2026 Chevrolet Trax 1RS vs Trailblazer RS: Which Subcompact SUV Suits Your Summer Adventures

Summer road trips in Quebec cover a lot of ground: highway commutes, cottage roads, and the odd downpour that turns gravel into soup. Chevrolet’s 1.2L Trax and slightly larger Trailblazer 1RS/RS twins both wear the RS badge, but they answer that mix in different ways.

This isn’t a contest between a winner and a runner-up. The Trax 1RS and Trailblazer RS are built for different versions of the same season, and the right one depends on where your summer actually takes you.

2026 Trax 1RS vs Trailblazer RS: Side-by-Side Specs

Powertrain and Drivetrain: FWD Efficiency or Standard AWD

Every Trax trim, including the 1RS, runs the same 1.2L turbo three-cylinder and 6-speed automatic. There’s no AWD option anywhere in the lineup, so the drivetrain decision is made for you before you even look at trim badges.

The Trailblazer RS pairs a larger 1.3L turbo three-cylinder, 18 hp and 12 lb-ft stronger than the Trax’s engine, with a 9-speed automatic and AWD as standard equipment. That extra mid-range pull helps on grades and with small loads.

For a driver who sticks to paved highways and city streets, the Trax’s FWD setup and 137 hp engine cover the job without added complexity. For a driver whose weekends lead to gravel cottage roads or into a sudden Quebec summer downpour, the Trailblazer RS’s standard AWD and stronger 1.3L turbo change the equation in their favour.

Fuel Economy and Range on Longer Drives

The Trax posts a combined 8.1 L/100 km rating, and its single-engine, single-transmission lineup keeps ownership expectations simple: what one Trax trim does at the pump, they all do. The Trailblazer RS, running its AWD-only 1.3L turbo and 9-speed automatic, comes in at 8.7 L/100 km combined, a modest trade for the extra traction.

Tank size plays into range on a long highway stretch. The Trax’s 11 L tank means more frequent fill-ups than the Trailblazer’s 50 L tank, which stretches further between stops on a cottage-bound drive.

Cargo Space and Seating Flexibility

Behind the rear seats, the Trax holds 725 L against the Trailblazer’s 716 L, a 9 L edge for the smaller SUV. Fold the seats down and the balance flips: the Trailblazer’s 1,540 L beats the Trax’s 1,532 L by 8 L, useful when packing coolers and gear for a longer trip.

The seat-folding pattern differs too. The Trax uses a 60/40 split rear seat, while the Trailblazer RS uses a 40/60 split, a small difference that matters when you’re carrying one long item alongside a passenger.

RS Styling and Cabin Tech

Both RS trims wear red interior accents and RS-specific badging, but the details diverge from there.

• Trax 1RS: 18-inch wheels, RS grille and badging, black bowtie emblems, 8-inch touchscreen, 3.5-inch driver display, 4-speaker audio, 6-way manual driver seat.
• Trailblazer RS: 19-inch wheels, dual-outlet exhaust, 11-inch touchscreen, 8-inch driver display, 6-speaker audio with amplifier standard (Bose 7-speaker available), 8-way power driver seat, hands-free liftgate.

The Trax 1RS keeps its RS treatment lean, styling-forward without a heavier equipment list. The Trailblazer RS layers on more cabin tech and comfort features alongside its AWD, positioning it as the more equipped of the two RS trims.

Long-Highway Comfort and Safety Tech

Chevrolet Safety Assist, including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, forward collision alert, and pedestrian braking, comes standard on both models. Rear cross-traffic alert and lane-change alert with blind-zone monitoring are also standard on both the Trax 1RS and the Trailblazer RS.

Adaptive cruise control isn’t available on the Trax 1RS, though it’s offered on other Trax trims. On the Trailblazer RS, it’s available as an option, which matters over a long summer highway haul between the city and the cottage.

Which One Is Right for You?

For the Quebec driver whose summer runs on paved commutes and highway-accessible cottage roads, the Trax 1RS’s FWD layout, single-engine simplicity, and 8.1 L/100 km rating cover the ground without complication.

For the driver who wants standard AWD for gravel roads and unpredictable weather, along with the stronger 1.3L turbo and the extra cargo room with the seats folded, the Trailblazer RS’s equipment list changes the math.

Neither is a downgrade from the other. They’re built for two different summers.

Test Driving the 2026 Trax 1RS and Trailblazer RS

The Trax 1RS and Trailblazer RS take Chevrolet’s RS styling in two directions: one lean and FWD-focused, the other AWD-equipped with a larger turbo engine and more cargo room for gear-heavy trips this summer.

Visit Vision Chevrolet Buick GMC in Delson, QC, to test drive the Trax 1RS or the Trailblazer RS and feel the difference in your own hands before your next summer road trip.