No. Not on the LS, not on the 1RS, not on the LT, not on the 2RS, not on the ACTIV. No 2026 Chevrolet Trax can be ordered with all-wheel drive at any price.
The confusion is earned, though, because the answer used to be yes.
Every first-generation Trax built from 2015 through 2022 offered all-wheel drive as an option, on every trim level Chevrolet sold. When the nameplate returned for 2024 after skipping a model year, the redesign dropped it. A shopper who owned a 2019 Trax with driven rear wheels, or who read a review written before 2023, is working from accurate information about a car that no longer exists.
Key Takeaways
- No 2024, 2025 or 2026 Chevrolet Trax offers all-wheel drive, on any of its five trims, at any price.
- The 2015 through 2022 Trax did offer it, as an option across every trim level, which is why the question is still asked so often.
- There is no 2023 Trax. Production ended November 30, 2022, and the redesigned car arrived as a 2024 model.
- Within Chevrolet, the Trailblazer and Equinox both offer it. Trailblazer all-wheel drive costs $1,600 to $2,000 and requires the 1.3-liter engine; Equinox LT all-wheel drive lists at $30,800.
- The Buick Envista does not offer it either, despite sharing the Trax’s platform and engine. The Buick Encore GX does.
- Five of six import rivals offer it for $1,200 to $1,500, including the Nissan Kicks, Honda HR-V, Kia Seltos, Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Kona.
- Used is the only way to get a Trax with all-wheel drive, and that means a 2022 or older car.
The Answer by Model Year
| Model years | Generation | All-wheel drive |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-2022 | First | Available on all trims |
| 2023 | None. Production ended November 30, 2022. | No car built |
| 2024-2026 | Second | Not offered on any trim |
First-generation trim names shifted over the run, which adds to the muddle. The 2015 car launched as LS, LT and LTZ. The 2017 refresh replaced LTZ with Premier, and Premier itself disappeared for 2021. All of them could be ordered with all-wheel drive.
The current lineup is LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS and ACTIV, and none of them can.
Why the Question Keeps Coming Up
Eight model years of first-generation cars sit on the used market wearing all-wheel-drive badges, so listings for AWD Trax models are everywhere. Searches return real inventory, just not new inventory.
The ACTIV trim reads like an off-road package. It is an appearance and equipment trim on a front-wheel-drive car.
And all-wheel drive remains available on most rivals in the class, which sets an expectation the Trax lineup does not meet anywhere.
What to Buy Instead
Staying inside the Chevrolet showroom, two options exist.
| Vehicle | All-wheel drive | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Trailblazer | $1,600 to $2,000 | Requires the 155-hp 1.3-liter engine and brings a nine-speed automatic in place of the CVT |
| Chevrolet Equinox | LT AWD lists at $30,800 | Larger car, 63.5 cu ft maximum cargo, 1,500-lb tow rating |
| Buick Encore GX | Available | Shares the Trax platform; from $26,200 |
| Buick Envista | Not offered | Same platform and engine as the Trax, same limitation |
The Trailblazer is the closest substitute on size and price, and the full comparison is in our Trax and Trailblazer head-to-head. Buyers who need more room should read the Equinox comparison instead.
Outside GM, the option is close to universal.
| Vehicle | Cost to add all-wheel drive |
|---|---|
| Kia Seltos | $1,200, and the SX trim comes with it as standard |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | $1,300 on L and LE, $1,450 on XLE; standard on every Hybrid grade |
| Nissan Kicks | $1,500, any trim |
| Honda HR-V | $1,500, any trim |
| Hyundai Kona | $1,500, any trim |
| Hyundai Venue | Not offered, the only import rival that also skips it |
All-wheel drive across this class is a $1,200 to $1,500 line item. Its absence from the Trax is a product decision rather than a segment constraint, and the full import comparison covers the rest of the field.
Is Front-Wheel Drive Enough?
For a large share of buyers, yes, though the reasoning is more specific than the marketing on either side.
All-wheel drive helps a car accelerate on a slippery surface by sending torque to more than one axle. It does not shorten stopping distances and it does not add cornering grip on ice, because both of those depend on the tires.
A front-wheel-drive car on proper winter tires will out-brake and out-corner an all-wheel-drive car on all-season tires in cold conditions. It will lose to that same car when pulling away from a stop on a snowy grade.
Which matters more depends on the driving. Steep unplowed driveways, rural roads that get cleared late, and regular starts from a stop on packed snow are the conditions that make all-wheel drive worth its price. Flat, plowed, urban commuting on good tires is not.
