Chevrolet Trax vs Kia Telluride Hybrid

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax emerged as a more stylish and car-like option compared to its predecessor, which was a basic crossover. With the discontinuation of several affordable cars from Chevy's lineup, the Trax adopted a design that combined car-like proportions with SUV styling elements. This resulted in a vehicle that exuded personality, featuring Blazer-like headlights, a wide grille, and a tall front end. 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 gave it a sleek appearance. The Trax's wide stance and imposing grille added a touch of SUV toughness to its overall look.

In contrast, the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid presented a bold reinterpretation of its design, which divided opinions among shoppers. The grille, with its flat and faceless look, spanned the entire width of the front end, creating a polarizing effect. The Telluride's personality varied depending on the colour and trim level, with body-coloured vertical strakes at each edge. In lighter paint colours, these strakes appeared jarring, while they blended more harmoniously in darker shades. The X-Line and X-Pro models replaced the strakes with rectangular grille blocks, flanked by distinctive amber accent lights. The side profile featured unique faceted and angular fender sculpting, along with black plastic tabs atop each wheel well. The rear view adopted a different style with rounded corners and vertical taillights, reminiscent of a Range Rover.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax was equipped with 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, with no all-wheel drive option available. Despite its small engine, the Trax delivered confident acceleration and maintained power at higher speeds, thanks to its turbocharged design. The conventional geared automatic transmission contributed to its drivability, offering smoother shifts compared to a continuously variable transmission. While performance wasn't the primary focus, the Trax felt stable and car-like on twisty roads, with responsive electric power steering. The suspension provided a comfortable ride, aided by active noise cancellation, although some tire noise and engine drone were still present.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid, on the other hand, featured a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, generating 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid version added electric motors and a 1.65-kWh battery pack, increasing output to 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque. It was paired with a six-speed transmission, and all-wheel drive was expected to remain standard in Canada. The Telluride Hybrid offered ample power and a quiet ride, with seamless transitions between electric and gas modes. Both Telluride models prioritized comfort, delivering a smooth ride even in the off-road-capable X-Pro trim. The hybrid's 20-inch wheels provided a stiffer ride, but the suspension managed to absorb bumps effectively. On winding roads, the Telluride felt composed and controllable, with immediate brake response during panic stops.

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 a 10 cm advantage over the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks Play. With 725 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, the Trax matched the Honda Civic hatchback in utility. The tall seating position facilitated easy ingress and egress, providing a decent view of the road. Forward visibility was impressive, although the rear view was less clear. The Trax featured large door pockets and adequate cup holders, but the wireless device charger struggled to hold phones in place. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated side mirrors became standard on the base 1RS model in Canada.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid boasted ample space for adults in all three rows, although the rearmost row was better suited for smaller passengers. The low-mounted seat cushions reduced thigh support for adults, but headroom and legroom were adequate. The elevated seating position in the third row provided a better view out the front. The second row featured power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation, offering comfort comparable to the front seats. The middle-row seats allowed for flexible cargo or third-row legroom, even in the hybrid model. Behind the third row, the Telluride offered 631 litres of cargo space, with the ability to expand to 1,379 litres by folding the seatbacks. The Telluride's towing capacity reached up to 2,268 kilograms, or 2,040 kilograms for the hybrid. The interior featured ample storage options, including a large centre bin, deployable cupholders, and door pockets.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and a four-speaker audio system as standard on the 1RS base model. Higher trim levels featured an 11-inch touchscreen, an all-digital 8-inch instrument cluster, and a six-speaker sound system. The digital cluster provided a clear display with a centred speed readout and additional information. The touchscreen had a sensible layout, with an analog volume knob, although it was slightly hard to reach. The touchscreen was angled toward the driver, making it less accessible for the front passenger. The climate controls and volume knob were also challenging to reach for the passenger.

In contrast, the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid offered a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch touchscreen for climate controls. Lower trims in the U.S. had a smaller 4.2-inch instrument panel, but this was not confirmed for Canada. The infotainment system included a native navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and dual wireless phone chargers. The system was user-friendly, although there were occasional delays in response and the climate control screen was difficult to use while driving. The 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system delivered powerful bass and clear tones, while lower trims featured an eight-speaker system.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came with 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 trim levels. The Trax also featured Chevy's Teen Driver monitoring system, which activated all available 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 updated moderate overlap front crash test.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid was expected to include standard advanced safety features such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, parking sensors, highway driving assist, and rear passenger sensors and reminders. Higher trims offered additional features like a surround-view camera system, blind-spot camera system, side parking sensors, and automatic reverse braking. The Telluride's driver attention monitor occasionally triggered at night, and the blind-spot cameras were found to be more distracting than helpful. However, the highway driving assist was particularly useful on longer trips.