2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class vs 2026 Chevrolet Trax

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class retained its iconic boxy design, a nod to its origins as the utilitarian "Geländewagen" from 1979. Despite subtle styling updates like a new grille and bumpers, the G-Class maintained its traditional features, including a flat hood and prominent corner lights. The vehicle's robust doors and latches added to its unique character, while functional changes like a repositioned rearview camera and new A-pillar trim enhanced its practicality. The interior was opulent, with a sci-fi aesthetic featuring large round vents and ambient lighting. AMG models boasted sportier steering wheels, adding to the vehicle's luxurious appeal.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax, on the other hand, evolved from its original crossover design to adopt more car-like proportions, sharing elements with the Buick Envista. It featured Blazer-like headlights, a wide grille, and a sleek profile, giving it a distinct personality. The Trax lineup in Canada dropped the base LS trim, offering 1RS, LT, 2RS, and Activ trims with varying wheel sizes. Inside, the Trax had a basic yet thoughtfully designed interior, with contrasting trim and a layout reminiscent of a Corvette. The LT model featured grey door panels and blue accents, enhancing its visual appeal.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class offered a range of powertrains, including the gasoline G 550 and AMG G 63 models. The G 550 featured a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six engine producing 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, while the AMG G 63 retained its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, delivering 577 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. Both models included a mild-hybrid system and a nine-speed automatic transmission with permanent 4WD. The G 550 accelerated from zero to 96 km/h in 5.3 seconds, while the G 63 achieved it in 4.2 seconds. The AMG G 63 also introduced the AMG Active Ride Control suspension, enhancing both off-road and on-road dynamics.

In contrast, the 2026 Chevrolet Trax was powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It featured a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Despite its modest power, the Trax offered confident acceleration and minimal turbo lag. The conventional automatic transmission contributed to its drivability, while the suspension provided a comfortable ride. The Trax felt stable on twisty roads, although it exhibited significant body roll and limited grip. Active noise cancellation improved refinement, though some tire noise and engine drone persisted.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, while not small, was more compact than other luxury SUVs, offering a tall yet short passenger compartment with ample headroom but limited legroom. Its traditional design impacted cargo space, with 640 litres available behind the rear seats. The G-Class had a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, comparable to midsize pickup trucks. Despite its size, the G-Class provided good forward visibility and was easier to park than larger rivals.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax offered competitive interior space, with headroom similar to the Hyundai Kona and Subaru Crosstrek. It provided more rear-seat legroom than the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks Play. The Trax had 725 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, comparable to a Honda Civic hatchback. Its tall seating position facilitated easy ingress and egress, while forward visibility was impressive. The Trax featured large door pockets and cup holders, though the wireless device charger struggled to hold phones in place. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated side mirrors were standard on the base 1RS model in Canada.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class featured the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It included dual 12.3-inch screens, an off-road menu, and a "Transparent Hood" feature. Augmented reality navigation and voice recognition were notable MBUX features. A Burmester 3D surround sound system and rear-seat entertainment system were expected to be standard.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a four-speaker audio system on the base model. Higher trims featured an 11-inch touchscreen, an all-digital 8-inch instrument cluster, and a six-speaker sound system. The digital cluster was easy to read, and the touchscreen had a sensible layout. However, the touchscreen's angle made it difficult for the front passenger to use, and the volume knob was awkwardly placed.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA at the time of publication. Expected standard driver-assistance features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. The G-Class also featured the Pre-Safe system and new features like route-based speed adaptation and automated lane centring.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax offered standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control was available on higher trims. The Trax included the Teen Driver monitoring system, but safety ratings were not encouraging. The IIHS gave it a "Poor" rating in the moderate overlap front crash test, though it received a "Good" rating in the small overlap front test.