ArcaMax

Remember the Chevy Tracker? The pocket-sized SUV sold (in the U.S.) from 1998 through 2004? It was very popular - and would probably still be around today were it not for the fact that it got outpaced by federal crashworthiness standards that made it effectively illegal to sell the thing. (The same fate befell another successful car that the market still wanted but government outlawed - the original VW Beetle.)

Indeed, production of the Tracker continued through 2013… South America - where the federales are less in your business than they are here. Enter (by way of Korea, where it's built) the new Chevy Trax. Same basic concept - updated to meet the requirements of our federales.

WHAT IT IS

The Trax is Chevy's latest - and littlest crossover SUV. It's about two feet shorter overall than the compact-sized Chevy Equinox, which until now was the smallest Chevy crossover available.

The Trax shares its underlying platform with the Sonic sedan/hatchback, but it's much taller (by more than six inches) and offers the option of AWD - while the Sonic comes in front-wheel-drive form only.

The Trax and models it competes with - like the almost-here (2016) Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V - are the leading edge of a new and rapidly proliferating class of tiny and cheap crossover SUVs.

The Trax starts at $20,120 for the base trim (and FWD) LS. You can add all-wheel-drive for $21,620 - which makes the Trax the least expensive AWD-equipped crossover in GM's lineup.

And vs. rivals like the new Honda HR-V, which stickers for $23,215 when ordered with AWD (at the time of this review, Mazda hadn't yet released pricing for the '16 CX-3, so we'll have to wait and see).

The Trax can also be cross-shopped against pint-sized "box" cars like the popular - and even cheaper - Kia Soul (base price $15,190) and the Scion xB (base price $17,120) but neither of these models offer an all-wheel-drive option.

WHAT'S NEW

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