Autoblog’s First Drive of the 2024 Traverse

Once the territory of station wagons and minivans, the three-row crossover has become the iconic family car. Not just large families benefit from seating for seven or eight. It can mean room for a family of five with each child inviting a friend or when grandparents or an aunt and uncle visit and invite everyone out to eat. In addition, having kids means facilitating their activities, and before you know it, you are filling the cabin with scouts or soccer players, each with their gear or maybe the school’s trombone section. A three-row crossover accommodates all of this while providing a comfortable car-like ride.

The previous two generations of the Traverse always delivered generous space and seating. The redesigned 2024 model offers significantly improved power, technology, style, and safety. Autoblog took their first look and drive of the new Traverse, and Barry’s Chevrolet is along for the ride.

Smaller Engine, Bigger Power

Replacing the previous model’s 3.6-liter V6 engine is a new 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4, which is the exclusive engine of the model line. The new engine easily outpowers its predecessor with 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, representing an increase of 18 horsepower and no less than 60 more lb-ft of peak torque over the previous engine. Yet it also provides greater city efficiency, with an EPA estimated city/highway/combined mpg of 20 / 27 / 23 on FWD models and 19 / 24 / 21 on AWD. Both drivetrains use an 8-speed automatic transmission. 

Bigger Inside

Even as the Traverse is about an inch shorter outside, the cabin is larger, with three additional inches of first- and second-row legroom. Autoblog’s 6-foot author found he could set his driver’s position in the first row and sit comfortably behind himself in both the second and third rows. Behind that third row is 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space, growing to 56.6 cubic feet with the third-row seatbacks folded and finally providing class-leading 97.6 cubic feet with the second- and third-row seats folded. If you prefer to pull your load behind you, the Traverse is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Major Tech and Safety Upgrades

The elegant instrument panel is anchored by a best-in-class standard 17.7-inch touchscreen. Google Built-in system is the infotainment’s operating system. The system features clear, intuitive icons and menus and comes standard with the Google Maps app with other Google apps available for download. Wireless smartphone compatibility is standard, and both wireless charging and a WiFi hotspot are available. Six standard USB ports keep your passenger’s phones and devices charged. 

Safety is a strong consideration for any family vehicle, and the new Traverse boasts considerable enhancement in that area. All models come standard with the Chevy Safety Assist system, which includes:

• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Forward Collision Alert
• Following Distance Indicator
• Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning
• IntelliBeam® High Beam Assist
• Front Pedestrian Braking

That is just the start with other standard Traverse safety and driver-assist technologies, including:

• Rear Park Assist
• Safety Alert Seat
• HD Rear Vision Camera
• HD Surround Vision
• Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Braking
• Blind Zone Steering Assist
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Speed Limit Assist
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Intersection Automatic Emergency Braking
• Side Bicyclist Alert
• Rear Pedestrian Alert
• Reverse Automatic Braking

Notice the standard HD Surround Vision? It is a very rare standard feature for this vehicle category. For truly impressive driver assist technology, GM’s industry-leading Super Cruise system is standard on the RS and available on the LT and Z71 trims. The system is based on pre-mapped highways your vehicle can track. Well over 400,000 highway miles have already been mapped in North America, and GM has a goal of 750,000 miles by the end of this year. During their test, Autoblog was pleasantly surprised to see the system operable on a simple 2-lane highway. 

Three-Row Stylin’ 

The third-generation Traverse has a refined yet tougher exterior with a muscular squared-off stance that echoes Chevrolet’s truck line. Up front are the high-mounted narrow LED DRLs and almost hidden headlights that have become Chevrolet’s Crossover design language. This look fits both the street-focused RS trim and the off-road capable Z71.

The New Z71 Isn’t Just For Looks

The Z71 is new for the Traverse line and is more than an appearance package. It starts with large sidewall all-terrain tires mounted to 18-inch wheels. Ground clearance is raised by 1.2 inches, and an aluminum skid plate up front and a steel plate protect the engine. 

The Z71 AWD system has torque-vectoring thanks to a dual-clutch at the rear, improving dexterity on and off the pavement. Unique dampers with hydraulic rebound control improve off-road agility. Hill Descent Control automatically controls the speed of a steep off-road downward slope, and terrain mode assists the driver with one-pedal driving when crawling slowly over obstructions in their path. 

Autoblog drove a Z71 on rutted dirt two-tracks, and lumpy grass, where they felt comfortable keeping a 40 to 45 mph pace. They found the Z71 more than capable of handling “the sort of conditions you’d encounter on your way to a cabin or a campsite deep in the woods.” The above-mentioned standard HD Surround Vision is not just helpful for perfect parking but also helps off-road by enabling you to spot obstructions. Autoblog appreciated that it wasn’t limited to crawling speed as on Toyota systems. 

Autoblog Like It

Autoblog’s first drive left them eager for more, so we can probably expect a full road test from them. In the meantime, they conclude: “It drives well, it’s roomy, the tech is good, it’s far more stylish than before and its new trim levels cater to a greater variety of tastes. It’s much more worthy of your consideration than before…”

Anyone interested in a three-row crossover should consider the new 2024 Traverse. As of this writing, models are on their way to Barry’s Chevrolet inventory. We invite you to contact one of our sales professionals to have them inform you when the first models arrive so you can have your own first driving impression of the Traverse.