With the arrival of the Chevy Trailblazer, it was only a matter of time before the Trax would come to an end. The same goes for the Buick Encore, which hasn’t done well next to the new Encore GX. Both will cease production at the end of the 2022 model year. We can’t say we blame buyers for this.

Aren’t the Trax and Encore old platforms?

Both the Encore and Trax have been around for years. And both debuted in 2012 as 2013 models. Yes, they both got facelifts in 2017, but the cars are essentially 10 years old. In the current environment, that’s eons. And they felt like an old platform, too. According to GM Authority, production will end in the third quarter of 2022.

The Encore is the cheaper, smaller version of Buick’s crossovers. For those not aware, the Encore GX, Envision, and Enclave are the rest. It is expected that the end of the Encore will pave the way for an electric SUV. Buick plans on revealing it as a concept later this year. You knew the Encore was on the chopping block when sales tanked by 50 percent in 2021. 

As for the Trax, Chevy has a dizzying amount of crossovers and SUVs. The Trax was at the bottom of that list, which includes the Traverse, Blazer, Equinox, Trailblazer, Suburban, and Tahoe. And if that isn’t enough, an electric version of the Blazer and Equinox are headed our way later this year. Do you think that GM product planners have found a hole in Chevy’s SUV lineup now? We think not.

The Trax and Encore used to sell well

Both small crossovers have seen trims and features slowly evaporate. The Trax is down to the LS and LT trims. And the Encore is down to a single model. Take it or leave it, Buick fans. 

But we have to give credit to GM for being one of the first with a subcompact SUV. In 2019 and 2020 it sold over 100,000 Trax models each year. And Encore did the same in 2018 and 2019. So the two have been strong sellers in a market segment that used to not exist. 

GM seems to be getting out of the entry-level vehicle market

Though the 2022 Encore GX and Trailblazer are not that much more expensive than the Encore and Trax, it looks like GM is divesting itself of lower-priced vehicle production. For 2022, it is also cutting the Chevy Spark. A modest increase in price for the 2023 Encore GX and Trailblazer would put the base number to get into a GM product in the mid-$20,000s. Beyond a modest price hike, the upper $20,000s are not unrealistic to imagine. 

So for those who are considering a small, inexpensive Buick or Chevy, better hurry into your local Buick or Chevy dealer soon. The end of the line for both is upon us. And really, just in time.