By Lary
Coppola
Car-based crossover vehicles straddle the line between car and sport utility vehicle (SUV), by using the same unibody construction as a car — and adding all-wheel drive capabilities — while being generally lighter and more fuel efficient than traditional, body-on-frame, truck-based SUVs.
Until a couple of years ago, crossovers were generally small-to-midsize vehicles, like the Toyota Highlander, Subaru Forester, Honda Pilot, Volvo XC90, etc. However, General Motors (GM) really began pushing the envelope in 2007, introducing crossovers nearly as big as its truck-based, body–on-frame, Chevy Tahoe. The Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, later, the 2008 Buick Enclave — and now the 2009 Chevy Traverse — are all based on GM's Lambda platform.
Chevrolet debuted the Traverse at last year’s Chicago Auto Show. It’s offered with front- or all-wheel drive, and boasts V6 power, with seating for either seven or eight passengers.
The Traverse model lineup consists of the base, LS, upscale LT and top-of-the-line LTZ model.
Walkaround: Built in Spring Hill, Tenn., the Traverse takes its styling cues from the highly successful, redesigned Chevrolet Malibu. The deep-set, chrome-ringed grille, with a wrap-around fascia and similar front-end sheet metal, are coupled with smooth body lines, slightly flared wheel wells, and short overhangs, to showcase a sleek, flowing look meant to become Chevy’s new, global face.
The rear facade of the Traverse includes an expressive taillight array and a rear spoiler integrated over the liftgate window. Smooth roof rails are designed to compliment the overall sleek appearance, which is finished off with dual, chrome-tipped exhaust outlets.
While the LTZ comes standard with 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, 17-inchers are standard on the LS and LT, with optional 18 and 20-inch wheel-and-tire combinations available.
Interior: The interior boasts the same dual cockpit design as the Malibu. Seating for eight is standard, with two front bucket seats, a three-passenger 60/40 split folding second-row and third benches. Perforated leather seats are available as are second-row captain's chairs that provide seating for seven. The second- and third-row seats fold flat, revealing 117.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and the second-row has a Smart Slide feature that allows easy access to the third row.
Instrumentation is GM’s standard issue white on black, with green digital used extensively for everything other than the main, chrome-trimmed analog gauges. The instrument panel is mounted in a low and away position to enhance visibility, with the available navigation system screen integrated prominently in the upper-center spot.
OnStar 8.0 (with a one-year Directions & Connections plan), which features Bluetooth-enabled hands-free calling, Turn-by-Turn Navigation and the Advanced Crash Response System is standard. If a crash activates an air bag, an OnStar advisor immediately calls the vehicle and/or summons emergency help.
A DVD navigation system with OnStar Destination Download or eNav and XM NavTraffic, is an option. Other available options include a panoramic sunroof, rear park assist, a choice of two rearview camera options, projector-beam headlamps, heated, power-adjustable outside mirrors with blind-spot mirrors, power liftgate, navigation system, rear DVD entertainment, Sirius/XM satellite radio with real-time traffic, Bluetooth hands-free cell phone link, and heated and cooled front seats.
Standard safety features include dual-stage front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags for all three seating rows, a tire-pressure monitor, antilock brakes, traction control, and GM's StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation.
Under The Hood: There’s only one powerplant offered — GM's 3.6-liter dual-overhead cam V6, with variable valve timing, direct injection, and single or dual exhaust. The single exhaust version delivers 281 horses and 266 pound-feet of torque, while the dual exhaust version offers slightly more —288 — horses, and 270 pound-feet of torque. Both versions are married to GM’s six-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Towing capacity is 5,200 pounds.
Direct injection enables the engine to deliver better-than-expected fuel economy, with 90 percent of the engine's peak torque available from approximately 2,500 rpm to more than 6,000 rpm. The use of a higher compression ratio and unique pistons improves engine performance and efficiency, so less fuel is required to produce horsepower —especially at normal cruising speeds — plus helping reduce cold-start emissions by up to 25 percent.
Behind The Wheel: We test-drove the new Chevy Traverse during the severe early January weather — including some snow — so it was an excellent opportunity to put it through some harder than normal paces.
The all-wheel-drive (AWD) system efficiently managed the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels, providing increased traction on the slippery roads. Since there’s no driver intervention other than the ability to manually select the gearing, the AWD system automatically decides how much torque to apply and deliver to the wheels. The Traverse held its own when compared to some other crossovers we drove during that extended bad weather.
The Traverse rides on a long, 118.9-inch wheelbase, and has a 67.8-inch front track and 67.4-inch rear track with independent front and rear suspensions and a fairly low center of gravity. The combination enables a smooth, stable ride, with respectable car-like handling for a vehicle of its size.
While variable-effort steering is available, we found the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering on our test vehicle to be adequate. The four-wheel ABS disc brakes with the additional Dynamic Rear Proportioning (DRP), Hydraulic Brake Boost (HBB) and Panic Brake Assist (PBA). DRP optimizes front to rear brake balance automatically adjusting the rear brake bias based on driving conditions and vehicle load. HBB amplifies the hydraulic brake force to reduce stopping distances. PBA optimizes braking by adding or maintaining pedal pressure even if the driver unconsciously or involuntarily backs it off during an emergency situation.
Whines: The up-sloping rear windows limit visibility.
Bottom Line: The 2009 Chevy Traverse is a large, versatile, capable, crossover SUV with a myriad of available options that will allow it to fit the needs of a wide variety of buyers. It offers outstanding V6 power, and strong towing capacity, with fuel economy on a par with some mid-size hybrids under some conditions. Not a bad combination at all.
