Traverse-ing Our Portfolio
2009 Chevrolet Traverse
By Ed Peper
General Manager, Chevrolet
We’re on a roll at Chevrolet. I’m sure you’ve all started to see the new Malibu on the streets wherever you live because we can’t keep them on the dealer lots at this point. We’re showing everyone we can produce a car at Chevrolet that competes head-to-head with Camry and Accord.
We’re already leaders on the truck side, and continue to raise the bar in that area – most recently evidenced with the upcoming Silverado Hybrid.
Now we’ve got the perfect vehicle to “traverse” our portfolio – the all-new 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. (And for those of you Michiganders reading this, it’s pronounced “Tra-VERSE” – not like Traverse City, Mich.)
We really think this crossover fills a sweet spot in our lineup and will be a great addition to the best-selling brand in America.
Some might ask, “Why another crossover?” And the answer is clear – the crossover segment is one of the fastest-growing segments in the industry. Since 2003, crossover volumes have doubled, and its industry share has increased to almost 5%. This is significant in an industry that has been shrinking overall, and the segment’s growth is expected to continue in the coming years.
There’s no question the Traverse will benefit from the success of its siblings at Saturn, GMC and Buick. The Outlook, Acadia and Enclave have established GM as a leader in the crossover segment.
The Traverse builds on this success with its great utility, surprising room and highest safety ratings. And when launched later this year, it will benefit from a new direct-inject 3.6L V-6 that will enable the best of both worlds for our customers: horsepower expected in the 285+ range, combined with what we expect to be segment-leading fuel economy.
And I think, as you can see in the photo, the Traverse is purely Chevy and darn-good-looking, too. When you’re able to catch it in person, I think you’ll be even more struck by its good looks.
Check out lots more photos of the Traverse on Flickr.
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I am glad you took steps to differentiate this from the other models. The interior is a lot more unique than I first thought when I saw the pics. You need this to replace the dated Trailblazer and I’m sure it wil sell well. Toyota is going to have a tough time unseating Chevy as the #1 brand with this and the Malibu in the lineup.
Meh..I would rather buy an Acadia or an Enclave. To be honest, I would rather buy a Ford edge over it to. I don’t think the Malibus beautiful design, translates well into a CUV. I really like the interior though. The only problem I have is the steering wheel. I can’t understand how Chevy can dedicate so much energy into there interiors, and leaves those hideous outdated steering wheels. Its like topping a filet mignon with cheese whiz.
Wow! That is the best looking of the bunch in my opinion. Nicely done.
I love the Traverse! Thank you for making a Chevy crossover vehicle that can seat 3 adults comfortably in the back row. I also like a lot of the amentites such as the skyscape sunroof, bluetooth, rear parking assist, rear-view camera, power liftgate, and remote starter. It’s perfect for me and my family-oriented lifestyle. The Traverse will be my next vehicle if the price is right. Thanks Chevy!
I really like this vehicle. Great job GM in differnetiating the models!
Mr. Peper,
This looks like yet another winner from GM. I can’t help but wonder, though, where the other CUVs will end up in terms of sales. There was an interesting point of view on GM’s CUVs at autoextremist.com. I’d be interested to see your response to it.
I’m no expert, but if I were God, I’d keep the SRX with a clothes change more in line with the new caddy crossover concept styling on sigma, put the next generation of the Onclave/Arcadia on Zeta, and build a new small GMC mid sized pickup(with a more truck like styling than the XT) more like the Honda Ridgeline.
PS, get that Alpha going, it’d make a great companion for my new Solstice GXP.
Ed,
Wonderful job as always standing behind the brand, the #1 brand and we work hard to keep it that way.
As you know we strived for years trying to get GM to tap into its heritage and bring back great brands like the Camaro.
Now with new cafe rules as an excuse that take effect in well over 10 years great names like Impala are threatened, and the Trailblazer is doomed and the Uplander was endangered.
We can introduce great new names like the Traverse and Equinox, no question, but we go in circles and gain nothing if we don’t build on great successes of the past while reaching for new segments in the future.
We can’t make a Camry dynasty with product approvals up in the air and decisions made on yesterday’s news and last quarter’s profit or loss. We can only build a great company and brand on a firm foundation like Camry’s 25 uninterrupted and continuous improvement chorus that will indeed continue for another 25 years.
And I don’t see Toyota axing vehicles like the Avalon and 4Runner because of cafe changes 13 years in the future. Nope but acting like a culture that has been around for a thousand years with an emperor that has ruled for decades with traditions that last generations, they take pride in their past and guard it for the future. That is just how they treat their brands like Camry, Corolla, Accord, and Civic and they ensure and guarantee the companies like Toyota and Honda that make them will be around forever.
Of course GM does not have such a guarantee nor do their great brands like Impala, TrailBlazer, or Camaro.
But nevertheless, we have a great and generous fan base emboldened by the internet and free speech that will ensure you don’t forget.
We may not have a guarantee but you can guarantee that we will make every effort to secure our company her brands and her products we love and just to say…
in short…
You don’t get rid of any product unless you utterly and completely have to.
