2017 Holden Trax first drive review

A city-sized SUV is a must for any serious car maker in 2017.

The pint-sized crossover market is booming as the trend towards SUVs continues to accelerate. Holden was actually one of the earlier entrants into the market when the Trax first arrived, but it has been surpassed - both on the road and in the sales charts - but newer rivals, most notably the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V.

The changes to the Trax aren't wholesale but the General Motors team responsible for the car revised the front and rear styling, updated the interior styling, adding the latest MyLink infotainment system and made the 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine standard across the range.

The new range is set to arrive in Australian showrooms in February but Drive was invited to take an early test drive in the new Trax in Nashville, Tennessee last week; albeit in the US-specification Chevrolet version.

The first impression of the Trax is the fresh looks. While local cars will swap the Chevy bow tie for a Holden badge the new front end brings the two brand's latest twin grille design that looks sharp.

Inside the cabin gets a new instrument cluster, the updated MyLink system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and there are new chrome-effect trim highlights to lift the presentation.

As it is only a minor update there is no change to the space inside the cabin, which has always been a strong point for the Trax. It is one of the most spacious cabins in the baby SUV class, with respectable rear space.

Mechanically the biggest change is the decision to drop the old 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder in favour of the 1.4-litre turbo. However, it isn't the new generation 1.4-litre turbo found in the latest Astra small car (that produces 110kW/240Nm), instead it is the same 103kW/200Nm version from the current high-specification Trax.

It is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, also carried over from the current model.

While it is a better engine than the sometimes lethargic 1.8 the decision to stick with the older 1.4 turbo is disappointing, especially as we drove the Trax back-to-back with the new Astra sedan equipped with the latest 1.4-litre.

The older model felt sluggish in the hills surrounding Nashville and the transmission can be slow to react. But otherwise the little turbo engine does an adequate job of pulling the Trax along, especially as many of its rivals in the class are under-done under the bonnet.

Ultimately the adoption of the 1.4-litre turbo across the range is a positive step though. Unfortunately, one disappointing aspect of the mid-life update is Holden's decision not to develop a local ride and handling suspension tune for the Trax. The company has invested heavily in optimising the suspension and steering set-up for Australian driver's tastes and road conditions, and it has paid off with well resolved models including the Astra and updated Colorado ute.

Instead Australian-delivered Trax will get the sportier European suspension set-up - instead of the softer US tune we tested. So in terms of how it rides and handles, we'll have to wait until we test the suspension set-up we get locally.

The updates to the Trax are an improvement, especially the tweaks to the interior, but ultimately they are too small to dramatically alter the character of the car. Perhaps the new European suspension tune will be a step forward, but we'll have to reserve final judgement until we get the new Trax on Australian roads.

But unless Holden sharpens the price it is hard to see the Trax upsetting the current kings of the city-sized SUV.

2017 Holden Trax pricing and specifications*

On sale: February 2017

Price: From $23,990 (estimated)

Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 103kW at 4900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1850rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: TBA

• For all the latest information, visit our Holden showroom.