Back in 2022, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced more stringent requirements for the moderate overlap front crash test. Why, though? For starters, passenger vehicles in the United States have gotten way heavier compared to how they were in 1995, the year the nonprofit organization rolled out said crash test.
Also worth mentioning, the update also considered the higher rate of injuries for second-row occupants in this particular scenario, especially if the second-row occupants are children or small women. Although General Motors redesigned the Trax from the ground up in late 2022 for model year 2024, the C-segment crossover performed rather poorly in the updated moderate overlap front crash test.
Poor is the lowest rating used by the safety boffins at the IIHS, followed by marginal, acceptable, and the good rating. Dummy readings indicate a moderate risk of injury to the chest of the rear occupant, as well as a high risk of head or neck injuries.
The redesigned crossover was deemed acceptable in the updated side impact test, with the dummies indicating a risk of torso injuries. The crash test dummy in the driver's seat had it worse, for the readings also indicated pelvis and head injuries.
Be that as it may, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax aced the small overlap front and original moderate overlap front crash tests. Headlight performance was rated marginal, with said rating also describing the performance of the frontal crash prevention/mitigation system in vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios. As for the seatbelt reminder and the LATCH system's ease of use, the IIHS couldn't offer them anything other than acceptable.
Photo: IIHS on YouTube
A rival for the Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30, and Subaru Crosstrek, the revised Trax is based on GM's Vehicle Set Strategy – Front platform. Assembled in South Korea and China, the 2024-and-newer Trax comes with either a 1.2-liter turbo inline-three or a China-specific 1.5 four-cylinder lump that also benefits from turbocharging.
Over in the United States, only the 1.2 is available in combination with a torque-converter automatic with six forward ratios. The US-market Trax comes from South Korea, hence the vehicle identification number beginning with K. Now available to configure as a 2025 model, the second-gen Trax retails at $20,400 for the entry-level LS.
Better-equipped trims include the 1RS, LT, ACTIV, and 2RS. None can be had with all-wheel drive, which is certain to hurt Chevy because many prospective customers would rather have all-wheel drive. The 1.2-liter turbo inline-three motor isn't anything to write home about either, with it belting out 137 horses and 162 pound-feet (220 Nm) at 2,500 revolutions per minute.
How did the competition fare in the updated moderate overlap front crash test and the updated side impact test? Turns out all of them performed better, yet only three stand out from the crowd with green ratings across the board for crashworthiness. Those vehicles are the 2024 model year Mazda CX-30, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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