If you’ve been searching your local Chevy dealer for a new SUV, chances are high that you’ve seen or even considered buying the latest iteration of Chevy’s simple subcompact SUV: the 2025 Trax. This Trax is coming off the heels of a massive redesign in 2024 that saw it become longer, wider, and lower in frame—and even lower in price.
Chevy has clearly found a sweet spot for the Trax and hasn’t made any major changes for 2025 aside from two new exterior colors and loads of updated tech—all at the same stunning price. This makes the Trax an attractive option for an “entry-level” vehicle for new families in need of more space or new drivers looking for a headstart on the industry’s best advancements.
The Chevy Trax is available in five trims for 2025, carrying over all the new trims added in 2024, including the stylish and imposing 1RS and 2RS and the sporty ACTIV. These trims are mercifully simple to understand, piling on new standard features on top of one another, but some have their unique features that can sway your decision at the dealer. Let’s dive in and take a look at what features sit at each level of the Trax ladder…
The Trax LS
The LS is our starting point and comes equipped with a fantastic baseline of modern automotive tech, with a focus on safety, convenience, and quality of life compared to Chevy’s other offerings. Standard on all trims of the 2025 Chevy Trax is Chevy Safety Assist, a suite of automated driver assistance features including Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, Following Distance Indicator, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, and more as available add-ons.
Not part of Chevy Safety Assist but likewise standard on all trims of the 2025 Trax, Chevy’s Teen Driver tool allows parents to moderate certain features of their SUV when handled by a new driver. You can set automatic speed alerts and a volume limit and receive an in-vehicle “report card” at the end of any driving session to track your teen’s performance.
These features come to you by way of an eight-inch color touchscreen on the Trax’s dashboard, which includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, access to an in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot, and an optional wireless phone charger that’s available on all trims of the Trax.
The Trax 1RS & 2RS
Moving up the ladder, the 1RS and 2RS are different trims with very different price points, but they exist in a realm apart from the other Trax trims thanks to their different aesthetic approach. These trims both share a unique exterior design that evokes a sleeker, darker aesthetic, including black bowtie emblems on the front and rear, a black grille insert, red interior accents, and 18-inch machined two-toned aluminum wheels (versus the LS’s 17-inch steel wheels). There’s no accounting for taste, but visually speaking, the 1RS and 2RS are built as sporty, stylish city drivers as opposed to your usual compact crossover.
Moving inside, the 1RS has a number of notable upgrades over the LS, including a heated flat-bottom steering wheel, heated driver and front passenger seats, heated power-adjustable outside mirrors, and remote start functionality. Being able to start and quickly heat your Trax from the comfort of your home is an underrated benefit—and if you live in an area with particularly harrowing winters, these features can be (sometimes literally) a lifesaver. Furthermore, available for the 1RS and up is the Sunroof Package, which nets you a power-adjustable sunroof.
The 2RS trim features all of these as well, in addition to the same interior technologies and comfort features of the LT and ACTIV, which we’ll explore below. It shares the spot with the ACTIV as the most expensive Trax trim, but for good reason, existing as an option for those who favor the RS appearance package but want to enjoy the same quality of life features as the Trax’s other trims.
The Trax LT
The LT trim can be considered a direct upgrade to the LS, losing the unique visual stylings of the two RS trims and the ACTIV but expanding upon the same simple looks and features of its base trim. The LT sits upon 17-inch machined two-toned aluminum wheels and features unique LT ornamentation alongside slick, silver-hued front and rear exterior accents and body-colored mirror caps. One of the signature features of the LT is the LED Daytime Running Lamps, which automatically switch on whenever the engine is running. These can provide a substantial amount of illumination even at dusk but mainly exist to keep you visible on the road, reducing the chance of accidents.
As we move to the interior, the LT is a substantial jump up the ladder, featuring a blend of cloth and synthetic leather upholstery on the seats and an 11-inch color touchscreen over the previous trims’ eight-inch touchscreen, in addition to an eight-inch Driver Information Center. Other upgrades include a new six-speaker audio system (replacing the four-speaker on the LS) and the notable addition of single-zone automatic climate control, which allows you to automatically maintain a selected temperature in the cabin of your Trax at all times.
The Trax ACTIV
Sitting atop 18-inch black-painted aluminum wheels with high-gloss black mirror caps, distinct Titanium-colored chrome accents on a black grille, and unique badging throughout, the Trax ACTIV is the “pinnacle trim” of the Chevy Trax, sharing the spot with the 2RS as they both come at the same price. With the intent of being an all-in-one package of everything the Trax is capable of, the ACTIV has most of the standard features we’ve discussed today and even more to spare.
Visually, the ACTIV was designed with luxury in mind, evoking the feeling of a top-level SUV without the horrifying sticker price. Whether or not it accomplishes this goal is, again, up to you, but the addition of the distinct badging and stark black wheels helps to make the ACTIV stand out amidst the crowd without losing the simplicity that makes it so appealing to your average driver.
On the inside, the ACTIV’s true value shows itself, offering almost every amenity we’ve covered today: the six-speaker audio system, remote start, the 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, the full Chevy Safety Assist suite with Teen Driver, and available upgrades such as a power-adjustable sunroof and a wireless charging pad.
Even with all this, there’s just a little more to top off the ladder: an eight-way power-adjustable heated driver’s seat with two-way power lumbar controls, full Evotex synthetic leather upholstery, and a wrapped and heated steering wheel. Remember, if the ACTIV’s style isn’t for you, the 2RS also hosts most of these features at the same price point, giving drivers some choice in picking their pinnacle trim.
Following Along the Trax
The Chevy Trax has always been a favorite among family drivers, teen drivers, and those looking for a foot in the door when it comes to car buying. Its strategically low price point and simple-to-understand trim lineup lend it fantastic value for those new to car shopping. As automotive technology advances in new and exciting ways, the most convenient advancements often become locked behind the most prohibitively expensive trims. As the years go on, we can only hope that Chevy will continue to treat the Trax as their sample palette—a stepping stone for drivers who’ve never otherwise had the chance to experience the future.
