2024 Chevrolet Traverse First Drive Review
The bow-tie brand's roomy three-row midsize SUV gets a timely overhaul.
Ron Sessions
QuickTakes:
Finding a three-row crossover SUV that can comfortably carry adults in all three rows can be challenging. However, the redesigned 2024 Chevrolet Traverse does that and a whole lot more.
The new 2024 Traverse is the bow-tie brand's largest midsize SUV, fitting between the smaller two-row Blazer and the full-size Tahoe. It competes with numerous rivals for the hearts, minds, and wallets of families, including the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Grand Highlander. Worth noting is that Chevrolet is selling the last-generation Traverse alongside the redesigned one as the 2024 Traverse Limited.
This year, the redesigned 2024 Chevy Traverse is more competitive than ever. It receives a turbocharged powertrain, new interior design, fresh exterior styling, and upgraded technology. Notably, a hands-free driving-assist system called Super Cruise is available in the Traverse for the first time, and a new off-road-oriented version, the Traverse Z71, joins the base LS, well-equipped LT, and sporty RS trims in the lineup.
The 2024 Traverse is currently on sale, and prices range from the high $30,000s to the high $50,000s, including the destination charge to ship the SUV from its Lansing, Michigan, assembly plant to your local Chevrolet dealer.
Ron Sessions
What's New and Noteworthy in the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse
Thematically, the styling changes are evolutionary but make the new Traverse look more like a truck. That's particularly true up front, where what appears to be a taller hood and more prominent grille dominate the design. The RS and Z71 feature a black lower fascia, and the Z71 sets itself further apart with an aluminum front skid plate.
When viewed from the side, the Traverse features partially blacked-out roof pillars behind the rear doors and new LED taillamps that fan out and wrap around the rear fenders. The Traverse Z71 gets 18-inch all-terrain tires, while the RS rolls on the Traverse's 22-inch alloy wheels, giving it a more street-savvy look.
In the cabin, the driver-configurable 11.0-inch digital instrument panel and 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system dominate the dashboard. The landscape-format infotainment display supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and features Google built-in with Google Assistant voice recognition, Google Maps navigation, and additional apps from the Google Play store. A wireless phone charger is standard in all but the base Traverse LS model.
Ron Sessions
The 2024 Traverse gets a new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, replacing the older model's 3.6-liter V6. Despite the decrease in size, the new engine makes 328 horsepower and torque to 326 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 18 horsepower and 60 lb-ft compared with the V6. Down one cog but hardly noticeable for it, an eight-speed automatic transmission replaces the nine-speed auto.
Traverse LS, LT, and RS trims are available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The Z71 has a twin-clutch AWD system that can distribute drive torque side to side to each rear wheel, depending on available traction.
Ron Sessions
The 2024 Chevy Traverse Drives Smaller Than It Looks
I drove the Traverse RS on rural two-lane highways south of Atlanta, Georgia. The test vehicle sported AWD and a snazzy Red Tintcoat exterior paint option, bringing the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $58,090, including the $1,395 destination charge.
Getting into the Traverse doesn't require a huge step up, and once I settled in I discovered the RS model's perforated leather-trimmed front seats offer a good blend of support and comfort.
In addition, the control layout is straightforward and logical, including the new column-mounted transmission shifter that frees up storage space on the center console. Curiously, virtual headlamp controls live on the left side of the large center infotainment screen, not where you'd expect to find them.
The Traverse is a large, roomy SUV with sizable roof pillars. The standard surround-view camera and available rearview camera mirror help with visibility, especially if the substantial 98-cubic-foot cargo hold is full or the second- and third-row seats hold passengers.
Ron Sessions
Chevrolet increases power and improves fuel economy by swapping last year's 3.6-liter V6 for the turbo four. The new 2024 Traverse earns an EPA-estimated 20/27/23 mpg city/highway/combined for front-wheel drive or 19/24/21 mpg for all-wheel drive. This is an improvement over the last generation's 18/26/21 mpg in the FWD trim and 17/25/20 mpg with AWD. The new Traverse RS AWD averaged 22 mpg during my evaluation, slightly higher than the GM estimate.
