Chevrolet today unveiled a dramatically remade Traverse midsize crossover that will reach dealerships for the 2024 model year. It looks bolder and more truck-like than ever and gets a new engine that is both more powerful and more efficient than what the 2023 Traverse carries.
The current Traverse is spacious and family-friendly but not exactly good-looking. You might describe it as minivan-like. Chevy designers understood that, and the company is blunt about its goals for the new design. “Our new Traverse is designed and engineered to act and look more like an SUV,” says Scott Bell, vice president, Chevrolet.
Chevrolet hasn’t revealed pricing. The 2023 model starts at $34,520.
Rugged New Look (That’s a Trend)
The changes are dramatic. The front end borrows heavily from recent truck designs – from the windshield forward, it could almost be a Silverado or the current full-size Tahoe. The wide, steeply canted C-pillars that characterized the last design are still present but stop short of full height, creating a floating-roof effect.
Brawnier, boxier SUVs are the trend in new vehicle design this year. The new Traverse doesn’t resemble competitors like the Honda Pilot or Kia Telluride, but it feels like they’re all getting their clothes from the same stylist. Everyone has a more rugged look now.
Turbo-4 Instead of V6 (That’s a Trend)
Every 2023 Traverse uses a 3.6-liter V6 engine making 310 horsepower. Most manufacturers have moved away from V6 engines for midsize vehicles in recent years. Chevy has decided they’re right. For next year, the company will replace it with a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder good for 315 horsepower.
Power now goes through an 8-speed transmission (instead of nine, like the current model). Front-wheel drive remains the standard approach, with all-wheel drive (AWD) available, presumably for an added fee.
Big Paired Screens Inside (That’s a…Yeah, You Get It)
Inside, the changes are just as dramatic.
Just as brawnier bodies are the big SUV exterior fad this year, twin screens mounted to look like a large single unit are the big interior fad. The Traverse has one now, and the look still works. But it’s huge here – the infotainment screen is a full 17.7 inches on every trim level. Chevy designers were thoughtful enough to leave a real volume knob and a pair of real knobs for the dual-zone climate control system.
Lest it feel too modern, engineers worked in a throwback – the gear selector is on the steering column.
The base model is an 8-seater with a second-row bench. All other trim levels seat seven thanks to roomy second-row captain’s chairs.
New safety equipment includes a “Buckle to Drive” feature that won’t let you shift into drive unless both driver and front passenger are safely strapped in.
Super Cruise – General Motor’s hands-free highway driving system – is now optional. It’s capable of changing lanes on its own.
New Z71 Trail Model
The Traverse gains a trim level and drops one for 2024. The base LS and mid-level LT continue, as does the sporty-looking RS. But the old Premier trim disappears, replaced by a Z71 model.
It adds off-road features like an extra inch of ground clearance, a trim-specific twin-clutch AWD system, all-terrain tires, and a new front fascia “purposely designed for improved approach angle, with an aluminum skid plate and signature Z71 red tow hooks.” Hill descent control and a trailering package are standard on the Z71. Chevy says it also gets drive modes for different terrains but doesn’t specify which terrains are included.
Chevy says the new Traverse will be available in early 2024. It will continue to be made at the Lansing Delta Township factory in Michigan.
