Chevrolet Trax vs Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

The 2021 Chevrolet Trax was based on the same vehicle introduced in 2015, with design updates from 2017 carrying over. The 2017 model was the first to include standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In 2020, the infotainment system was updated, and by 2021, the Premier trim was dropped, leaving only the LS and LT trims. The LS trim featured 16-inch painted aluminum wheels, remote keyless entry, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, dual front USB ports, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The LT trim added heated, power-adjustable side mirrors, rear window tint, roof rails, LED head- and taillights, remote start, cruise control, chrome belt-line moldings, and silver-painted skid plates. It also included upgraded cloth and leatherette seats, a cargo security cover, and a 120-volt AC power outlet.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid showcased a dramatic new design, featuring sharp, angular cues across the fascia and down its sides. The vehicle was longer and wider, making it easily distinguishable from the previous model. The Tucson's grille blended seamlessly with the LED headlights, running lights, and turn signals, creating a futuristic look. The base-level Blue trim shared many design cues with the mid-level SEL Convenience trim, although it had 17-inch wheels instead of 19s. The SEL Convenience trim included a panoramic sunroof and a hands-free smart tailgate. The interior featured heated front seats, cloth upholstery, and an eight-way power driver seat on the Blue trim level. The SEL Convenience trim added a 10.25-inch digital driver information display, wireless device charging, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and a 10-color ambient lighting kit. The Limited trim upgraded the lighting kit to 64 colors, added heat to the steering wheel, ventilation for the front seats, and memory for the driver’s seat.

The 2021 Chevrolet Trax was powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 138 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission routed power to either front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). While the engine sufficed for city driving, it struggled to provide additional power for highway speeds or passing, making plenty of noise in the process. The Trax had a firm ride that could be harsh over potholes and bumps, but its tight turning radius provided solid maneuverability in tight spaces. Rivals like the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 offered more comfortable rides and were more fun to drive. Chevrolet planned to introduce a retuned engine for the 2022 Trax, making 155 horsepower while maintaining 177 pound-feet of torque.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid featured a 1.6-liter turbo-four engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 226 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. All Tucson Hybrids came with AWD and a six-speed automatic transmission. The Tucson Hybrid felt noticeably quicker than its gas-powered counterpart, which had a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine. The Tucson's steering was responsive, quick, and direct, with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters included on all trims. The suspension was outstanding, soaking up road imperfections without feeling bouncy and keeping the vehicle balanced through corners. The Tucson Hybrid achieved an EPA rating of 37 mpg city, 36 highway, and 37 combined, with the Blue trim level rated at 38 mpg across the board. A plug-in hybrid Tucson was expected to offer even better efficiency, with an EPA rating of 80 MPGe and 33 miles of all-electric range.

The 2021 Chevrolet Trax offered respectable headroom and legroom in both rows. While the front seats were supportive, the rear seats had poor bolstering and were uncomfortable over long distances. The Trax featured multiple storage trays in each door and low cupholder placement, accommodating large water bottles without interfering with the driver’s elbow. The Trax provided 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 48.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The front passenger seat folded flat to accommodate larger items. These cargo figures were mid-pack for the subcompact SUV segment, and there was no option for a power liftgate or a hands-free power liftgate.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, despite its larger footprint, did not look huge but packed a ton of cargo space. The trunk offered 38.8 cubic feet, expanding to 74.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. For comparison, the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 offered 30.9 and 37.6 cubic feet in the trunk, respectively, and 59.6 and 69.8 cubic feet with the rear seat down. The Tucson provided over 41 inches of legroom in both the front and rear, with rear seats that reclined. The cargo floor had a dual-level system, and all doors featured decent, angled bottle holders. The front seats had two cupholders in the center console, and the rear seat had a fold-down center armrest with two cupholders. The Limited trim’s ambient lighting systems added flair to the cabin.

The 2021 Chevrolet Trax came with a 7-inch touchscreen running the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system, featuring easy-to-follow menus, vivid graphics, and complemented by hard buttons and dials surrounding the screen. The system included standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, voice control, and an available WiFi hotspot.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen in the Limited trim, which looked great when running the native software. However, the screen only utilized roughly 8 inches when running Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which required a wired connection. The smaller 8-inch screen in the Blue and SEL Convenience trims offered wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The interface controls for the infotainment and HVAC were touch-capacitive buttons, which could be frustrating to use. The Tucson provided plenty of USB ports, including two for rear-seat passengers, a beautiful touchscreen display, and a Bose premium stereo in the test vehicle.

The 2021 Chevrolet Trax received a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but did not earn a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Trax came standard with an array of airbags and a backup camera. The LT Convenience Package added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, and rear parking sensors. However, the Trax lacked many standard driver safety features found in rivals, such as forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure warning.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid came standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver-attention monitor, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, safe-exit warning, and rear occupant alert. The Limited trim added a surround-view monitor, highway-driving assist with adaptive cruise control, navigation, blind-spot view monitor, and remote smart park assist. The blind-spot view monitor displayed a video feed of the Tucson’s blind spots on the driver information display, while remote smart park assist allowed the vehicle to be moved remotely using the key fob. The IIHS awarded the 2022 Tucson a Top Safety Pick+.