The folks at Chevrolet have a message for first-time vehicle buyers: We haven’t forgotten about you.

On Wednesday, the General Motors brand began showing off its latest offering, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax, a small SUV being branded as an entry-level vehicle.

At a starting price of $21,495 and with all five trims starting under $25,000, the 2024 Trax, which is described as a “completely different vehicle” from the current version, aims for buyers likely to get sticker shock elsewhere. Spokeswoman Kellie Van Maele said the prices include the destination freight charge of $1,095.

The 2024 Trax is no Chevy Spark, formerly the brand’s lowest-priced offering. The Free Press reported earlier that the Spark, a subcompact car with a starting price of $13,600, was being discontinued this year.

But with high inflation and average transaction prices of new vehicles in the United States north of $45,000, Chevy hopes the Trax hits a mark that potential buyers who might feel priced out otherwise, including empty nesters looking to downsize and those in the market for a used car, might be inclined to consider.

Automakers have shifted away from cars toward more profitable SUVs and trucks in recent years, putting pressure on vehicle affordability. Cars shrank as a percentage of the market from 42% in 2015 to 21% so far this year, according to the company.

Scott Bell, global vice president for Chevrolet, during a recent media briefing on the 2024 Trax, noted that “I think our competitors are leaving some doors open here.”

The 2024 Trax, which will be built in South Korea, is also being billed as a gateway vehicle for the entire brand as the low end of Chevy’s small SUV offerings, the “fastest growing crossover segment” in the last five years, according to GM.

The higher end of the offerings, the Chevy Trailblazer, is expected to top Trax with a $5,000 average transaction price difference and additional available features for 2024. The models share components and content, but brand officials insisted they are different vehicles. For instance, the 2024 Trax only comes in front-wheel drive, a change from the current version. Customers interested in all-wheel drive could look to the Trailblazer instead.

Brand officials also stressed that a lower price isn’t the only thing that they believe will set the 2024 Trax apart.

“The bold exterior and tech-forward interior design of the all-new Trax redefines what an entry-level vehicle can be,” Phil Zak, executive design director for Global Chevrolet, said in a news release. “It demonstrates that modern, stylish design doesn’t have to come at a premium.”

The 2024 version is also 11 inches longer, with a 6-inch longer wheelbase, wider track, 3 inches additional leg room in the second row and 12% greater cargo capacity than the current Trax.

The Trax is powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged inline-3 engine mated to a six-speed automatic, delivering an estimated 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, the company said.

The vehicle promises a 1-second improvement to 8.6 seconds on the 0-60 mph time over the current version, officials said.

Officials at the briefing declined to discuss whether the Trax might offer an electric version at some point.

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Chevy Safety Assist, which includes automatic emergency braking and front pedestrian braking among its six components, will be standard.

As for other changes, “for the first time on Trax, customers can wirelessly connect Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to the infotainment system,” the company said.

Active noise cancellation will also be a standard feature.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax is to be on sale in the spring. Fuel economy numbers were not released.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 Chevy Trax gets makeover as brand pursues new customers