The new engine supplies satisfying performance, with incrementally perkier low- and mid-range responsiveness and a willingness to accelerate eagerly, if not strongly, if you keep your foot in it. Compared to the V6 engine, though, the turbo four's higher-pitched and grainier soundtrack is a downside.
The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly, and I didn't miss the extra gear in last year's nine-speed automatic, likely due to the turbo's generous torque band.
The RS model's gloss black 22-inch wheels provide plenty of curb appeal, but their 275/45R-22 all-season tires offer less sidewall cushioning than the standard 255/65R-18s fitted to lesser Traverse trims. Road impacts were few and far between on the well-maintained, largely pothole-free Georgia highways. Still, despite the RS's 22-inch wheels and sport-tuned MacPherson strut front/five-link rear suspension, the Traverse handled the few road imperfections I encountered with a nice balance of control and comfort.
Another pleasant surprise was the SUV's electric variable-effort steering, which was well weighted and offered good precision. With the grippy rubber, the turn-in response was crisp as well. The RS's four-wheel-disc brakes also offered pinpoint top-of-pedal response. As a result, the new Chevrolet Traverse, especially in sporty RS guise, drives smaller and smarter than expected for a roomy, generously sized three-row midsize SUV.
Ron Sessions
Tech-Forward From the Big Screen to Super Cruise
For 2024, the Traverse doubles down on the number of safety features it offers. Several visibility-enhancing systems I wouldn't want to be without when driving the big Traverse are now standard, including a surround-view camera, rear parking sensors, active blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking. Those are akin to giving the driver an extra pair of eyes and are especially helpful when maneuvering in tight quarters.
Chevrolet also equips the Traverse with a haptic Safety Alert Seat, which gives the driver a vibrating pulse through the seat cushion to call attention to a threatening situation. The haptic seat came in handy when sunlight glare made the blind-spot monitoring system's visual alert less noticeable and while lively cabin conversation partially drowned out the audible warning.
Optional with LT and Z71 trims and standard in the 2024 Traverse RS, Super Cruise is a hands-free driver-assistance system and will be operational on up to 750,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2025. Previously limited to multilane, limited-access highways, the system now functions on many rural roads and two-lane highways.
Ron Sessions
Having experienced Super Cruise on limited-access freeways, going hands-free on the two-lane secondary roads of Georgia was a sobering experience. Despite the oncoming semi trucks zipping along a few feet away, Super Cruise worked as advertised. While trust issues kept me hovering over the steering wheel and brake pedal, ready to take control if necessary, I never had to.
The Traverse's new infotainment touchscreen is bright, colorful, and easy to read with a glance. I prefer the Traverse's landscape-format infotainment screen because it keeps the driver's eyes closer to the top of the dash and the road ahead compared with portrait-style designs. I also prefer the asymmetrical shape of the Traverse's dual screens nested into one another compared to the screens in some rivals that look like a tablet computer glued to the dashboard.
As expected, the Google Assistant natural voice recognition system worked well during the drive, quickly and easily finding and navigating to a few off-route local points of interest I knew only by name.
Ron Sessions
The Latest Iteration of Chevy's Three-Row Midsize SUV Gets Sleeker and Smarter
For 2024, the third-generation Traverse adds some polish to its roomy design with a more expressive and sporty RS model, a first-ever off-road-oriented Z71 variant, more power and improved fuel economy, and substantially upgraded infotainment and safety technology.
Although it doesn't offer an electrified drivetrain, the Traverse's new content and features stack up well against midsize three-row SUV alternatives. In addition to the competitors from Ford, Honda, and Toyota, they also include the Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-90, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, and Volkswagen Atlas.
Chevrolet provided the vehicle for this 2024 Traverse review and paid for airfare, lodging, meals, and experiences during the evaluation period.
