Don't count out tiny trucklets like Chevy Trax

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
3/26/2015

 

When Mark Reuss was President of GM North America (he has since been promoted), he OK'd the Buick Encore, which used an existing subcompact platform. When he did, he and GM created a new market segment now called the premium subcompact crossover. In an interview with Automobile, he recounted how the motor press and others called him crazy. The Encore went on to become the number one seller at Buick. Now Chevy Trax is starting to make waves. Just for some perspective on how many of these are selling, the Trax outsold the Chevrolet Corvette and the GMC Canyon in February. However, that isn't why it is special to GM and Chevy.

 

What makes Trax special is that 47% of its buyers are new to the Chevy brand. The value of those conquest sales goes way beyond the profit on the Trax in the near-term. These could be "forever" customers for the brand. Also, Chevy already does very well with male buyers. Trax buyers are 58% women. This means that the Trax is all about new business for Chevrolet.

 

Commenting on the Trax and its segment, Steve Majoros, Chevrolet director of marketing for cars and crossovers said, “The Trax offers customers a well-equipped, entry-level SUV that was not an option before, and it is one more way we hope to earn customers for life.” GM's legacy models have all done well this past year. Coupled with the strength of these new, bold models in new segments, GM and Chevy are poised to continue to beat the market rate of growth.

 

[patriot]

He said trucklets, then talked about little SUVs. WTF?

[JoeTrahnier]

Yeah, he kind of threw me for a loop there

[wurgs]

Truck? Even calling some of these a true SUV is a stretch.

[patriot]

Looks more like a 4x4 baby shoe.

[KMGZ400]

I have never seen one in my life, let alone know of and "males" that would ever buy that

[MikeNH]

Trucklet is an extremely common term for small 4x4s of any type.

 

And they haven't been on sale long at all but the Buick version has sold very well. I don't know who buys them but they're popular apparently.

[bjd2014lt]

I bought my wife one lol, great lil all wheel drive suv, goes great in snow and still gets her 31mpg on trips.

[Gorehamj]

My bad calling the little SUV a trucklet. A bit of a stretch for sure.

[bjd2014lt]

Whats funny tho is my finance company actually shows it as a

Chevrolet trax truck lol

[KARNUT]

I would have never bought a trailblazer till they put an 6.0 in and called it an SS. Make it run I'll give it a look

 

 

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[bjd2014lt]

Yea its not a guy ride but at 30+mpg and awd its the perfect wife ride lol