The Chevrolet Traverse emerged from the darkness
of General Motors's bankruptcy in 2009, shining forth the bright beams
of a fresh, innovative product with seating for eight. Unlike its
competitors, this crossover had never posed as a truck, although it
boasted some impressive and very trucklike capabilities. Its sleek shape
made the Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer look like barns on wheels. (The
redesigned 2012 Explorer looks like a barn designed by Antoni Gaudi on
wheels.) A hit for Chevy, the Traverse has sold briskly, and no one has
seemed to miss the old TrailBlazer.
Earlier this year at the New York Auto Show,
the facelifted 2013 Traverse was revealed, and it looked promising. When
we finally drove it the other day, we found an even more desirable
super-station wagon. In refreshing the Traverse, according to chief
engineer Sue Eckel, the "basic premise" was to "tweak what's working
well and make big changes where needed." So improving the styling inside
and out was the foremost task. If you've looked at a Traverse lately --
they're so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible -- you may have seen
that the propitious form is hardly amplified by the dowdy trim. The '13
model, which goes into production later this year, fixes that.
Despite the revisions, the powertrain remains unchanged, which
means the splendid direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 keeps on producing 281
hp in LS and LT versions with a single exhaust and 288 hp in the LTZ
with dual exhausts. Correspondingly, torque is 266/270 lb-ft. Because
the Traverse weighs nearly two and a half tons, it never threatens to
lift off the pavement and take flight, but on the other hand it has
adequate power and reasonable throttle response. The six-speed automatic
shifts smoothly enough, although in our front-drive LT we caught it
hesitating in traffic when we lifted off the throttle but soon stepped
into it again. Eckel reminded us that a wave of Russian, Mexican, and
Canadian journalists had already come through on the media launch, and
from them, this vehicle may have learned kick dancing and hat dancing,
if not ice skating; were I to stay behind the wheel, the transmission,
with the latest-generation electronic controls, would adapt.
Thoroughly nice, and safer, too
Meanwhile, the makeover is most evident from the driver's seat. Jason
Coffer, lead interior designer, said the objective was to eliminate the
awkward intersections of seams on the dashboard and to raise the level
of perceived quality -- and in this, he and his team have succeeded.
Among other changes, the dash is covered with simulated pebbled leather
that includes exposed stitching. Making a big improvement over the
previous plates of plain black plastic, the center stack and console are
trimmed with fake wood. A bright bezel surrounds the entire instrument
cluster, and the bow-tie emblem on the steering wheel pad is displayed
alone instead of being on a round, indented background. The climate
controls are revised, so the Traverse offers blessed, round knobs rather
than the former touchplates. The 6.5-inch touchscreen presents MyLink
infotainment with a couple of configurable home screens. Front seats
have headrests that adjust four ways for comfort, and the passenger seat
has leather trim and eight-way power adjustment. The interior is
commendably quiet, which means front-row occupants don't have to turn
around and shout at the third-row; normal tones are possible, even if
they get no results. Turning around will, however, reveal the elegantly
tapering roofline. It's easy to admire how well-done this big vehicle
is.
