2024 Chevrolet Traverse Reviews, Pricing & Specs

In Canada, the Traverse is available in three main trims: LT, Z71, and RS. Of these, the Z71 is the all-new addition to the range and is intended for three-row SUV shoppers who intend to do some moderate off-roading. Keep that “moderate” mention in mind if you’re the ultimate weekend warrior.

That’s because Chevrolet’s representatives made it clear during our test drive that the Z71 variant—the model in which we spent the vast majority of our drive time—isn’t meant to be a mud-plugging machine like the Jeep Wrangler or the Ford Bronco. Instead, it’s engineered to be capable of tackling reasonably rugged terrain, though perhaps not the Rubicon Trail.

Pricing is competitive considering the Traverse’s direct rivals include the Kia Telluride, Ford Explorer, Volkswagen Atlas, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and the Toyota Grand Highlander. Minus any options, the Traverse LT starts at $50,833, including a $2,000 destination charge and other fees. This extends all the way up to $65,733, fees in, for the top-of-the-line RS model. To be fair, the RS isn’t inexpensive, but it comes loaded with nearly every available feature that can be added to the Traverse.

Our test vehicle was a Z71 model (starting price of $56,833) that rode on gloss black-painted 18-inch alloy wheels and was decked out in Iridescent Pearl Tricoat paint. It’s one of six available colours offered on the Z71 and, incidentally, the priciest at $1,195 Canadian (we chalk it up to our fancy taste). Our tester’s Jet Black interior was livened up by what Chevy calls "Torch Red" accents along the doors and dashboard. It’s nice, if you like red, but a few other colour choices wouldn’t go amiss here. Synthetic leather seating upholstery is optional for an additional $1,150, though we were happy with the overall look, comfort, and breathability of the standard cloth seats in our tester.

Fans of V6 engines, you might want to look away when opening the hood of the new Traverse. Gone is the previous model’s 310-horsepower 3.6-litre V6. In its place is a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder that produces 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. As you will have noticed, that power output figure from the new engine is 18 ponies more than the V6. This advantage widens when talk turns to torque; the discontinued V6 churned out 266 lb-ft in total, or 50 fewer than the turbo four-cylinder.

All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on every trim in Canada, though the system fitted in the Traverse Z71 is slightly more advanced. It features a dual-clutch arrangement that can redirect torque to the rear wheel with the most grip in slippery conditions.

On a mixture of highways and moderately twisty two-lane country roads, we found acceleration and passing power more than acceptable for a vehicle this size. It’s not a road rocket, nor do you feel like you’ve accepted life in the slow lane because you need a large crossover. In fact, the exhaust has a surprisingly nice little growl to it when you need a jolt of acceleration, in our opinion.

The steering felt fine if we didn’t hurry the Traverse, or attempt to squeeze into the narrowest of parking spots. So long as you have a little room to roam, so to speak, the steering points you in the right direction. This Chevy does feel every bit its 5,200 millimetres of overall length. For a little comparison, a Kia Telluride is 5,000 millimetres long.

The ride itself was exemplary, even considering our Z71 tester rolled on chunkier all-terrain tires and had 2.5 centimetres of extra ground clearance compared to the rest of the range. Occasionally, on certain stretches of asphalt, there was a hint more tire noise than we’d deem ideal, but these were rare instances.

As a nice surprise, the progressive nature of the brakes meant coming to a safe and controlled stop didn’t lead to excessive nose dive. The fuel-saving stop-and-start feature also proved so seamless in operation, we completely forgot it was there. If fuel economy is a primary concern, know that the official Natural Resources Canada estimates measure at 12.4 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.9 on the highway, and 11.3 combined.

In Canada, the LT and Z71 trims come with seating for eight as standard. Moving up to the RS model brings along second-row dual captain’s chairs, reducing seat capacity to 7. They permit easier access to the third row seats which, we’re happy to say, are suitable to be used by average-size adults. Taller folks perched back there will want to ask the person ahead to slide their seat forward a bit, however.

On this note, Chevy’s Smart Slide second-row seats are a cinch to use and are now located on either row of the vehicle. Previously, there was only one on the passenger side of the Traverse. Another nice perk is a power-folding third row that’s available on lower trims, and standard equipment on the RS. This quick and easy way to boost cargo capacity is aided by the Autosense power liftgate. Standard on every model, the liftgate can be opened using a button on the key fob, or it will automatically open when it detects the fob is within a metre of the rear of the vehicle. This is great for those moments when you have your hands full of luggage or shopping bags.

