Chevrolet is to showcase its new small SUV for the first time at the Paris Motor Show,the company has announced. The Trax will sit below the Captiva in size. At about 4.25m long and less than 1.8m wide, the Trax will be compact enough to be handy around town, helped by its high driving position. It’s designed to be more practical than its size would suggest, with an array of storage bins dotted throughout the cabin and extra storage space underneath the 358-litre boot.

Eight seating configurations will be possible thanks to a 60/40 split folding rear bench seat and a front passenger seat that foldsflat, allowing long loads to be stowed safely.

Three engines will be available at the launch, including a basic 1.6-litre petrol, a 138bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and a 128bhp 1.7-litre diesel.

A torque-on-demand, part-time four-wheel-drive system will be available on the 1.4 and 1.7.

Upper trim levels will be equipped with Chevrolet Mylink as standard; an infotainment system displays content from smartphones on a seven-inch, full-colour touch-screen display. From this winter, the system will feature a navigation app that can be downloaded onto compatible smartphones, allowing the route calculated by the smartphone to be displayed on the large screen.

Safety is taken care of with aplomb. The Trax will beequipped with six airbags, Electronic Stability Control, including Hill Start Assist, Traction Control and ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution. Trailer Stability Assist and Hill Descent Control are standard on LT-trim vehicles.

“Trax will deliver on all of the traditional Chevrolet values and more,” said Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe. “It is a modern, highly versatile yet fuel-efficient small SUV, offering car-like handling and all-wheel drive. Trax is the modern expression of one of Chevrolet’s core competencies, which is building and selling great SUVs.”