Chevy Traverse adds brawn, upscale trim, more mpg for 2018

DETROIT -- Chevrolet is giving its largest crossover, the Traverse, a more trucklike appearance and feel, while improving handling and fuel economy by dropping 362 pounds.

It’s also adding two upscale trims to make the vehicle more profitable and challenge rivals that command higher prices.

The 2018 Traverse, heading to dealerships in the fall, takes on a more muscular stance, shedding the rounded edges of a design that dates back almost a decade in favor of a profile much closer to Chevy’s full-size SUVs and the Ford Explorer. It will come in five varieties, including the sporty RS powered by a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine and the suede-accented High Country that’s likely to top $50,000.

Chevy said the reduced weight and new 3.6-liter engine tied to a nine-speed transmission will push the Traverse’s fuel-economy rating for highway driving to 25 mpg from the current 22, while increasing horsepower by 10 percent. The all-wheel drive system can be disconnected from the rear axle when it’s not needed to improve mileage.

Brawny is in

At the same time, consumers look more favorably upon big, brawny vehicles now than when the Traverse debuted as a 2009 model with styling borrowed from the Malibu sedan. Accordingly, Chevy decided to “truck it up a bit” for the second generation, said Steve Majoros, Chevy’s marketing director for cars and crossovers.

That approach extends to the interior as well, with a larger, more vertical center stack.

“It’s reading the segment,” Alan Batey, GM’s president of North America, told reporters today. “If you look at the vehicles that have done well in this segment, clearly they’ve got the more upward stance of a truck, a more aggressive look and feel. We took it out to our customers and clearly it resonated.”

Chevy said the Traverse, offered in seven- and eight-seat configurations, is expected to have best-in-class third-row legroom, cargo space behind the front seats and total passenger volume, thanks in part to a wheelbase that is 2 inches longer. But the maximum cargo capacity is actually reduced to 98.5 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded down, from 116 cubic feet on the 2017 model.

Designers tripled the size of the under-floor storage bin in the rear and built additional compartments into the doors. Access to the third row is easier because the right-hand seat in the second row can tip up and slide forward even with a child seat attached.

While continuing to offer the LS and LT trims that account for the majority of sales, Chevy hopes the RS and High Country trims will help it narrow a pricing gap between the Traverse and competitors such as the Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander.

The RS package includes blacked-out exterior cuts including a black chrome grille, black Chevy bowtie and 20-inch wheels. The 2.0-liter turbo that will come standard on the RS is the first four-cylinder engine available on the Traverse.

The Traverse marks the start of Chevy’s plans to expand High Country, currently offered on the Silverado pickup, across more of its lineup. A Traverse High Country will come with unique leather-appointed interior trim, 20-inch polished wheels, D-Optic headlamps, a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system and power-fold third row seats.

Chevy didn’t provide pricing for the 2018 Traverse, but a Silverado High Country starts at about $7,500 more than the LTZ, which is analogous to the Premier trim on the redesigned Traverse. The 2017 Traverse Premier with all-wheel drive starts at $44,940 including shipping.

“The Traverse is the unsung hero of the Chevrolet lineup,” Eric Lyman, vice president of industry insights at TrueCar.com, said ahead of the vehicle’s scheduled unveiling at the Detroit auto show on Monday. “Unfortunately, despite a few updates, the Traverse has become long in the tooth and fallen behind the competition in terms of technology and styling. The all new Traverse will come equipped with all the latest connectivity and technology that Chevrolet is finally starting to gain recognition for.”

Chevy has sold more than 830,000 Traverses in the U.S. since 2008. Sales declined 2.7 percent last year as it struggled to compete with newer crossovers from other brands, with the Explorer outselling it by more than a 2-to-1 margin.