Chevrolet Trax vs Chevrolet Bolt

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax emerged as a more stylish and car-like option compared to its predecessor, which was a rather uninspiring crossover. With the discontinuation of models like the Cruze and Sonic, the Trax aimed to fill the gap for customers seeking affordable vehicles. It shared its proportions with the Buick Envista, yet retained enough SUV styling elements to maintain its crossover appeal. The design featured Blazer-like headlights, a wide grille, and a tall front end, giving it a distinctive personality. The sides were defined by chunky wheel arches and a pronounced rib in the doors, while the laid-back windshield and upward arc of the rear side windows added a sleek touch. Despite its small size, the Trax exuded SUV toughness with its wide stance and imposing grille.

In Canada, the 2026 Trax lineup excluded the base LS trim, offering 1RS, LT, 2RS, and Activ trims instead. Wheel sizes varied from 17-inch to 19-inch alloys, with Activ models featuring black-painted 18-inch wheels and a black grille with chrome accents. Inside, the Trax's entry-level status was evident with its rubbery surfaces, but design details elevated its appeal. Large, round air vents and contrasting trim distracted from the economical materials, while the instrument cluster and touchscreen layout resembled that of a Corvette. The interior was predominantly black, but the LT test car's grey door panels, dashboard trim, and blue accents added a touch of vibrancy. Cloth upholstery was standard on the 1RS, while other trims offered suede-like Evotex or a combination of both.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt retained a familiar look, with only slight styling changes. Its front end resembled a conventional gas-powered car more than an EV, featuring a thin slot behind the Chevy Bowtie logo and an integrated grille insert in the bumper. The 2027 model continued the legacy of the 2023 version, straddling the line between a large hatchback and a subcompact SUV, known as an "EUV." Unlike previous iterations, only the EUV body style returned for 2027. The Bolt's tall and narrow stance prioritized utility and interior space over a sporty appearance, with the RS model adding gloss black exterior trim for a touch of flair.

Inside, the Bolt underwent a more dramatic makeover while retaining its basic structure. A larger digital instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen dominated the dashboard. The push-button gear selector was relocated to the steering column, freeing up storage space in the centre console. The cabin featured hard plastic surfaces, reinforcing its budget feel, but thin padding on elbow touchpoints provided some comfort. The base LT trim came with cloth upholstery, while the RS trim upgraded to Evotex synthetic leather with red stitching. The rear seating area also had an abundance of hard plastics and lacked padding for the door armrests.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax was powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This engine produced 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, outperforming the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine in the Hyundai Venue by 16 hp and 49 lb-ft of torque. The Trax's turbocharged engine provided confident acceleration, with no discernible turbo lag, and felt poised on twisty roads. Despite some body roll and limited grip, the Trax offered a stable and car-like driving experience. The suspension effectively absorbed bumps, and active noise cancellation enhanced refinement, although some tire noise and engine drone persisted.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt featured a new 65-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron phosphate battery pack, reducing costs and reliance on rare earth minerals. A motor from Chevy's Equinox EV delivered 210 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels, achieving a 0-100 km/h time in the low seven-second range. While not the fastest by EV standards, the Bolt's acceleration was impressive compared to gas-powered subcompact SUVs. One-pedal driving was available, with medium or high levels of brake regeneration. The ride was firm but not overly stiff, and road noise was more noticeable due to the absence of an internal combustion engine. The Bolt's low centre of gravity contributed to its agility on curvy roads. On a full charge, it offered up to 422 kilometres of range, with a Tesla-derived North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge port and increased charging speed from 55 kW to 150 kW.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax offered competitive interior space for a pint-sized crossover, with headroom comparable to the Hyundai Kona and Subaru Crosstrek. While the Subaru provided more front legroom, the Trax excelled in rear-seat legroom, offering an additional 5.5 cm compared to the Subaru and 10 cm more than the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks Play. With 725 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, the Trax rivalled the Honda Civic hatchback. The tall seating position facilitated easy ingress and egress, and forward visibility was impressive. However, the rear view was less clear, compensated by large exterior mirrors. The front seats were positioned inboard, limiting centre console storage but allowing for large door pockets. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated side mirrors were standard from the base 1RS model.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt featured an upright driving position, providing ample space for larger occupants. Taller drivers might have wished for more telescopic extension from the steering wheel. The rear seats offered plenty of headroom and adequate thigh support, with a flat floor reducing the penalty for centre-seat passengers. The Bolt's cargo capacity was 459 litres behind the rear seats, with a large bin underneath the floor for additional storage. The rear seatbacks folded flat with the cargo floor in its upper position. While there was no frunk, the Bolt offered ample storage for personal items, including a large bin with movable dividers, a big floor tray, and a deep centre armrest bin. A rubberized wireless phone charger, additional dashboard pockets, and moderate door pockets provided convenient storage options.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and a four-speaker audio system on the 1RS base model. Higher trims featured an 11-inch touchscreen, an all-digital 8-inch instrument cluster, and a six-speaker sound system. Two USB ports for connectivity were standard, with additional charge-only USB ports for rear-seat passengers on all but the 1RS trim. The LT model's digital cluster displayed a large centred speed readout, while the touchscreen had a sensible layout with a stack of icons. An analog volume knob was included, though it was somewhat hard to reach. The touchscreen was angled toward the driver, making it less accessible for the front passenger.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt featured an 11-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.3-inch centre touchscreen, shared with the Chevy Colorado midsize truck. The infotainment system ran on a Google-based operating system, lacking support for Apple CarPlay and standalone Android Auto. Bluetooth pairing was necessary for personal music libraries, but browsing control was satisfactory. The optional Technology package added a surround-view camera system, a digital rear-view mirror, and a wireless charging pad. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with logical menus, sharp graphics, and quick responses. The Bolt's navigation system could locate charging stations and precondition the battery for optimal charging rates. Vehicle-to-load charging was also available, allowing the Bolt to serve as a backup power source for a home.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax offered standard driver-assist features, including automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist, and a following distance indicator. Adaptive cruise control was available on higher trims. The Teen Driver monitoring system activated all safety features and allowed parents to monitor their teens' driving behaviour. However, full safety ratings were not available at the time of writing, with the Trax receiving a "Poor" rating in the IIHS's moderate overlap front crash test and low marks for headlights and front-crash prevention tech.

The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt's crash test results were not available at the time of writing, but it was expected to achieve high scores based on its platform. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors with active steering assist, and a safety alert seat. The optional Technology package added a surround-view camera system, a digital rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, rear pedestrian alert, and traffic-sign recognition. GM's Super Cruise hands-free automated highway driving system was available for an additional cost.