Up Close With the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse: Catching Up and Catching a Z

Chevrolet is steadily overhauling its SUV lineup, adding meaningful redesigns like the Trax as well as upcoming all-electric SUVs like the Blazer and Equinox EVs. With the refreshed 2024 Traverse, we can add another member to the former group. With an all-new powertrain, more tech and additional family-friendly features, not to mention a Traverse-first off-road trim and a nicely updated design, the new Traverse is meant to help Chevy regain customers in the increasingly crowded and competitive three-row SUV segment. It’ll be a bumpy road, but that’s what the new Traverse Z71 is for, right?

Related: 2024 Chevrolet Traverse: Now With More SUVness

Presentation Matters

The revamped Traverse certainly looks the part of a three-row SUV; from certain angles, to my eyes, there’s a hint of Tahoe to its looks that adds an air of capability and credibility. The RS looks sporty — and probably sportier than it is — while the off-road Z71 looks a little tougher. Both are a far cry from the first-generation Traverse’s bulbous styling but also significantly more generic-looking.

I found the Z71 the more compelling of the two, and while it isn’t an ultra-capable off-roader, the Traverse Z71 should work well for people who live where roads aren’t paved or paved well. The Z71 also includes the Traverse’s trailering package as standard, giving it a 5,000-pound towing capacity that’s perfect for getting your toys to the trailhead for some real fun. It seems unlikely that Chevrolet will add a Trail Boss or ZR2 version for more hardcore off-roading, so take what you can get.

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Mostly Impressive Interior

The standard 17.7-inch touchscreen display is colossal and, as a nice touch, the screen itself is shaped like the housing instead of being a rectangle within a fun shape. I’m wary of Google Built-In, based on our frustrating experiences with it, but the graphics look nice and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are nice-to-haves, as well.

The vehicles I experienced were preproduction versions, so materials quality could change between now and production, but what I felt was … fine. Not great, but not bad, either. The new column gear selector is borrowed directly from the Silverado EV, and I enjoyed its operation there; while I still prefer a console-mounted lever, the new selector does allow for increased storage up front, so there’s some benefit to the change.

A change to the cockpit I’m not thrilled about is the elimination of physical controls for most of the headlight operations, though you can still activate your high beams via a column-mounted stalk. Instead, headlight controls are placed in the touchscreen display. The logic is understandable; with automatic headlights, you should just leave it set to Auto and forget about it. And, to Chevy’s credit, the control function remains at the top of the display no matter what you’re looking at. But I would hate for the screen to stop functioning and lose headlight controls, and adjusting the settings takes multiple presses on the screen, which feels less safe and intuitive than traditional physical controls. Other frequently used features like the climate controls and audio volume controls remain physical, thankfully.

Second-row room was excellent, as it has been in previous Traverses, but I was only able to experience the two-seat captain’s chairs configuration; a three-seat bench is standard on the base LS and optional on the LT. At 6-foot-1, I had trouble fitting in the third row. I wouldn’t want to sit back there, anyway; Chevrolet says it’s lowered the Traverse’s beltline to make the cabin feel airier, but as someone prone to motion sickness, the porthole-sized third-row windows would be a nightmare. The large C-pillars block most of the view from the third row, as well. Third-row access is also improved with tilt-and-slide second-row captain’s chairs on both sides of the vehicle, which is probably the most welcome feature I was able to experience (the addition of Super Cruise, the off-road chops of the Z71 and the new turbo four powertrain will have to wait).

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More Competitive On Paper

The Traverse was something of an afterthought in the three-row segment, and the redesign does make it more competitive, but the rest of the class is not standing still. The Mazda CX-90 stakes a better claim for the premium end of the spectrum than the CX-9 did; the Toyota Grand Highlander offers space and hybrid fuel efficiency; the Volkswagen Atlas also swapped in a turbo four as its only powertrain along with some additional improvements; and I still haven’t mentioned all of the competition the Traverse faces.

Once Chevrolet releases pricing information, we should have a better idea of where the Traverse will stand, but it’s certainly in a better position than it was.

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