GM Korea said Monday that its small sport utility vehicle Trax ranked No. 1 in the United States in the category for small SUVs in the first quarter.

According to the automaker, an accumulated 28,242 units of Chevrolet Trax have been sold in the US from January to March, topping the list among 15 kinds of small SUVs sold there.

Following Trax were Honda HR-V and Hyundai Motor’s Kona at 19,414 units and 15,174 units, respectively. 

All Trax models are manufactured at the automaker’s Bupyeong plant in Incheon. It has been also named the most exported vehicle from South Korea from 2016 to 2018. 

The company said the Trax has contributed 30 percent of US’ small SUV sales in the first quarter. The model has also topped the annual sales of small SUV in US last year, selling a total of 229,218 units. 

Market data showed that US’ small SUV market has been expanding rapidly. In 2018, a total of 603,369 units of small SUVs were sold, while the number swelled to 693,843 units last year, marking a 15 percent increase.

GM Korea attributed the popularity of Trax in US to its smooth handling and vehicle performance of up to 140 horsepower and 20.4 kilogram meters of torque.

Trax was named the Top Safety Pick by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2015. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)