Video: Up Close With the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse: Taking New Looks and Tech Off-Road, If You Want

This is the all-new first for the Traverse Z71 trim. It's a more off-road-focused trim. You get things like a wider front and rear track, a suspension lift of more than an inch, these nobby all-terrain tires. And really just more trucky proportions, more body-on-frame SUV proportions. I really like the look. It's not just about appearance, however, so the Traverse Z71 will have a unique twin-clutch all-wheel drive system. You'll also get front-styling unique to the Z71 including an aluminum skid plate and these red tow hooks. It also helps with approach angle because, again, it's not just the looks, it's what this Z71 can do. Underneath the hood of the Traverse Z71, and in fact, every new Traverse, is an all-new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It has 315 horsepower according to GM's estimates, which is a little bit more than the V6's 310. But 317 pounds-feet of torque, again, according to GM's estimates, which is significantly more than the V6's 266. All versions are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmissions. And while the Z71 has its standard unique all-wheel drive system, front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional on the other three trims, LS, LT, and RS. This is the Traverse RS, the sportier version and the top trim of the new Traverse. It's got blacked out grill styling, a more aggressive appearance. And as you come along to the sides, you can see these large and very unique 22-inch wheels exclusive to the RS. That's up from the previous Traverse RS' 20-inch wheels. I've also been told the production version of the Traverse RS will sit a little bit lower than this, so it'll look a little bit more aggressive. And as you come along to the back, in addition to the new LED headlight design, you get new LED taillight designs. Nice quad exhaust tip. Looks very aggressive overall, and the RS also comes with a unique sport-tuned suspension, so I can't wait to see how it drives. Inside the Traverse, the biggest news is the standard 17.7-inch touchscreen display. It's got Google built-in. It's got wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Very interesting is it's not just this cool curve design, the screen actually extends all the way out to the border. It's not just a square shape within a curve. The driver gets an 11-inch configurable digital instrument panel. The other big shift here, and pun intended, is the move to a column-mounted electronic transmission controller. I just used this in the Silverado EV Work Truck, actually. I liked it a lot. Works really great. I prefer, you know, console-mounted shifters, but if you're gonna put this here, what you wanna do is open up storage, and that does happen here in the Traverse. You have these large cup holders, wireless device charging, and extra storage compartment down here, big center console. And then underneath the console, you actually have a pass-through with more storage as well. Overall, the cabin, especially up front, feels very roomy. This is a pre-production model so, you know, we're still waiting on final build quality. But overall, things feel nice. The faux leather here is a nice touch. The stitching, the Z71 in the headrest looks nice. But yeah, feels very roomy, feels very comfortable, feels like a three-row SUV as it should. Let's check out the second row. Here in the second row of the Traverse Z71, I'm sitting in the second-row captain's chairs, which comes standard on most trim levels of the new Traverse. The base LS comes with a standard second-row bench, and the LT trim comes with captain's chairs, but you can get a second-row bench. The seats are fairly comfortable, got a good amount of room. I have some nice climate controls here, USB-C ports, and a household-style outlet down here as well. And I also have this nice all-new dual glass panoramic moonroof here, which really helps open up the cabin. The beltline is also a little bit lower than in the previous Traverse, so things feel a little bit more airy, I think. It's a comfortable place to be, not too much else to report. This being the Z71, it does not have one-touch power-folding second row. We'll show you that in the RS in a second. But these do fold, and they do fold from both sides, which is a nice touch. So you can access the third row from either door on the Traverse instead of, you know, only one side like before. We should check out the third row now even though I don't fit super well, but let's get in. I'm back here in the third row of the Traverse Z71, and it's not a great place to be for someone of my size. I'm 6'1" and not very small. And as you can see, I'm already sticking my leg into the aisle between the second-row captain's chairs. You'd have a hard time fitting three people my size back here, but there are some nice touches. You do have air vents up here, USB-C ports on both sides, and cup holders as well, but lots of plastic, not out of the norm for the class. I wouldn't mind some more visibility as well. This is a very large C-pillar, and it does sort of make this feel a bit claustrophobic. But overall, not out of the norm for the class in terms of third-row room, but as we've seen with the new Toyota Grand Highlander, third-row space is becoming more important to consumers, and this isn't the best. It's also probably not the worst. Chevrolet says it aims to keep up its cargo space crown with the new Traverse. And while we haven't tested this area out just yet to see how it does in our measurements, the top trim RS does come with two nice features that should make loading and unloading a bit easier. You have power-folding third and second-row controls. And nicely up front, you also have one-touch power folding for the second row, so you have better access to the third row. One other cargo-friendly feature of the new Traverse is it's AutoSense power liftgate, which rather than relying on the clumsy old kick method to sense your foot when you're back here, just knows that you're back here with the key, and after a little bit, will open automatically. So if you have your hands full, you don't have to go fumbling for the key and you don't have to try to dance around like an idiot and end up in the Cars.com Blooper Reel. In addition to a host of standard safety features, the Traverse, for the first time, also gets GM's hands-free driving system, Super Cruise, and this is the smarter version that includes trailering support and automatic lane changes. And speaking of trailering, despite the Traverse's switch to a turbocharged four-cylinder, towing capacity remains 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. Overall, I like the look of the new Traverse a lot. I think all the tech is a big leap forward for it. I'm very excited to get behind the wheel of both the RS and this all-new Z71. And for my full up-close, be sure to head to Cars.com. (funky music)