For shoppers hunting for a stylish, well-equipped crossover that still feels like a deal, the Chevrolet Trax feels like an easy pick. The latest 2024 redesign brought a sleek exterior, a roomy cabin for its size, and a dashboard packed with modern tech, all while keeping the price tag far south of most competitors. It’s been a rare case of a subcompact SUV delivering both value and curb appeal. But that equation shifts for 2026.

The 2026 Trax will get a $1,100 factory sticker bump on its base LS trim, pushing the starting figure to $21,600 before destination charges. Higher trims also rise.

The price hike lands without major feature changes

Chevy only added a few cosmetic tweaks like new paint options, wheel locks, and center caps.

Other trims in the lineup are also going up, but less sharply. The 1RS climbs $600 to $23,100, the LT rises $400 to $23,100, and both the 2RS and ACTIV see $800 jumps to $25,300.

The LS trim’s 5.37% jump is the steepest, and for a carryover model, it’s raising eyebrows

Industry observers have pointed to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles as a likely culprit.

Since the Trax is assembled in Changwon, South Korea, and shipped to the U.S., those new trade costs could be driving up its sticker price, CarsDirect pointed out.

The higher price tag also changes the Trax’s relationship with the slightly larger Chevrolet Trailblazer

For 2026, the Trailblazer starts at $23,000, just $1,400 more than the base Trax. For context, the price difference between the entry-level models shrank from a $2,600 gap in 2025.

Like the Trax, the Trailblazer is also built overseas at GM’s Bupyeong plant in South Korea.

Size-wise, the Trailblazer is about an inch longer overall, but stands roughly three inches taller and has a two-inch height advantage in the cargo area, giving it more space for gear. It also offers up to 155 horsepower versus the Trax’s 137, plus the option of all-wheel drive the Trax lacks.

Reliability ratings give buyers another data point

J.D. Power still lists the Trax’s quality and dependability at 83/100 for both 2024 and 2025…solid “Great” marks. But the Trailblazer slightly outpaces it with 86/100.

That’s not a dramatic gap, but it does back up the Trailblazer’s slightly stronger reliability reputation in J.D. Power’s data.

Buyers who value the Trax’s simpler packaging and slightly better fuel economy may still find it the right fit

But with the price gap closing, more shoppers could start seeing the Trailblazer as the smarter upgrade. A jump like this can shift shopping habits, especially when “just a little more” buys extra capability.