Coppola
Car-based crossover vehicles straddle the line between car and sport utility vehicle (SUV), by using the same unibody construction as a car — and adding all-wheel drive capabilities — while being generally lighter and more fuel efficient than traditional, body-on-frame, truck-based SUVs.
Until a couple of years ago, crossovers were generally small-to-midsize vehicles, like the Toyota Highlander, Subaru Forester, Honda Pilot, Volvo XC90, etc. However, General Motors (GM) really began pushing the envelope in 2007, introducing crossovers nearly as big as its truck-based, body–on-frame, Chevy Tahoe. The Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, later, the 2008 Buick Enclave — and now the 2009 Chevy Traverse — are all based on GM's Lambda platform.
Chevrolet debuted the Traverse at last year’s Chicago Auto Show. It’s offered with front- or all-wheel drive, and boasts V6 power, with seating for either seven or eight passengers.
The Traverse model lineup consists of the base, LS, upscale LT and top-of-the-line LTZ model.
Walkaround: Built in Spring Hill, Tenn., the Traverse takes its styling cues from the highly successful, redesigned Chevrolet Malibu. The deep-set, chrome-ringed grille, with a wrap-around fascia and similar front-end sheet metal, are coupled with smooth body lines, slightly flared wheel wells, and short overhangs, to showcase a sleek, flowing look meant to become Chevy’s new, global face.
The rear facade of the Traverse includes an expressive taillight array and a rear spoiler integrated over the liftgate window. Smooth roof rails are designed to compliment the overall sleek appearance, which is finished off with dual, chrome-tipped exhaust outlets.
While the LTZ comes standard with 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, 17-inchers are standard on the LS and LT, with optional 18 and 20-inch wheel-and-tire combinations available.
Interior: The interior boasts the same dual cockpit design as the Malibu. Seating for eight is standard, with two front bucket seats, a three-passenger 60/40 split folding second-row and third benches. Perforated leather seats are available as are second-row captain's chairs that provide seating for seven. The second- and third-row seats fold flat, revealing 117.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and the second-row has a Smart Slide feature that allows easy access to the third row.
Instrumentation is GM’s standard issue white on black, with green digital used extensively for everything other than the main, chrome-trimmed analog gauges. The instrument panel is mounted in a low and away position to enhance visibility, with the available navigation system screen integrated prominently in the upper-center spot.
OnStar 8.0 (with a one-year Directions & Connections plan), which features Bluetooth-enabled hands-free calling, Turn-by-Turn Navigation and the Advanced Crash Response System is standard. If a crash activates an air bag, an OnStar advisor immediately calls the vehicle and/or summons emergency help.
A DVD navigation system with OnStar Destination Download or eNav and XM NavTraffic, is an option. Other available options include a panoramic sunroof, rear park assist, a choice of two rearview camera options, projector-beam headlamps, heated, power-adjustable outside mirrors with blind-spot mirrors, power liftgate, navigation system, rear DVD entertainment, Sirius/XM satellite radio with real-time traffic, Bluetooth hands-free cell phone link, and heated and cooled front seats.
Standard safety features include dual-stage front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags for all three seating rows, a tire-pressure monitor, antilock brakes, traction control, and GM's StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation.
Under The Hood: There’s only one powerplant offered — GM's 3.6-liter dual-overhead cam V6, with variable valve timing, direct injection, and single or dual exhaust. The single exhaust version delivers 281 horses and 266 pound-feet of torque, while the dual exhaust version offers slightly more —288 — horses, and 270 pound-feet of torque. Both versions are married to GM’s six-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Towing capacity is 5,200 pounds.
Direct injection enables the engine to deliver better-than-expected fuel economy, with 90 percent of the engine's peak torque available from approximately 2,500 rpm to more than 6,000 rpm. The use of a higher compression ratio and unique pistons improves engine performance and efficiency, so less fuel is required to produce horsepower —especially at normal cruising speeds — plus helping reduce cold-start emissions by up to 25 percent.
Behind The Wheel: We test-drove the new Chevy Traverse during the severe early January weather — including some snow — so it was an excellent opportunity to put it through some harder than normal paces.
The all-wheel-drive (AWD) system efficiently managed the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels, providing increased traction on the slippery roads. Since there’s no driver intervention other than the ability to manually select the gearing, the AWD system automatically decides how much torque to apply and deliver to the wheels. The Traverse held its own when compared to some other crossovers we drove during that extended bad weather.
The Traverse rides on a long, 118.9-inch wheelbase, and has a 67.8-inch front track and 67.4-inch rear track with independent front and rear suspensions and a fairly low center of gravity. The combination enables a smooth, stable ride, with respectable car-like handling for a vehicle of its size.
While variable-effort steering is available, we found the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering on our test vehicle to be adequate. The four-wheel ABS disc brakes with the additional Dynamic Rear Proportioning (DRP), Hydraulic Brake Boost (HBB) and Panic Brake Assist (PBA). DRP optimizes front to rear brake balance automatically adjusting the rear brake bias based on driving conditions and vehicle load. HBB amplifies the hydraulic brake force to reduce stopping distances. PBA optimizes braking by adding or maintaining pedal pressure even if the driver unconsciously or involuntarily backs it off during an emergency situation.
Whines: The up-sloping rear windows limit visibility.
Bottom Line: The 2009 Chevy Traverse is a large, versatile, capable, crossover SUV with a myriad of available options that will allow it to fit the needs of a wide variety of buyers. It offers outstanding V6 power, and strong towing capacity, with fuel economy on a par with some mid-size hybrids under some conditions. Not a bad combination at all.
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