New big boy on the block: The Chevy Traverse

If you’ve never heard of the Chevrolet Traverse, welcome to the club.  The Traverse is a newcomer to General Motors’ fleet of large car-based SUVs with three rows of seats that can accommodate seven or eight passengers. Built on the GM Lambda platform that underpins the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, the Traverse debuted at the Chicago International Auto Show in 2008, the year that the Chevrolet Uplander three-row minivan and Chevrolet Trailblazer five-seater SUV, the GMC Envoy’s twin, were phased out. Both the Uplander and Trailblazer had been getting poor reviews, especially from Consumer Reports, so the Traverse may have been rolled out to save the day for Chevy in the keenly competitive large SUV/crossover market.

Has the Traverse succeeded? Let’s find out more about it. The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet automobiles and parts in the Philippines, launched the 2012 Traverse in Manila in the last week of October 2011. The 2012 Traverse looks exactly the same as the original, which is to say that it looks as massive and solid as a big American SUV/crossover should. Next to the Suburban, the Traverse is Chevrolet’s biggest SUV: 205 inches long, 78 inches wide, 70 inches high, 119-inch wheelbase, 4,755-lb curb weight, 7.2-inch ground clearance and a towing capacity of 3,800 lbs.

Sleek

All this, packaged in an attractive, sleekly designed body with Chevy’s signature dual port grill and angular tail lights, rides on 20-inch machined aluminum wheels. TCCCI offers two variants of the Traverse: the all-wheel-drive AWD LT (P3,488,888) and the front-wheel-drive FWD LT (P3,088,888) which I test-drove. Both variants are powered by a 3.6-liter direct injection V6 engine with variable valve timing. Paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the aluminum block V6 gasoline engine produces 281 bhp/6300 rpm and 359.1 Nm max torque. Fuel economy is average for this class: 7/10 km per liter city/highway driving for the FWD while the AWD gets 6.7/ 9.68 km per liter city/highway.

There is ample power to propel this plus-size vehicle smartly and smoothly, but don’t expect sporty performance—just responsive, car-like handling and accurate steering. Despite its heft, I found the Traverse nimble, refined and reasonably easy to drive and maneuver, what with direct fuel injection enhancing acceleration and spotter mirrors, integrated into the power-foldable side mirrors, reducing side blind spots. The 6-speed AT shifts smoothly and promptly although it sometimes hesitates when downshifting at highway speed. Parking is facilitated by a rear-view camera reflected on the rear-view mirror and ultrasonic reverse parking assist with two monitors.

Strengths

The Traverse’s strengths are its riding comfort, roomy cabin that can seat up to eight people, cavernous cargo space and excellent safety ratings. Despite the prevalence of hard plastic, the large, accommodating interior is luxuriously high-tech and tastefully designed with a Digital HD Touch Screen with GPS; Intelligent Voice Guide and Route Plan; Driver Multi-Information System; Multimedia Entertainment with Bose 10-speaker surround system; Bluetooth hands-free calling; big, bright, clear gauges; and easy-to-reach controls. The power-adjustable front seats are exceptionally supportive, the second row seats slide fore and aft to improve leg room while allowing easy access to the third row seats. Tri-zone air conditioning further enhances passenger comfort wherever they sit.

Unlike the third-row seats of other crossovers, the Traverse’s can comfortably accommodate two well-fed adults while giving them full side-curtain airbag protection. When the second- and third-row seats are folded down, cargo space increases from 24.4 cubic feet to a class-leading 115.4 cubic ft. What’s more, there is a handy compartment under the floor behind the third-row seats plus useful bins, cupholders and cubbyholes throughout the cabin. The lift gate is conveniently power-remote.

5-star rating

With six airbags including head curtain side-impact air bags that help protect all three rows in a collision, ABS, Stability Track (Stability Control with Traction Control), Cruise Control and Tire Pressure Monitoring, the Traverse earned a Five Star overall crash rating from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. No wonder the 2011 Consumer Reports New Car Buying Guide gave the Traverse a Recommended rating and noted that the reliability of the FWD variant has been above average.

The Traverse and its big brother the Suburban are included in the Top 10 Family Cars for 2011 by Kelly Blue Book.com on the basis of safety, comfort, economy of operation, child-friendliness, purchase price and resale value.  In 2010, sales of the Traverse increased 17 percent over 2009, extending its lead as the best-selling three-row SUV in the United States.

Premises considered, the answer to the question—whether the Traverse has succeeded in restoring Chevrolet’s primacy in the large SUV market in the US—is a resounding Yes. Looks like TCCCI is determined to make the Traverse a winner over here, too.