Chevrolet is giving its cheapest crossover a refresh for 2027, but shoppers seeking the lowest possible price may be losing their top option. In fact, the cheapest trim in past years is going by the wayside.
Here's what to know
According to The Autopian, the automaker has dropped the Trax LS, which started at $23,495 for 2026. That means the new starting point would rise by about $1,500 to the LT trim's $24,995 level if Chevy maintains its pricing.
The outlet said the 2027 Trax brings styling and dashboard updates, but Chevrolet is also shrinking the number of options. The LS is being eliminated, the 1RS is going away as well, and the lineup will now consist of just three trims.
For 2026, the small crossover starts at $23,495 including freight, while still offering standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a conventional automatic transmission, and a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine rated at 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque.
The vehicle resonated with the public. The Autopian said sales of the pre-refresh Trax rose 16.27% in the third quarter of 2026, reaching 57,917 units.
That decision to drop the lowest-priced option sits awkwardly beside Chevrolet's continued emphasis on affordability. Even if the LS was not the most popular trim, it still gave buyers a cheaper way into a new vehicle with a warranty.
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More background
Because the current Trax generation is only about three years old, the 2027 changes amount to a standard mid-cycle update rather than a full replacement, the Autopian noted. Among the most noticeable exterior revisions is a new rear-end treatment that stretches the taillights across the hatch with a dark trim piece between them.
Chevrolet is also adding a new orange paint color. Up front, the crossover gets a reworked dashboard with more horizontal lighting, a grille that looks more mature, and bright trim choices that place more emphasis on the range-topping Activ than on the lower trims.
The cabin is changing in useful ways too. Chevrolet is fitting a bigger infotainment screen, leaving the digital gauge display uncovered, reworking the upper dash, and arranging the climate controls in wider horizontal rows of physical buttons.
Those upgrades could make the crossover feel more upscale, but they also make the tradeoff clear. When new styling and added features arrive at the same time as the loss of the cheapest trim, budget-conscious shoppers can end up priced out of a vehicle that was supposed to serve them.
What's being done?
For 2027, Chevrolet seems to be nudging the Trax a bit further upmarket. The exterior and interior are both being updated, and features like an available power-operated hatch are meant to help the crossover come across as pricier than it really is.
Simplifying the lineup to three trims may reduce complexity and steer buyers toward better-equipped versions, but it also risks shutting out people who were counting on the lowest monthly payment possible.
Chevrolet has not yet announced 2027 pricing, so the real impact will depend on whether the LT remains close to its 2026 price or moves even higher.
If that happens, the Autopian noted the refresh would look more like "trimflation," where automakers remove entry-level options and present the result as progress while buyers pay more.
Where can I learn more?
The Trax isn't the only place Chevrolet is trying to thread the needle on price and features.
• Chevrolet's affordable Equinox EV helped push the brand past rival non-Tesla EV sellers in the U.S.
• The 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV shows how Chevy is pitching more tech-heavy electric crossovers.
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