Driving in an inflation-riddled world is terrifying, but a fuel-miser Chevy is one reason to smile
Before we all get into that Christmas-y spirit (if ever that’s possible nowadays), we give way to Halloween, the holiday highlight of fast-approaching October. Of course, this Western tradition is all about giving everyone the scares and the creeps, but there’s the happy side to it, too, with the tradition of “trick or treating,” making kids smile with the goodies laid out by the door.
I could say, after a few days of driving around the Chevrolet Tracker, this subcompact SUV does remind me of that tradition, especially in today’s context of high prices of fuel and basic goods. Even before starting the engine, I knew that the Tracker would go easy on the tank, what with its much-touted new-generation 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder Ecotec turbo engine. You won’t see this car idling about anywhere on Elm Street, with Freddy Krueger onboard burning the midnight oil.
According to Chevrolet engineers, the Tracker is equipped with an active thermal management system (the components of which reduces heat and friction, which in turn enhances performance on the road) delivering 116 horsepower and 175 Nm of torque. That’s a neat trick.
I considered it a treat, then, that my Skyway drive yielded 22 km to the liter. That’s child’s play, though, when I learned from other
Tracker owners that they easily got fuel mileages of 25 to 28 km/liter.
City driving is also comparably thrifty (in my experience from 11 to 15 km/liter). Thanks, in part, to the engine stop/start system during idling, which is also intended to reduce emissions. The car does vibrate noticeably when the engine restarts, but is not off-putting. One could always manually disable this start/ stop feature. But then, why would you, given the aforementioned benefits?
Another ingenious feature that helps the Tracker run even more efficiently is the water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation which absorbs more heat, improves fuel economy, and enhances throttle response—an allin-one smart system that reduces nitrogen oxide in the combustion chamber. This system complements the wa
ter-cooled turbo intercooler and mechanical water pump with an electronic flow valve.
Athletic-looking
The Tracker looks quite the athletic-looking and stylish crossover—an upwardly mobile young executive in rubber shoes. It will earn admiring looks, what with its sporty double grille enhanced by a distinct horizontal red trim, the black bow tie emblem and black heated side mirrors with the bright L-shaped trim. Contributing to its overall fit and finish are the 17-inch black alloy rims with eye-catching red accents. The powerful automatic projector headlamps with the LED daytime running lights come in handy during this season of heavy rains. The Tracker’s lean and muscular stance is headlined by the chiseled yet lightweight U-shaped sculpted hood—a Chevrolet trademark.
The sporty look isn’t just for show. The Tracker is built solid and safe, using highstrength steel chassis, crumple zones and side impact beams. Its active and passive safety systems include SRS airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake force distribution, cornering brake control, traction control system, engine drag control, electronic stability control, panic brake assist, hill start assist, and reverse camera (which is, by the way, easy to understand at a glance). The Passive Door Lock, though, may have gotten a bit overzealous, as the doors lock automatically so swiftly when you exit the car (and with keys in hand, of course), I barely had the time to open the doors at the other side.
What I was most impressed about with the Tracker, apart from its fuel efficiency, was its enhanced low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The sound of heavy rains, and the noisy traffic outside, were hardly heard. That meant Chevrolet’s new lightweight and acoustic insulation materials were doing its job. The electric sliding panoramic sunroof is surprisingly large for the car’s proportions, but it has also been engineered to help dissipate heat from the vehicle.
A ‘Jhem’ of a find
But what do actual owners have to say about their Chevrolet Tracker? We’ve, uhm, “tracked” down two.
Jhemmus “Jhem” Ang, a 44-year-old data analyst and businessman who owns a 2021 Tracker LT Redline 1.0, reveals that his fuel mileage can go up to 25 km/liter on highway drives, and around 10 km/liter in the city.
Jhem, who is also administrator of the Chevrolet Tracker and Trax PH Facebook page, says, “I saw the Chevrolet Tracker Redline in Facebook ads. It was so eye-catching because of its red and black trims. I also noticed that the front resembles the mighty Camaro. I love black cars. Other brands offer a lot of tech features, but to be honest, you won’t be able to use all of them. The Tracker has all the tech and safety features that drivers will need.”
Loving the open country road
Jessie Sta. Maria, a 33-yearold seafarer, and his Chevrolet Tracker LT Redline that he purchased just this July, are both in their element out in the open country.
Jessie, a moderator of the Chevrolet Tracker and Trax PH FB page, is so impressed with his Tracker that he said he doesn’t find anything in the car that needs to be improved, features and design-wise.
And we can’t blame him. While his city drive normally yields 12 km per liter, his highway drives in his home province in Iloilo yields for him an astounding 28 km/liter. This has prompted Jessie to say, “Based on my experience, this crossover is very fuel-efficient on long drives.”
