Sometimes automakers catch us by surprise, but not here.
The list of cars rolling off into the automotive history books this year continues to grow — and we can add two more to the list. Unlike some other cullings, though, these two are probably the least surprising: the Buick Encore and the Chevy Trax. Per a GM Authority report, both will end their production run at GM Korea’s Bupyeong plant in the third quarter of 2022.
Why are they both going away? It’s a trend that seems to be getting more common among these small crossovers. Launch a newly-styled, slightly larger, similarly priced model as an existing subcompact, then phase out the old model. It happened with the Mazda CX-30 replacing the CX-3, and it may well happen with the Toyota C-HR as well now that the Corolla Cross is on sale. In GM’s case, you have the new Buick Encore GX, as well as the remarkably good Chevy Trailblazer.
At this point, the automaker has not outright confirmed it will discontinue either the original Encore or the Trax just yet. The entry-level Encore has been around since 2013 and the Chevy Trax hit our shores in 2015, but both only saw minor updates over the past couple years. Americans also tend to shy away from subcompact crossovers on the whole, with GM’s tiny tikes sales figures dropping between 50 and 60% in 2021.
The Encore GX, Trailblazer will be the new entry points into their brands
As you’d expect, the report mentions no direct replacement for either SUV. There’s a bit more to the story with Chevrolet, however, since the equally tiny Spark will accompany the Trax into the sunset after this model year. That means the Chevy Trailblazer and the Buick Encore GX will be the entry points into their respective brands.
We do think the Trailblazer/Encore GX are just better all around than the models they replace — especially since they ride on a new platform (GM’s Vehicle Set Strategy or ‘VSS’ platform) and have updated powertrains, as well as fresher tech.
Check out what Nathan thinks about the new Trailblazer below:
