Chevrolet's decision to completely reimagine its tiny Trax crossover was an inspired one. Dropping all-wheel drive to save enough money on development to make it a nicer vehicle has paid dividends for the brand at the showroom. But Chevy is not content to let cheap and cheerful wither on the vine, and the CarBuzz spy photographers have now spotted a facelifted version out on the road. Trax Got Big, Stayed Cheap, Sales Exploded CarBuzz/Valnet In the first year of sales of the bigger, front-drive Trax, sales of the vehicle quadrupled. Since then, the Trax has reached a high close to double the old model's best year. It's not a surprise, since the new Trax delivered a much more pleasant and modern experience than the model it replaced, with much more space for cargo and passengers and a price tag that, even three years later, is still below $24,000 including destination.Now Chevrolet's designers are giving the Trax a makeover, and bringing it more into line with the brand's other crossovers like the Equinox and Traverse. It won't get the squared-off rugged bodywork of those two, at least not in this refresh. But it will take on the new nose and tail.New LED running lights that look much more like those on the Equinox are visible through the mask on the front. The new headlights, sitting just below, are also partly visible. They, too, appear to have the new family face, although this isn't just a copy/paste job. The layout remains different.The taillights are well-hidden under a very extensive cover and wrap combo, but we can still get an idea of what to expect. A wider lamp appears to extend well into the hatch, which was not the case on the current model. There is a new bumper shape as well, though we can't quite spot the details just yet. New Trax Gets Tech Upgrades, Too CarBuzz/Valnet A single glimpse into the interior shows that Chevrolet will be putting a new screen or set of screens in the updated model. The current Trax has a hood over the digital dash, a feature that is still common across the industry.The prototype, though, has a flat screen mounted on its own with no hood or bezel. It also appears to be combined into one housing with the center screen, which is sharply angled toward the driver. The hoodless gauge cluster is the newer design and is becoming more common across the market. No, the giant screen to the driver's left is not a production option.CarBuzz/Valnet Don't expect any changes under the hood. The Trax is currently offered with just one engine, a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that makes 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission is a six-speed automatic, which is appreciated in this segment versus a CVT. For drivers who want AWD, Chevrolet still offers the smaller and slightly more expensive Trailblazer with that option.The new Trax went on sale in 2023 as a model year 2024 vehicle. Based on that schedule, we would expect the refreshed model to be unveiled either later this year or early next year for model year 2027 or 2028.2027 Chevrolet Trax Facelift (1)
