The SUV boom of the recent past was partially fueled by the ease with which those large vehicles shrugged off the cargo- and people-hauling realities of every day life. The Chevrolet Traverse takes a more rational approach for buyers who don’t need the towing capacity of a Tahoe-sized SUV, but still want a spacious interior.
Room for three rows of seats and plenty of payload is efficiently packaged in the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse. The environment is packed with technology and assembled with care, and the design wraps around occupants with a tasteful stylishness. Seven or eight passengers can be accommodated in the Traverse’s flexible interior. For full passenger capacity, a 60/40-split bench provides second-row seating. Captains’ chairs can be specified for the second row, instead, and the third row is split 60/40 to offer passenger space and cargo flexibility. Plenty of room is left behind the third row, unlike some vehicles that are so crammed full of seats that you must choose between carrying people or stuff because you can’t carry both.
It’s not just a big box with plenty of seats either. The Chevrolet Traverse carries lots of value for its $29,224 starting MSRP. Climate control with rear-seat controls, cruise control, a six-speaker audio system with an auxiliary input, MP3 playback and a three-month trial of XM Satellite Radio is standard equipment. Eight-passenger seating is also standard in the LS and 1LT trim levels. Stepping up from the LS trim through two levels of LT and to the top-dog LTZ nets plenty of comfort, convenience and luxury.
Available upgrades make the Traverse an even better fit for your life. Technology like a rearview camera integrated into the mirror (available in 1LT; standard in 2LT and LTZ) and an available ultrasonic parking assist system (standard in all but LS) helps keep the bodywork free from accidental scuffs. A power liftgate is standard on 2LT and LTZ trim levels, along with three-zone automatic climate controls, an upgraded 10-speaker Bose audio system and second-row captains’ chairs. Traverse LTZs are the most luxurious with perforated leather upholstery in the first two rows and heated and cooled front seats. Families will love the available DVD entertainment system, and you’ll all get there safely and securely with the optional navigation system that incorporates standard OnStar Directions and Connections.
Also helping you arrive without incident is the Traverse’s refined powertrain. All versions use a direct injected 3.6-liter V6 with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) that packs 288 hp (281 with single exhaust) and teams with an advanced six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is one of the biggest feathers in the cap of the Traverse. SUVs equipped with four-wheel drive have gotten families to Grandmother’s in time for Christmas dinner for ages at the expense of tidy on-road behavior and a large appetite for fuel. An all-wheel drive Traverse is even more secure in inclement weather with its intelligent system actively distributing the engine’s power based on speed and traction. Standard StabiliTrak stability control with traction control intervenes to keep things upright and moving forward as well.
In addition to StabiliTrak, the Traverse has a 360-degree safety system that includes a full complement of airbags and seatbelt pretensioners. The body is reinforced in key areas and high-strength steel is used in numerous places. The independent suspension offers more nimble handling than any truck-based SUV could ever pull off, too. Even though it’s not a truck, the Traverse doesn’t shy away from work. It’s capable of towing 5,200 pounds, impressive for this segment of vehicles.
Source: IMN