NEW GATHERING SPACE FOR FAMILIES

4x4magazine | 08/04/2012 | 0 Comments

The new 2013 Chevrolet Traverse crossover-utility vehicle offers families a new gathering space with greater style, refinement and safety. It goes into production later this year, building on the space, comfort and efficiency that have made Traverse popular.

The new Traverse has an athletic exterior design, complemented by a more expressive front end that introduces a new face for Chevrolet crossover utilities. The front features a new shape supported by a powerdome hood, a three-bar upper and two-bar lower grille design, new lamps, chrome accents around the grille and fog lamps, and sculpted front corners. The new design captures the overall character of Chevy’s new car lineup, for a consistent family resemblance. At the rear, redesigned lamps and the license plate pocket are positioned in the new liftgate for a sportier look.
With its class-leading spaciousness, comfortable and flexible seating for up to eight adults, and more cargo-carrying capacity, the new Chevy Traverse builds on these established attributes by offering an interior environment with new features and refined appointments. Upgraded materials include soft-touch surfaces on the instrument panel and front door uppers, contrasting stitching, chrome and silver accents, and available blue ambient lighting that flows through the cabin.
A new center stack showcases a 6.5-inch color touch radio with the available Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system. The center stack also has large and illuminated climate controls that are easier to use and have a more upscale feel. The front seats now feature articulating head restraints that can be adjusted up or down and fore and aft for greater comfort. The eight-way power passenger seat includes leather trim.
The Traverse passes the parent test with three rows of seating standard on all models, flexible seating configurations, class-leading people and cargo-carrying capacity, and family-friendly entertainment and other features. It’s second-row seat comes with a pair of captain’s chairs or a three-passenger bench. Each incorporates Traverse’s child-friendly, second-row SmartSlide feature that enables unobstructed access to the third-row bench seat with one hand – and is easy for children to operate. The third-row seat can comfortably accommodate three adult passengers. Traverse’s 24.4 cu. ft. (691 liters) of cargo room behind its third row is larger than many full-size utility vehicles. Traverse also has easy-to-operate safety belts, up to 12 cup holders and an available rear-seat entertainment system.
Efficiency in the Traverse comes from a technically advanced 3.6L V-6 with fuel-saving direct injection technology and continuously variable valve timing. It is mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission controls have been revised to provide quicker and more consistent shifts.
The engine is SAE-certified at 288 horsepower (215Nm) and 270 lb.-ft. of torque (366Nm) with dual exhaust (281hp/210kW and 266 lb.-ft./361Nm with single exhaust). Its direct injection fuel delivery helps produce power similar to many V-8 engines and uses regular unleaded gasoline.
The available intelligent all-wheel-drive (AWD) system provides increased traction on slippery roads by actively managing the torque distribution between the front and rear axles, based on factors such as wheel speed, throttle and surface conditions. There is no driver intervention; the system automatically decides how much torque to apply and delivers it to the wheels that have the best traction.