LANSING, MI – For OEM product planners charged with creating new CUVs and SUVs for virtually any segment, today’s top checklist starts with: make it look “bolder” (more SUV-like) and pile on all the safety, driver assistance and technology features you can manage plus a larger infotainment screen. So here comes Chevrolet’s all-new ’24 “midsize” Traverse.
“Our new Traverse is designed and engineered to act and look more like an SUV,” says Chevrolet vice president Scott Bell. (Check.)
“The bold exterior of the all-new Traverse helps redefine its role and capability for customers,” adds Global Chevrolet executive design director Phil Zak. “It is as versatile as ever, but with an increased focus on capability that reflects the spirit of its owners.”
Each of the four ’24 trims (LS, LT, Z71 and RS) offers its own personality, design and content choices. A Midnight/Sport Edition is available on LS and LT, Z71 is all about off-road looks and capability, and top-of-the-line RS – rolling on 22-in. high-gloss black aluminum wheels and unique suspension tuning – is both premium and sporty. Front and rear lighting is standard LED, a new panoramic dual-glass sunroof with power sunshade is standard on RS, available on LT and Z71, and an AutoSense Liftgate is newly available.
The Z71 has more than an inch higher ground clearance, widened tracks and a unique front fascia with a greater approach angle, an aluminum skid plate and signature red tow hooks.
Its twin-clutch AWD system optimizes off-road traction while unique dampers with hydraulic rebound control, Hill Descent Control, a selectable Terrain Mode, all-terrain tires on exclusive 18-in. wheels and a standard trailering package further enhance its capabilities.
All models are powered by an all-new 2.5L turbocharged 4-cyl. good for a GM-estimated 315 hp and 317 lb.-ft. (430 Nm) of torque, up from the previously standard 3.6L V-6’s 310 and 266 lb.-ft. (361 Nm). It is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive (including the off-road-capable twin-clutch AWD system unique to the Z71) is available. Properly equipped, this new Traverse offers a maximum tow rating of up to 5,000 lbs. (2,268 kg). EPA fuel economy ratings are not yet available, but they should top the previous generation’s 18/27 mpg (13-8.7 L/100 km) city/highway with FWD and 17/25 mpg (13.8-9.4 L/100 km) with AWD.
Interior
The new Traverse’s cabin design leads with clean, sweeping lines with both the vehicle’s beltline and its instrument panel lowered to enhance outward visibility and provide a more spacious feeling. The standard 17.7-in. (45-cm) diagonal infotainment screen is more than 75% bigger than the largest available screen in the previous model (check), the 11-in, (27.9-cm) diagonal configurable driver information center is larger than before, six USB ports are standard, and wireless phone charging and Wi-Fi Hotspot are available.
Chevy claims best-in-class cargo capacity of 97.6 cubic-feet (2,768 L), and eight-passenger seating with second- and third-row benches is standard on LS. Seven-passenger seating -- second-row captain’s chairs with SmartSlide that eases access to the third row, even when a child seat is installed – is standard on LT, Z71, and RS, and the latter adds two rows of leather with a one-touch folding second row and power-folding third row.
The electronic shifter is column-mounted to leave more useable space between the driver and front passenger, and a pass-through console design provides ample storage capability. Heated front and second-row outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and heated outside mirrors are available.
Features
The features list is predictably longer (check), beginning with standard Chevy Safety Assist, which includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, IntelliBeam High Beam Assist and Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking.
Also standard are Rear Park Assist, Safety Alert driver’s seat, HD Rear and Surround Vision Cameras, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Blind Zone Steering Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intersection Automatic Emergency Braking, Side Bicyclist Alert, Rear Pedestrian Alert and Reverse Automatic Braking. But no increasingly common lane centering.
Instead, GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance system, including trailering and automatic lane-change capabilities, is available, as are Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist and Driver Attention Assist.
Well-intentioned but potentially controversial is Buckle to Drive, which requires both front occupants to be buckled in before driving. The good news is that this can be deactivated through the infotainment “Settings” menu and will stay off until reactivated. Also standard are Teen Driver (via the MyChevy app) and a new Rear Seat Belt Reminder that alerts the driver if second- or third-row passengers have unlatched their belts.
Sitting on the large side of “midsize,” this new ’24 three-row Chevy Traverse faces ever-tougher competition but should fare at least as well as its popular predecessor has. Its Lansing Delta Township plant – which has built 1.65 million Traverses since 2009 – anticipates adding a third shift to serve high anticipated demand for Traverse and its Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia platform-mates. The '24 Traverse goes on sale early next year.
