Traverse-ing the tide
IN THE city, the Traverse is easy to use, and despite being being pretty big, isn’t as daunting to drive.
Every time I see a big lumbering American SUV, I always have to wonder at why the poor old fellow who paid for it even bothered to buy one. Pose value perhaps? Compensation?
These big lumbering SUV’s get very poor gas mileage, are not as roomy as one would think inside thanks to their oftentimes truck-based underpinnings, feel coarse and limp-wristed behind the wheel. Its only talent is bullying smaller cars on the road. These should be deported from our roads.
So I thought such about Chevrolet’s new cross-over full-size SUV, the Traverse. I was wondering how Chevrolet could justify another big hulking SUV in its line-up, when the world, including America has decided that it doesn’t want to pay too much for gas.
Boy, was I in for a shock.
The Traverse, first and foremost, is built atop GM’s conventional uni-body Lambda platform, which it shares with other GM vehicles; the Traverse replaces the Trailblazer (soon to be reborn as an Asian pick-up based CRDi diesel-powered SUV) and the US-Market Uplander Minivan. Power is delivered to either the front or four wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission, connected to Chevrolet’s 3.6-liter dohc LLT V6 engine with direct gasoline injection and variable valve timing. On our piss-poor fuel, the engine pumps out 281 hp and 266 lbs-ft of torque but load up with premium grade fuel and you’ll get more power, torque and responsiveness according to some enthusiast websites. The 6-speed automatic, combined with the direct gasoline injection, makes for a surprisingly responsive, fleet-footed SUV in traffic, which makes cut and thrust driving easy. FWD helps lower the weight but avoids being nose heavy. The upside is a smooth ride, with the rear feeling planted even when you’re a single occupant, the bane of typical full-size American SUVs, which have a firm rear suspension to support all the weight. All told, it weighs 2136 kg, or 4,700 lbs, which for a vehicle of this size, is on the light side.
It’s got the big and bold chevron Chevrolet grill up front with handsome machined aluminum finish 6-spoke 20-inch wheels wrapped with HT terrain tires and interestingly, side mirrors that have anti blind-spot corners, handy in a vehicle of this size, plus dual tailpipes to give the Sport in Sport Utility some credence.
The inside is roomy, far roomier than its size suggest, thanks to the unibody platform. There’s a multi-media system with navigation and MP3 connectivity. It plays good tunes, which helps put you in the mood for a very long drive. Getting in and out is easy, thanks to a ride height that balances ground clearance with convenience. Seats are surprisingly comfortable as most American SUVs tend to have very broad seats with unusually large lumbar supports uncomfortable for Asians and covered in classy Ebony leather. Dark grey, ebony and splashes of silver keep the dash architecture interesting and lively.
Interior plastics and the fabrics for the seats are still not as upmarket as one would expect for a car costing over P3 million but the seats do flip and fold flat to the floor to allow you to load up really big, really bulky objects, which almost look big enough to store the Traverse’s baby sibling, the Spark supermini. Or perhaps everything else, including the kitchen sink. It’s got a Driver’s Information System, which gives vital information real time such as fuel consumption, range, outside temperature, a compass, tire pressure monitoring system and a trip computer. Triple zone climate control system ensures that all occupants can find comfort.
On the safety front, there are six airbags including a curtain airbag that protects the occupants spanning the A-pillar all the way to the D-pillar at the back, Stabilitrac Traction and Stability control plus ABS-EBD brakes. A rear-facing camera displays the Traverse’s very large posterior on two separate monitors, on the multi-media screen as well as a smaller screen on the rear-view mirror. This gives the Traverse a 5-star rating in the US NCAP crash test results.
On the highway, the Traverse feels confident, surprisingly confident and yet responsive to both steering, throttle and braking inputs, rather than feeling like an unstoppable freight train. Mileage improves up to as much as just under 7 km/liter, not bad for an SUV of this size. Wind and tire noise is almost nonexistent at just under 120 kph. In the city, the Traverse is easy to use, and despite being being pretty big, isn’t as daunting to drive; no wonder in the US, it is targeted to soccer moms who want a taller, more commanding view of the road as opposed to a regular luxury sedan or minivan.
I found myself driving and driving the Traverse as often as I could during the five days it was with me. From the mall, to visiting my project sites, and of course cruising with my friends to various nightspots in Metro Manila. It’s very comfortable, confident but not aggressive, friendly but no push-over. This is one SUV that’s enjoyable to drive, not daunting to use, doesn’t look imposing and actually drives very well, very car-like. This is one big American SUV I don’t want deported from our roads.
