add a hot performing SPORT model to bring in the youth buyers . That doesn't mean a la Cadillac and severely slope the windshield and lower the roof line . The Ford Escape and Honda CRV are good places to get ideas that become hot sellers !
 
#25 ·
Drove in the Buick version and it's engine sounded horribly over taxed under normal highway merging.

Should have a 200 hp 1.6 liter turbo and not the anemic 1.4 liter turbo.

The renegade with either it's 160 hp turbo 4 or 2.4 liter four should easily outpace the Buick and Chevy sales combined in the near future as soon as dealerships get enough inventory.

Hopefully I'm wrong but only time will tell.
 
#26 ·
The renegade with either it's 160 hp turbo 4 or 2.4 liter four should easily outpace the Buick and Chevy sales combined in the near future as soon as dealerships get enough inventory.

Hopefully I'm wrong but only time will tell.
Probably.
But Buick has found a niche... the quiet, soft riding, not too expensive near-lux small CUV.
That niche is not as small as you might think.
 
#27 ·
I've seen a few out and about and sampled both at the auto show. Tend to like both of them but the Buick is much better done. The Trax has only one thing that gets my goat. No CD player available at any trim even as an option. Agree with those that say it needs a console/armrest in a big way too.
 
#32 ·
Does it have a USB port? Just download your CD's to a thumb drive - much better than a CD unit. This way you can have hundreds of your CD's at your fingertips vs. being limited to the few CD's you have with you. For me, I was always to lazy to swap out my CD's - my last two cars I loaded in the 6 CD's when I bought them, and there they stayed until I sold the cars. Of course personal preference, but once you make the effort to download your CD's onto a thumb drive you have them available for listening anywhere.
 
#29 ·
I don't believe it's coincidence that the Sonic's sales really took a tumble when the Trax hit Chevrolet lots... Combine the appearance of the Trax with good incentives on certain Cruze models and you have the recipe for falling sales of the very well designed, and prior to just recently, very well selling Sonic...
 
#33 ·
How is it that Honda and Mazda don't even have their products out yet and the tone of several posts is that they are already vastly superior to the Buick and Chevy? Granted, GM does have a history of being a pioneer and then letting others take over, but the two GM's are nice vehicles for what they are. To me, it's a given that the Honda will be nerdy looking and the Mazda's interior will look cool in photo's, but in real life be very plastic intensive. These are entry level vehicles, they aren't going to be perfect from any brand and all will have a level of awkwardness to their style as they are small vehicles but still have to fit humans.
 
#34 ·
The encore was a very nice looking package. I just think the engine is overwhelmed by the weight of the package. A 200 hp turbo 1.6 or a 2.4 liter naturally aspirated power plant would be barely more expensive and deliver a much nicer driving experience and possibly offer better fuel economy in the real world.

I don't see anyone out in the marketplace offering a better product at this point.

Driving the verano versus the encore is a world of difference. I think it's the motor so that's the basis of my opinion.
 
#35 · (Edited)
I always have a laugh about Encore and Trax threads. They're underpowered, dated, lacking features. And yet - they are making money hand over fist in a nontraditional segment. 200hp? A Sonic-sized SUV - a foot shorter than a Cruze, and people want it to have more power than an Equinox? Apart from the fact the chassis probably won't support it...

And a CD player? Really? I have lots of CDs and a stacker in my 12 year old car - no-one after Gen X does and this is a Gen Y-Z vehicle. it isn't intended for car guys so why worry about placing yourself in it? It's got an infotainment system aimed at younguns with USB port and flashdrive adaptor. And Bluetooth and 'Apps'' loadable via your iPhone or Android. Not designed for old farts, I'm afraid. It's young people who are driving the sales of these in every continent. They really don't care about most of the things listed as deficits.. This car is a foot shorter than a Cruze or Verano - it's got drum rear brakes fergawdsakes - what would it ever do with 200hp.

Most of you are imagining this is a HR-V or RAV sized vehicle - it isn't it's a class below. The Mazda CX3 has just been released here and it's a quite expensive vehicle, larger again so it isn't a direct competitor really. It's going to steal CX5 sales if Mazda don't watch it.
 
#36 ·
I always have a laugh about Encore and Trax threads. They're underpowered, dated, lacking features. And yet - they are making money hand over fist in a nontraditional segment. 200hp? A Sonic-sized SUV - a foot shorter than a Cruze, and people want it to have more power than an Equinox? Apart from the fact the chassis probably won't support it...

And a CD player? Really? I have lots of CDs and a stacker in my 12 year old car - no-one after Gen X does and this is a Gen Y-Z vehicle. it isn't intended for car guys so why worry about placing yourself in it? It's got an infotainment system aimed at younguns with USB port and flashdrive adaptor. And Bluetooth and 'Apps'' loadable via your iPhone or Android. Not designed for old farts, I'm afraid. It's young people who are driving the sales of these in every continent. They really don't care about most of the things listed as deficits.. This car is a foot shorter than a Cruze or Verano - it's got drum rear brakes fergawdsakes - what would it ever do with 200hp.
The Fiesta ST makes do with a good amount of power, but then again it's probably less likely to scare itself and flip over. :D

When I saw the Trax at the NYIAS last year I pegged it for what it was - a cheap small car jacked up to look tough and big. It gets the same interior materials/treatment as a $13,000 car for $7,000 more. The profit margin on them has to be ridiculous! Now the Buick stablemate is a much nicer place to be on the inside and I actually really like the sable brown interior package (but seriously I hate beige interiors so that's saying something), but still wouldn't buy the thing.

But yes, there's no need for a CD player of any sort. Heck, I'm in my 30s and irritated that my ATS has a CD player (in the glove box of all places) by default and I can't remove it without messing up the infotainment system. The Trax is pretty much the perfect car for the segment and market right now and the jump in sales (largely conquest, younger and female buyers) proves it. When these same individuals want to go upmarket and "Trade in" in a couple years they may either go to the Buick or a larger vehicle. All good for GM, if you ask me.

A 1.6T and 4 wheel disc though on a higher trim model might be nice. But who knows what GM is thinking about "sporty" versions these days...
 
#58 ·
#59 · (Edited)
This says CD readership is 3.5 million 18-35.

TOTAL AUDIENCE % COMP
9,863,000---100%
Men
8,823,000
89.5%
Women
1,040,000
10.5%

AGE
18-24
1,300,000
13.2%

http://www.caranddrivermediakit.com/r5/showkiosk.asp?listing_id=4167974
Sure now breakdown the 18-24 age (who are likely the biggest buyer of cars like Trax) demographics into young females, which means 130,000 if the roughly 10% female readership holds true.

Consider, for C&D, like young males who read it, they are likely to be 'Car Chicks' and not interested in any baby SUV. Now consider, maybe 1 in 10 might be intending a new car purchase going on the intent in the general population. 10,000.

Then distribute that across all the segments of car classes they might buy across from sports-SUV-luxury-niche - I'd give you odds on many would be shopping/interested in small Bimmers, Mercs, Lexus or Minis, or basic small hatches or sedans. Not many Trax buyers would likely pick up C&D - maybe, Consumer Reports or something.

If you're lucky, it might be a thousand, or maybe even just a few hundred C&D female readers considering the Trax at any one time - so presuming they are deterred by straightline performance in a car not intended for that, maybe not even 10% of monthly sales.
 
#60 ·
^^ Interesting but simply speculation on your part.
I've been searching for hard data but have not found it.
Automakers surely have those data in their research portfolios.
 
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