When it comes to buying a car it’s really difficult to choose one because there are so many options, especially when it comes to affordable SUVs in a place like Qatar. We got a chance to review the 2017 Chevrolet Trax and learn more about its features and functionality. So, look no further as we think that this could be the SUV that you’ve been looking for!

Driving

I got the car around Thursday evening and was itching to take it for a quick spin. The model that I had the chance to test drive was a fully loaded, striking red LTZ. When I sat in the car I was immediately greeted with the soft leather seats and steering wheel. The driver’s seat is fully motorized and on the passenger’s side, it’s manual.

At the dealership, the car was parked in a tight spot so this was the perfect opportunity to check out how the car maneuvers. To my surprise, the car had a surprisingly good turning circle, which means I didn’t have to reverse my car multiple times to get out of the tight parking space. The car also came with a reverse camera, reverse sensors, and guidelines within the camera that turn with the steering wheel, which also made the process much easier. The sensors were pretty accurate and not too sensitive, especially compared to other cars that tend to alert the driver even if there’s quite a distance between the car and object. In the Trax, the reverse camera and sensors work beautifully together to guide the driver.

Driving the car on the road was an even more thrilling experience. Although the steering wheel felt a little too hard to hold on to and the armrest was quite high. The car had little to no road noise (the noise which comes from your tires while driving) and to my surprise, the 1.8-liter engine was quite responsive in the low RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) range between 2,000 - 3,000 RPMs. However, revving the car all way the to the redline (to the maximum allowed throttle) is not really a pleasant experience as the engine screams and the car tries to move faster but I felt that it was more comfortable to drive in the low RPM range. All you need to do is drive this car with a soft foot and I guarantee that you’ll fall in love.

The car is not very high from the ground, so its centre of gravity is well managed. This also means that you can actually turn at high speed and the car won’t roll. Taking the car to do a little bit of off-roading is fun too, as the Continental ContiPremiumContact 2 tires provide a really good grip on the road and on sand as well. The car won’t be able to climb any sand dunes, but it will surely make you look cool in the desert with its unique styling and colour options.

Functionality

For those who love to cruise with some tunes, the car also has buttons on its steering wheel to control your music and for cruise control. You are greeted by a fancy-looking digital dash, which has a speedometer, an RPM meter, a digital fuel gauge and an information screen. Yes, an information screen. This screen contains all of the basic information like Trip A, Trip B, Odometer, and to my surprise, a proper tire pressure monitoring system.

The tire pressure monitoring system is quite accurate and lets you know how much air there is in each individual tire. This informs the driver about which tire needs more air than the others. Another handy tool is that you can change the reading in the information system from kilometres to miles, which is quite handy if you’re used to one metric system more than another. You can switch the information in the infotainment system to different modes, for example, it can display digital speed, tire pressure, compass, and Trip A or Trip B.

The car boot is quite spacious and can fit a lot of items, so if you have a busy day of grocery shopping or you’re planning a camping trip, you’re most definitely covered.

Features

The Chevrolet Trax has an awesome 7 in. touchscreen monitor. It’s resistive, which means that you don’t have to use your nails to work around it. All you need is a gentle touch. You can dial a number, change the radio station, connect to Bluetooth, and much more! It comes equipped with Chevrolet Mylink, this means that it supports Apple Carplay which is awesome for all you iOS lovers out there!

The car also has a sunroof, which is great for Doha’s winter season; if you ever want to take a trip down to the beach or even if you just want to cruise around the city with the wind in your hair.

This car comes equipped with a full keyless entry system, so you don’t even have to take the key fob (a small security hardware device) out of your pocket in order to lock or unlock the car. You can just press a button on any of the four door handles to lock or unlock it.

To start the car, push the ‘Engine Start’ button and the little 1.8-liter engine comes to life!

You can also turn on the car with the key fob which means you can pre-cool the car during the blistering Doha summers.

The car came with six speakers and they sound satisfactory for the most part. Bass lovers would be disappointed because even after cranking the bass all the way it didn’t really have much bass. However, the treble was really good.

The Chevrolet Trax also comes equipped with six airbags which helps ensure that you and your loved ones are safe and sound.

The car also has automatic headlights. What are automatic headlights? If you’re driving through a dark tunnel, you won’t have to find the switch to turn them on. Nifty right? It also comes with front and rear fog lights which is helpful in dusty or foggy conditions and with rear LED tail lights. To add to the different kinds of headlights, it also comes with Daytime Running Lights (these are the lights underneath your headlights used to increase the awareness of the vehicle during daylight conditions) Personally, I liked the design of these lights - they look aggressive!

Ever been tailgated and found it super blinding? A great feature in the Chevrolet Trax is its rearview dimming mirror. All you have to do is dim the mirror and voila! No more “flashy, flashy” bothering your eyes!

My verdict: The style of the car is compact, but its interiors are spacious. This car is catered towards a small family. It has two seats in the front, and can fit three people in the back with decent luggage space in the trunk. This is definitely a family-friendly vehicle. I think this car has great value for its price and I really enjoyed the Chevrolet Trax driving experience.

What do you think about the new Chevrolet Trax? Do you think we should be doing more car reviews? If you’re interested in buying one, Chevrolet Qatar has a really compelling offer and it starts from just QR *52 per day! Click the link to learn more!

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Abdullah Amir

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