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Review 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
Category: Car Review, Chevrolet, SUVBY STEVE SILER
Chevrolet Traverse becomes the fourth and perhaps best card in GM’s game-winning hand in the crossover game.
Saving the best for last may not have been GM’s intention when it finally introduced the fourth and final version of its acclaimed Lambda full-size crossovers, which also include the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia, but after our short first drive of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, that seems to be the case.
The New Malibu Maxx
The Traverse we first saw at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show was clean and classy, and the production version enters virtually unchanged, save for an ever-so-slight reshape of the headlamp lenses so as to claim a segment-best coefficient of drag of 0.33. Not accidentally, the Traverse’s fascia bears a resemblance to that of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, which is great looking itself. Other nice details include an upswept rear window, flush-mounted roof rails, and mirrors with LED turn signals on LT and LTZ models.
Likewise, Malibu influence can be found throughout the Traverse’s interior. The center stack cascades down toward the shifter, and is tastefully decorated with silver trim. Illumination patterns also follow those of the Malibu.
As with the other crossovers, seven- or eight-passenger configurations are available, the dressiest combo by far being any of its two-tone color schemes combined with a second-row twin-bucket/center-console floor plan. As with the rest of the Lambda family, the third row is generous, putting many other crossovers (and the Chevy Tahoe full-size SUV) to shame.
Materials are on par with those of the Outlook, which is to say pretty good, save some shiny plastic here and there, and the standard and optional features list is also nearly identical, including dual sunroofs, Bose audio, a navigation system (now linked to OnStar), and new in-mirror rearview camera.
Direct Injection: Much Appreciated
As with the other ’09 Lambda crossovers, the Traverse will come standard with GM’s 3.6-liter engine, now with direct injection. In models with single exhaust (LS and some LT models), the motor makes 281 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque (up from 275 and 251, respectively), while upmarket LT and LTZ trims get dual exhausts, which up the output to 288 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque.
While our brief drive gave us but a taste of each mill, we did find that the extra power makes for snappy throttle response, and indeed helps one forget the Traverse’s 4720-pound weight (4925 for AWD versions)—something we’ve complained about in non-DI Lambda trucks. Is it fast? No. But it can certainly get out of its own way, with plenty of passing power and virtually silent operation while cruising.
Fuel economy gets a slight bump to 17 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway for the front-wheel-drive version, 16 city/23 highway with all-wheel drive. (The fitment of direct injection yields similar benefits for the Traverse’s GMC-, Saturn-, and most Buick-branded cousins.)
And trailer-tuggers should know that towing capacity is an impressive-for-a-crossover 5200 pounds, and that 90 percent of the engine’s torque is available between 2500 and 6000 rpm. Indeed, we pulled a two-ton boat/trailer combo around and nearly forgot it was there.
Not Messing With Success: Only Modest Chassis Refinements
The only significant changes made to the Traverse’s chassis are slightly retuned shock valving and new tires—everything else was left alone. Though none of the other Lambda utes were there for side-by-side comparison, the Traverse demonstrated the same sort of crispness and drama-free braking we’ve noted in our recent experiences with the Acadia and the Outlook, and there was little difference between Traverses with 18-inch wheels and 20-inch wheels. Likewise, the ride was similarly pleasant—not as soft as the Enclave—but perfectly comfortable, calmly absorbing bumps and transferring its heft from side to side with little roll and admirable composure.
Chevrolet provided several 2008 Toyota Highlanders for comparison purposes, all of which pitched and rolled and squealed and beeped their way through the different demonstrations, exhibiting an overly aggressive stability-control system. The Highlander’s ride quality is better, and the Lexus-like materials look nicer, but the engine is louder, and it proved to be far less confidence-inspiring than the sure-footed Chevy on mixed surfaces, in high-speed corners, during panic stops, and while trailering. A known softie, however, the Highlander is admittedly an easy target; we’re anxious to see how the new 2009 Honda Pilot, 5Best-winning 2008 Mazda CX-9, and 2009 Ford Flex stack up. Stay tuned for comparos in the future.
Arrives Late, But Well-Dressed
So what took so long? Basically, Chevy was busy, said a Chevrolet spokesman in an interview with Car and Driver. When the crossovers were ready in early 2007, Chevrolet was in the midst of launching its new full-size SUVs and trucks, followed by the splashy Malibu introduction for 2008. Meanwhile, Chevrolet had another capable seven- to eight-passenger ute in the Tahoe to carry over until the Traverse was ready to come out of the oven.
But with today’s crazy gas prices shooting bigger holes in the Tahoe’s hull, the far more efficient—and spacious—Traverse arrives not a second too soon, with an in-dealership ETA of late September/early October. With a starting price of $28,990 for the two-wheel-drive LS, $31,545 for the 1LT, $34,250 for the 2LT, and $39,810 for the top-dog LTZ (all-wheel drive adds $2000 to each), it seems to be worth the wait. The starting price of the base Traverse is $1000 higher than that of the 2008 Saturn Outlook. As GM executives previously have said the Chevy would be the lowest-priced, volume vehicle of the quartet, we await pricing on the 2009 Outlook to see if that is indeed the case.
Moving forward, we’d love to see a shorter, lighter, two-row version of the Lambda crossovers to take on the Nissan Murano, Ford Edge, and others. Meanwhile, we’re pretty happy with the Traverse as is.