Buyers in the second group are not giving up much by taking the Trax. Buyers in the first group are giving up something the Trax cannot sell them at any price.
Verdict
The current Chevrolet Trax is front-wheel drive, full stop. Five trims, no all-wheel-drive option, no package that adds it, no higher price that unlocks it. Anyone told otherwise at a dealership is being sold a first-generation used car or a different model.
The question persists because it used to have a different answer. Every Trax from 2015 through 2022 could be ordered with all-wheel drive on any trim, and those cars are still trading. The 2024 redesign removed the option along with the model year that would have been 2023.
For buyers who need it, the Trailblazer is the nearest answer at $1,600 to $2,000, and most import rivals charge between $1,200 and $1,500. For buyers who do not, a set of proper winter tires does more for stopping and cornering than a driven rear axle ever will, and the Trax remains a reasonable car to put them on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Chevy Trax have AWD?
No. No 2024, 2025 or 2026 Chevrolet Trax offers all-wheel drive on any trim level, including the ACTIV, and no option package adds it. Every current Trax is front-wheel drive. The first-generation Trax sold from 2015 through 2022 did offer all-wheel drive as an option on every trim.
Does the Chevy Trax come in AWD?
Not as a new car. Chevrolet removed all-wheel drive when the Trax was redesigned for the 2024 model year, and the 2026 lineup of LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS and ACTIV is front-wheel drive throughout. Buyers who want an all-wheel-drive Trax have to shop used and look at 2022 or earlier examples.
What year did the Chevy Trax stop offering AWD?
The 2022 model year was the last Trax available with all-wheel drive. Production of the first-generation car ended on November 30, 2022, GM skipped the 2023 model year, and the redesigned 2024 Trax launched without the option.
Is the Chevy Trax ACTIV all-wheel drive?
No. ACTIV is an appearance and equipment trim rather than a drivetrain, and the 2026 Trax ACTIV is front-wheel drive like every other Trax. The name suggests an off-road package, which is a common source of confusion when shopping this model.
Which Chevy small SUV has all-wheel drive?
The Trailblazer and the Equinox. Trailblazer all-wheel drive costs $1,600 to $2,000 depending on trim and requires the 155-horsepower 1.3-liter engine along with a nine-speed automatic in place of the CVT. An Equinox LT with all-wheel drive lists at $30,800. The Buick Encore GX, which shares the Trax platform, also offers it, while the Buick Envista does not.
Is a front-wheel-drive Trax okay in snow?
For most conditions, with the right tires. All-wheel drive improves acceleration on slippery surfaces but does not shorten braking distances or add cornering grip, both of which come from the tires. A front-drive Trax on winter tires will stop and corner better in cold weather than an all-wheel-drive car on all-seasons. Where all-wheel drive earns its cost is pulling away from a stop on snowy grades and on roads that get plowed late.
Can I add all-wheel drive to a Chevy Trax?
No. The current Trax is built on a front-wheel-drive architecture with no factory all-wheel-drive option, and there is no dealer-installed or aftermarket conversion Chevrolet supports. Buyers who need driven rear wheels should look at the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the Chevrolet Equinox, or one of the import rivals that offer it for $1,200 to $1,500.
Which used Chevy Trax years have AWD?
Model years 2015 through 2022, across every trim Chevrolet offered, including LS, LT, LTZ on early cars and Premier on 2017 through 2020 models. Buyers shopping those years should verify completion of the two front lower control arm recalls, campaigns 19V652000 and 19V312000, which together cover 2015 through 2019.
Sources and Disclosure
Drivetrain availability, trim lineups and pricing are manufacturer and published figures verified in July 2026 and exclude destination unless noted. Recall data comes from the NHTSA database. Model-year history for the first-generation Trax is drawn from Chevrolet’s published lineup records. The manufacturer provided The Weekly Driver with a 2026 Chevrolet Trax 1LT, which supplied the photography published here. No driving evaluation informed the analysis, and no winter-driving claims here are specific to any tested vehicle.
Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn is the writer, photographer, and publisher behind The Weekly Driver. He cares about how cars drive and what they're like to own. He covers automobile industry news, car shows and events, and new car reviews. The reviews come from behind the wheel: day trips that favor back routes, treating a good meal as half the reason to go. He directs and produces the visual media, matching each car to a setting and mood that fit it. When he's not reviewing new cars, Michael races paddleboards, camels, and ostriches, along with the occasional exotic car on the racetrack, and has driven in every state and country visited.
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