Cargo volume behind the third row clocks in at 648 litres, which is about average among three-row midsize SUVs. With the second and third row folded, space expands to approximately 2,764 litres, a figure that ranks among class leaders. There are also many storage nooks and cubbies littered throughout the cabin. We especially like the sizable hidden storage area under the centre console that’s accessible to either the driver or front passenger. It’s large enough to hide something like a laptop or purse from prying eyes. There is a similarly convenient and covert underfloor storage bin in the cargo bay.

Outward visibility is mostly positive, except for those in the third row. It’s not exactly claustrophobic, but the sporty upsweep of the rear fender into the side glass doesn’t do much for the view from inside.

Our Z71 test vehicle had a power-operated driver’s seat that made finding the perfect seating position painless. Considering the nearly $57,000 starting price, though, we were a little surprised to find the front passenger's seat relegated to manually adjustable controls.

One of the most immediate changes we noticed when stepping into the Traverse was the sheer scale of the infotainment touchscreen. Gone is the ho-hum 8-inch screen from the previous Traverse, replaced by an expansive 17.7-inch system that’s standard on every model. Response times are rapid and the menus simple to scroll through while driving.

This is complemented by an 11-inch digital instrument display that can be configured by the driver to show various information and vehicle functions. It was much appreciated while navigating unfamiliar roads. The navigation directions were front and centre, conveniently right in our line of sight.

Running on Google-based software, the infotainment unit has intuitive voice commands and, yes, the all-important wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The wireless charging pad tucked into the centre console of our Z71 not only did a great job adding more juice to our smartphone, but also held the phone nicely in place during cornering. This little detail isn’t something we take for granted considering some of the slip-and-slide charge pads we’ve encountered.

We also applaud Chevrolet for keeping a row of physical controls for volume and HVAC functions. We were less enamoured by the sad-looking rectangular button buried below and to the left of the steering wheel. This controls various driving modes, and in our opinion, it would make sense for it to feature more prominently.

And don’t get us started on why Chevrolet insists headlight functions should reside in layers of the infotainment system. The reasoning is that, with automatic high beams standard, there’s little need to keep physical controls for them. Apparently, no one on the Chevy headlight design team has driven on a road and attempted to flash their lights to oncoming traffic about an approaching road hazard—okay, or flashed at a slowpoke hogging the passing lane on a highway.

Back in the positive column, for the first time, the much-lauded Super Cruise hands-free driving aid is offered on the Traverse. This is one of the better automated driving systems we’ve encountered, and recent improvements expand its functionality. Chevrolet says it looks to increase the Super Cruise network to over 1.2 million kilometres of roads throughout North America by 2025.

Super Cruise can also now be activated on pre-mapped single-lane roadways, versus previously when it was limited to multi-lane highways with clear dividers. We felt a little strange engaging Super Cruise on what were essentially narrow country roads, though the system didn’t falter. One note of warning: It does automatically disengage when the mapping system detects the vehicle is approaching an intersection. This happened a couple of times during our drive and takes getting used to.

At the time of our test drive, the Traverse had not undergone crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). While we eagerly await these official results, the 2024 Traverse has a wide range of driver aids fitted at no additional cost.

All models get automatic emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, rear pedestrian alert, a surround-view parking camera, and much more. Thankfully, we didn’t have reason to test any of these systems during our two days with the 2024 Traverse, but it was nice knowing they were there.

Here’s the bad news: The 2024 Traverse has a starting price that’s approximately $4,500 higher than the 2023 model. This is a big jump, though it still aligns the Chevy’s entry-level model with rivals like the Ford Explorer, the Hyundai Palisade, and the Toyota Grand Highlander.

The 2024 Traverse is more expensive, granted, but we think it’s become a vastly better vehicle that combines a more eye-catching shape with a fully modernized cabin and impressive lineup of driver aids. During our test drive, Chevy reps made no secret of the fact that the Traverse had fallen behind rivals. After a few days behind the wheel, it’s clear the Traverse has made some pretty giant strides with this latest generation and doesn’t need to make any more excuses.

Note: Images show a US model.