Chevrolet is delivering the redesigned Traverse, and if you are looking for a massive three-row crossover that is also family-friendly, this might be the best choice for you. The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is great for short trips but also if you are planning to travel all over the US with your family thanks to the space it offers.
Under the hood of the new Traverse is the V6 engine which develops 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque and it is connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission that is responsive and quick. The windows are massive, and the visibility from inside the cabin is excellent thanks to dual sunroofs, whereas the new Traverse can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
The 2018 model has grown in every exterior dimension, but only slightly, and the growth is almost unnoticeable. However, Chevrolet managed to shed some weight off the new Traverse, and it has lost about 350 pounds, depending on the trim of choice. Also, the car has gained power and improved in first-gear “leverage.” When you add all of this up, you get a fantastic crossover with the acceleration of under seven seconds from 0 to 60 mph, according to Chevrolet.
The transmission is on another level, and the best thing about it is how unnoticeable it is. The shifts are smooth, and there is no sense of constant gear shuffling which you can often experience in many other nine-speed automatic transmissions. Unlike Ford, Chevrolet doesn’t offer a sport shift logic which holds lower gears longer and a readout on the display that shows the gear in which you are in. These features can be quite useful, but even without them, the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is a magnificent vehicle.
Another aspect Chevrolet wanted to improve was fuel efficiency, and they managed to do so in many different ways. First of all, the car lost some weight and gained a better transmission. Secondly, there is a sophisticated auto start/stop system which motorizes the starter pinion in order to be in sync with the speed of the flywheel. The reason for this is a rare occasion when you’re coasting to a stop, and the engine shuts down, but the light turns green, and you suddenly press the acceleration pedal before the car has come to a complete stop. What the synchronizer gizmo does is letting the engine restart before it completely stops without the awful sound you hear when you try to start a running engine. This resulted in an improvement of 3 mpg for both FWD and AWD versions.
The engineering team also spend some time on tuning the chassis. Their goal was to keep the comfortable ride but sharpen the dynamic handling even when Traverse is under a heavy load. That is why the new ZF shocks are featured, and they come with special valves which make the shocks quieter and improve damping performance at the same time. Comfort is preserved. The engineers hardened the lateral links in the new five-link rear suspension, whereas the front mounts of the rear-suspension cradle are hydraulic for better isolation. When you put load inside the Traverse, there is a large multi-material “bump stop” which helps out the rear coil springs and behaves like a variable-rate helper spring which ensures soft “landing.”
The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse was tested out on the winding roads, and it returned impressive results. The vehicle managed to change the direction easily with minimal body roll and maximum grip and stability. The interior, which is bigger than the one on the ongoing model by 10 percent, has an underfloor cargo stowage bin, USB charging ports which are accessible no matter where you sit. The front seats were enjoyable, but this cannot be said for the rear-seat comfort. The captain chairs in the middle are slightly harder and flatter, but they can tilt and slide which makes it easier to access the third row of seats.
The good things are the beautiful exterior, satisfactory performance, space inside the cabin and in the trunk plus the comfortable and quiet ride. On the other hand, the 2018 Chevy Traverse can add a sport transmission program and improve the rear-seating comfort and space. Overall, the new Traverse is much better than the last model.
