2022 Chevrolet Tracker 1.0 Redline – It’s a Good Try

Crossovers, specifically those in the subcompact class, have seen a continuous growth of sales in the Philippines in the past few years. There’s the Geely Coolray, MG ZS, and many other offerings from different brands. We’re basically spoiled with options. 

One brand that wants to take a slice of the pie is Chevrolet who introduced the Tracker locally sometime last year. We had with us the top-spec Tracker LT Redline for a couple of days and got the chance to test it out properly inside the city and out on the highway.

Now, I’ve read a couple of reviews of the Tracker and most of them have not been so good. We’ll see if it really is as bad as they say or maybe not as, as we drive it through our daily city routine, as well as out on the highway to attend a new car dealership inauguration by one of our partners. 

Exterior

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The exterior is probably one of the Tracker’s strengths. Looking at the front fascia, you’ll immediately notice its sharp Camaro-inspired design, combined with plastic body-cladding which is done just right and does not go over the top. It also gives the crossover a more rugged SUV-like appearance. Also integrated to the very angular bumper are a nice set of LED daytime running lights which double as the turn signals. Since this is the Redline variant, it gets red accents on the grille, in addition to a blacked-out Chevy bowtie badge.

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The side profile shows a more typical crossover look but with a large amount of body cladding which like in front, looks good. The 17-inch wheels are also blacked-out on this variant with a red accent as well, which looks really good in our opinion. Out back, the Tracker features a design that’s just okay. It does get a very clean looking design and LED combination taillights as standard but the overall design really is just okay. It does however look much better in person than in pictures.

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Overall, looking at the Tracker’s exterior as a whole, it does have the looks to be competitive in its segment, almost on par with the Geely Coolray, which of course is the benchmark for most buyers these days.

Interior

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Moving inside, the Tracker features a very nice driver-oriented dashboard design. The overall look is quite curvy and looks very pleasing to the eyes plus it’s well laid-out with pretty much everything within easy reach. Materials are also of decent quality with a not so soft, but still very nice, weave-patterned leather material on the dashboard, and good quality hard-touch plastics in the rest of the interior. Also thankfully, scratch and dust magnet piano black plastics are minimal.

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Being the Redline variant, this Tracker’s interior also comes with red stitching on the dashboard, seats, and steering wheel. Just like on the outside, it also gets a black bowtie badge on the steering wheel. What was noticeably weird is the power seat controls for the driver. It’s only power-adjustable for height and forward-backward movement. The backrest is manually adjustable only. The seats are very comfortable and hug you in place very well. I did not find it hard to find a good driving position and did not find my back hurting after some hours driving.

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There is one thing about the controls though and that’s for the lock button. It’s not unusual to find the lock/unlock button for the doors near the climate controls but it was confusing during the Tracker’s time with us as the button itself blended very well with the others in the center stack making it very forgettable. We did get used to it being there, unfortunately during the last time we drove it. That wouldn’t be a deal breaker though.

Practicality

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Interior space and storage are one of the Tracker’s strengths. You have a good amount of place to put your stuff from the decently sized door cubbies with bottle holders, a nice cubby in the center console perfect for your wallet and smartphone, as well as a very nicely sized storage under the center arm rest. The two cupholders in the center console are also able to fit a standard sized water bottle.

Meanwhile, space for passengers is like what you’d expect for its segment. Rear passengers will enjoy the very good legroom and headroom, which also supports for additional comfort in the cabin. The space does feel a bit tighter at times due to the higher window line at the rear. This is however fixed by the inclusion of a panoramic sunroof which gives an impression of more space.

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Cargo storage is also really good for its segment with around 390 liters of capacity behind the 2nd row seats. The cargo floor is also adjustable so you can make it lower, or make it seamless with the vehicle’s load lip. Once you fold the 2nd row seats, space is expanded to over 1,300 liters. It is very nice to note that we were able to place a mountain bike with the front wheel removed and still accommodate three people in the vehicle comfortably. It was a squeeze, but still not bad.

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Technology and Safety

The Chevrolet Tracker does not disappoint in terms of tech and safety. First, it is equipped with an 8-inch Chevrolet MyLink touchscreen infotainment system which thankfully comes with Apple CarPlay connectivity. Android users will have to make do with bluetooth or USB. The system itself is easy to use and does not do much but everything you need it to. It also doubles as the display for the climate controls. Graphics and response are typical of this system like in other Chevy vehicles.

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The small digital display in the driver’s instrument cluster is loaded with information and is easy and clear to read. It is however a bit difficult or confusing to use at first as it is controlled through the vehicle’s wiper stalk. Also, the stalks show that it has cruise control but unfortunately it does not come equipped with it. That’s a sign of a bit of cost-cutting.

In terms of safety, it comes standard with dual front airbags, side airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control, hill start assist, electronic stability control, rear parking sensors, reverse camera, and ISOFIX anchors.

Engine

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Under the hood of the Chevrolet Tracker is a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. It produces 116 horsepower and 175 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Those numbers sound quite small if you compare it with most of its turbocharged competition. So let’s see how it performs.

Driving and Comfort

What I immediately noticed upon starting up the Tracker is how its engine is very unrefined at idle. This is definitely due to it being a three cylinder instead of the usual four. That doesn’t bother me though as it felt better at times compared to a BMW three cylinder I tested after I returned it. Once you do get moving, the engine instantly becomes smooth and accelerates really well. It does not feel slow probably thanks to its turbo plus, the transmission does not show much signs of lag. Good thing Chevy decided to put a standard torque-converter 6-speed automatic instead of a CVT or DCT.

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Steering feel is a bit heavier than I expected but it does surely give you a much better feel than many other crossovers which come with extremely light steering. While it is still geared towards more comfort, it still does feel very good. Its small size also makes it perfect for driving around the city. I bring most test drive units through Binondo, Manila streets to drop-off one of our team members and the Tracker was not difficult to maneuver at all through the district’s extremely tight streets.

In terms of NVH insulation, the Tracker is decent with an acceptable amount of road and wind noise entering the cabin. The engine on the other hand, while unrefined at idle, is very smooth and does not bring much noise and vibration into the cabin when on the move.

It’s also good to note that while most other reviews of this mention a weird brake response, it seems that it was specific to this unit as they felt pretty much normal during my drives. The pedal does feel bad but I did not feel any braking delays. Chevrolet Philippines probably had the braking system tuned after reading all those reviews.

While driving excitement is not exactly the best description for the Tracker’s 1.0L engine, it does shine and give very well when it comes to fuel economy. In the city we were able to average as much as 15 km/l in light traffic conditions. Once it got heavier, it went down to around 9-10 km/l which is still excellent. On the highway, those numbers rose further to as much as 22 km/l which is also excellent for a subcompact crossover like this.

Conclusion

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As of this review, the 2022 Chevrolet Tracker 1.0 LT Redline is priced at Php 1,242,888. Is it worth it? Admittedly it seems a bit steep for what it is, especially when compared to its competitors. Those offer more features, better performance, and looks at more affordable price points. 

What the Tracker can give you is a good overall package for a car that you need for your daily use. It does still have the look, good engine performance, great comfort, and a still affordable price. Should you buy one? There are many better, more value-packed options out there to use your hard-earned money on, but it is still definitely worth considering.

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Summary