Disclosure: The Covenant Car Company, Inc., the official importer and distributor of Chevrolet in the Philippines, kindly lent me a 2024 Chevrolet Trax Redline for seven days. It arrived with a full tank of fuel and loaded RFID cards. AutoFun Philippines paid for a carwash.

When we watch a movie, we generally view it on its own.

We soak in a new storyline, discover more about the characters, and (perhaps subconsciously) absorb the power of the scoring and cinematography. But things get a bit tricky when a sequel comes around.

The first The Fast and the Furious film, which debuted in 2001, was an instant classic because it propelled tuner culture and the American illegal street racing scene to the global stage on a glamorous medium.

But the ten sequels have received mixed reviews mainly because these started turning into pastiches of Mission Impossible and James Bond films, only with cars.

It’s gotten to the point that the Fast and Furious series has become fortified into online meme culture, stemming from the series’ obsession with “family” and the increasingly bizarre, computer-generated stunts.

Conversely, the first Top Gun movie, released in 1986, was a smash hit for offering viewers an adrenaline-filled, military-centric thriller that included light-hearted moments courtesy of Maverick (played by Tom Cruise).

The sequel Top Gun: Maverick hit the big screen nearly four decades later. Maverick has aged considerably like the generation who first saw him soar to the skies in his F-14 Tomcat.

But the new film was still a massive hit because it turned the hotshot fighter pilot into a wise, grizzled Navy veteran who knew how to put his cocky students in their places. Put another way, the sequel was a satisfying complement to the much-loved original.

It’s much the same in the automotive scene – some nameplates have comebacks that can either be a box-office hit or a monumental flop.

And so we arrive at the 2024 Chevrolet Trax, a revival of a model that has been gone from the Philippines for a few years. Will this sequel impress or depress?

Utterly stylish

Most compact crossovers, such as the Honda CR-V and the Ford Territory, are conservatively styled, almost upright boxes.

Such an accusation could not be leveled at this all-new Trax Redline, which combines good ground clearance with sleek, shooting-brake-like styling. This is mainly because of the Trax’s low height, at just 1,567 mm (for comparison, a Territory is 1,706 mm tall).

The long hood leads to an aggressive face, which includes thin LED daytime running lights mounted at the top of the hoodline. The sides of the lower bumper house the LED headlights and turn signals, while the huge, blacked-out grill makes the Trax Redline look pretty menacing.

The side profile is genuinely distinct, especially with the high beltline, curvaceous flanks, and small windows. The gloss-black 18-inch alloy wheels also feature red stripes to complement the red trim all around the crossover.

At the rear, an extremely pert lower bumper emphasizes the large, boomerang-style LED taillights encroaching into the rear fenders. The sloped rear windscreen and tailgate spoiler give the Trax a truly sporty appearance.

Racy but plasticky cabin

But all this style comes at a price – rear visibility in the Trax Redline is very poor.

Thankfully, the rear-view camera is clear, with its view projected onto a high-resolution, 11-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

This may be an effect of the car being built in the land of the Samsung smartphone, but other carmakers should check out how Chevrolet executed this.

Sitting in the Trax is also markedly different from other compact crossovers – ingress and egress are easy, but the low roof and seats make you feel like you’re driving a sports sedan—no towering over other drivers behind the wheel of this car.

The electrically adjustable driver’s seat offers good lower back support, but the cushion doesn’t extend enough to keep my heavy thighs in place.

Although I liked the mix of white, black, and red in the Trax Redline’s cabin, I certainly didn’t appreciate the overabundance of hard plastics on the dashboard and door cards.

This just isn’t acceptable for a crossover costing nearly ₱1.9 million, especially when cheaper rivals have cushier cabins.

Nonetheless, there is plenty of room for five, especially with the flat rear floor. But again, the low and sloping roof means headroom isn’t quite as generous as rivals like the Territory.

Finally, the Trax’s air-conditioning system is very strong and includes vents for the rear passengers.

But one rather odd feature is the standard steering-wheel heating system, which would only really work if it snowed in the Philippines.

Fun to drive, but wanting in power

The Trax Redline proves that its sporty credentials aren’t just for show.

It feels more taut and agile on the move than its rivals because of the quick steering ratio, a firm brake pedal, and a fairly stiff ride that keeps this Chevy utterly composed on any surface. 

However, I would have appreciated more feedback from the steering wheel. In addition, the vast turning radius means what would be a simple U-turn in a CR-V would require you to back up in the Trax.

An extra 40 PS would also have been nice – the Trax Redline, rather strangely, comes with a turbocharged 1.2-liter, twin-cam, 12-valve inline-3 gasoline engine producing 139 PS and 220 Nm of torque.

This is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that occasionally can’t decide whether it wants to downshift or not. Nonetheless, there is good grunt at around 2,000 rpm, but the huge power difference from its rivals becomes most apparent as you approach the 6,000 rpm redline.

The nice engine noise and impressive fuel economy make up for the lackluster performance. The Trax Redline gets 10 to 13 km/l in the city and 17 to 20 km/l on the expressway, with 100 km/h at just 2,000 rpm in 6th gear.

Comprehensive safety tech

One other redeeming feature of the Trax Redline is the generous safety equipment.

It comes standard with a wide variety of active-safety assists, namely:

• Forward Collision Alert

• Following Distance Indicator

• Lane Departure Warning

• Lane Keep Assist

• Auto Control High Beam

• Enhanced Front Pedestrian Detection

• Low-Speed Imminent Collision Brake

• Integrated Brake Assist

• Brake Prefill

• Vehicle Forward Movement Detection

However, when I tried these systems with the cruise control, the autonomous braking refused to engage even when the vehicle in front was alarmingly close.

The Honda SENSING system in the CR-V is far more sophisticated and makes long drives much easier.

A worthy sequel?

So, we’ve all seen the 2024 Chevrolet Trax Redline put on its show.

It’s sporty to drive, offers sensible features, and achieves superb fuel economy, all while looking so, so good. Compared to the old Trax, it’s certainly a big step up.

A fine sequel it may be, but there’s one thing about cars that isn’t always true about films – they have direct rivals. In this respect, the Trax Redline, with its ₱1,866,888 pricetag, accommodates an odd place in the market.

The ₱1,599,000 Ford Territory Titanium X is more powerful, better equipped, and much more capacious. Meanwhile, the all-new 2024 Honda CR-V at ₱2,150,000 even offers seven seats with its 200 PS turbocharged motor.

And if you’re looking for a compact crossover that’s fun to drive, economical, and good-looking, all while being spacious and quick, what’s wrong with the ₱1,890,000 Mazda CX-5 Sport?

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