There’s only a few of us that work at Autoline, so we’re not able to go on every press trip and new car drive. So, instead Autoline After Hours co-host Gary Vasilash went to the recent drive for the updated 2024 Chevy Traverse on our behalf. That’s why John or Sean is not hosting this video and we figured you might be wondering why. So take a listen to what he thought of the SUV. Plus, this is Gary’s first time hosting a video alone and reading from the teleprompter, so try and be understanding.
Chevrolet has long been known as a “family brand” and there is no more family-oriented vehicle in Chevy’s lineup than the three-row Traverse, which has been reengineered for 2024.
A big change is under the hood, where there is an all-new 2.5-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 328 horsepower and 326 ft-lb of torque. This engine provides up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity.
One of the consequences of using this smaller engine—the previous generation has a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, so the new one is an impressive improvement, particularly as regards torque–says Joel Hofman, who heads up the engineering for the Traverse and its siblings—the Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia—is that it necessitated strengthening the underbody of the vehicle to accommodate the different frequencies that the new engine generates.
This improves the ride and handling of the vehicle, especially for the new Z71 trim package that uses ZF shocks with hydraulic rebound control. This means that when the crossover is taken off road—which is facilitated by a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system that is specific to the trim—there is a feeling of substance under the remarkably comfortable seat.
The Z71 also has additional features for off roading—but let’s not get carried away and think “Rubicon,” more like getting to a campsite that you’re not going to take a Malibu to—including a 1.2-inch increase in ground clearance, 18-inch all-terrain tires, and skid plates—aluminum and steel—beneath the vehicle, protecting the engine, transmission and the rear diff.
There is also a selectable Terrain mode which allows one-pedal driving on challenging surfaces by controlling throttle, braking and gear selection. The Z71 has a unique front fascia designed to improve the approach angle.
While the top-line RS trim has been available for the previous generation, they’ve amped up the appearance through the use of things like 22-inch high-gloss black aluminum wheels, a flat-bottomed steering wheel—like the type used in the Corvette, but the Traverse isn’t going to go from 0 to 60 in less than three seconds, but to be fair, the Corvette doesn’t offer 98 cubic feet of max cargo capacity—and black and red gloss trim accents throughout the interior.
The RS also has ZF shocks, but these are tuned for performance on the road.
Because the Traverse is at its core a family vehicle, Tricia Morrow, safety engineering strategy manager at GM, emphasizes a full suite of standard safety technology ranging from blind-zone steering assist that puts torque in the wheel in instances where the vehicle detects an object in the blind spot to warn the driver—try to turn the wheel and you’ll feel a little tug–to side bicyclist alert and rear pedestrian alert.
On the subject of technology, Super Cruise hands-free driving is available for the Traverse—and now it can operate on some undivided highways. By next year GM plans to have 750,000 miles of roads covered by Super Cruise.
There is a 17.7-inch diagonal color touchscreen display in the center of the instrument panel and an 11-inch diagonal, configurable display providing driver information.
All the sheet metal on the exterior of the Traverse is new. The front fascia for the vehicle has undergone a huge change from the previous generation model, more clearly nodding to the Silverado and Colorado pickups than the other utes in the Chevy portfolio.
Among the competitive set for the Traverse are the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and the long-time category veteran Ford Explorer, which is undergoing a significant refresh this year. The Traverse is, from the points of view of content, design and road manners—and even some off-road manners—has more than stepped up to the competition.