Momentum can come from a ripple but it cannot start from nothing and it cannot continue with a gap.
By the way the GMC Denali is fantastic.
Mr Peper,
Not quite perfect. Make one with a manual transmission and a TDI engine and you’ll have something.
Have you guys ever considered licensing VW’s TDI technology so you can build and use them in your motor vehicles?
Regards,
Gary Dikkers
Great Bob! Another lookalike badge-engineered GM blah-mobile to help take sales from the only star of the group; Enclave.
Seriously, where are the low priced, economical smaller diesels?
You know Bob? A $11K price point vehicle from GM that can get 45 MPG…..
Is that so hard? Spare me the “every division gets a Delta, Theta, Lambda, Epsilon for themselves” please……
Enough Badge Engineering!!!
Guess you or GM don’t know what a Honda FCX is yet.
One car…..done right. Try it.
Ed, congrats to you and the Chevy team. I love the look, inside and out. Fully loaded, I’d be willing to bet this might be the best CUV deal going in bang for the buck.
I hope this kind of product first thinking continues at Chevy to finally make Honda and Toyota sales drop….Like A Rock. This IS Our Country – and it’s time we got our fair share and kicked them the hell out.
Meanwhile, the Camaro languishes in concept car limbo. I was at the Philly Auto Show yesterday, and saw the new PRODUCTION Challenger, being built NOW. Over at the Chevy display, the board by the Camaro says that GM PLANS to put the Camaro into production in late 2009. How very sad. I fear that just like the SSR, that dragged on forever before finally being produced, by the time the Camaro is sold, it’ll be old news.
I had hoped that the demise of minivans and body-on-frame SUVs would lead to the return of the station wagon. Alas, it seems that bloated crossovers have filled that role. It’s disappointing.
Mr. Lutz has pointed out that wagons are a declining segment. Perhaps it’s declining only because there’s not much choice in the sub-$30K midsize class. I wonder what would happen if the marketing force of a mainstream brand like Chevrolet were put behind such a wagon.
“We’re already leaders on the truck side, and continue to raise the bar in that area”
Raise the bar? Do you even look at your finished products?
I had planned on buying a new GMC (I own a 2002 Silverado)but after seeing how poorly painted they are,with orange peel worse than I have ever seen; and wavey and distorted door panels- I won’t even consider buying one now. I am very disapointed. David Ross
ted,
Have you seen the specs of the Challenger? That thing is the Harry Knowles of the muscle car world, with a curb weight of- I hope you’re sitting down- 4200 lbs. It was rushed into production- the shortened version of the chassis used in their sedans and the interior are proof.
Ed, please tell me that the Camaro won’t be a fatty on the scales. I’ve been waiting all my life to get a Camaro, and it would crush my heart to see a two-ton curb weight listed on the spec sheet. Make it at least 500 lbs. lighter than the Challenger, and I’ll bite.
To Dave Ross,
I believe GM uses a powder coating process for painting some of their vehicles. If not done properly, the effect is very much like orange peel in that it is impossible to see a clear reflection in the paint. I think GM might be better off just going back and spraying the cars, as the results are often much better and more consistent.
Now, on the subject of crossovers. I think GM should seriously consider replacing the Equinox and Torrent with a smaller better priced crossover based on the new Malibu. Saab could even have a version lest the Lambda crossovers spread to far and begin eating into each others sales rather than those of Ford and Toyota. With the advent of the new Chevy version, and the fact that Buick and GMC (as well as Pontiac) are now more and more sharing space in the same dealerships, I am wondering why two versions of the same vehicle are necessary. De Lorenzo has a very good point in his column on autoextremist.com about GM making far to many versions of what is essentially the same vehicle. Perhaps it’s time for GM to pay attention to that when planning who gets what products.
Am I missing something here? The front end is typical Chevy blah, blah, blah (then again, seeing a Malibu in person, I thought it was pretty bland as well). But the back end–isn’t that the same as that ill-fated Subaru that no one wanted to buy. When the pictures first came up on my screen, I thought, “Why are they posting old Subaru pictures?” Then I looked and saw it was the Traverse, which totally turned me off to this me-too piece of GM junk.
Are there NO designers trying something original at GM? Jeez. Hang your heads in shame.
I agree with the gentleman above, the steering wheel is ugly.
Great,
Another boat in the fleet!
Now how about a small efficient, dependable, off- road capable SUV like my aging but reliable Tracker.
Jim
GM is again revisiting competition among the divisions, but this time it’s to the death. The Traverse is going to try to kick the butt of the Outlook, Enclave, and Acadia. Just like the Malibu is socking it to the Impala and G6 and Aura and 9-3 and LaCrosse and probably even the CTS. Man, you guys must be blind, deaf, and dumb.
you can’t powder coat body panels, they will ripple like crazy. I dont think the paint is bad at all. I have an 07 new body style silverado. Its desert brown metallic and the paint is smooth. If there is orange peel, its beyond me cause i dont see it.
“Have you guys ever considered licensing VW’s TDI technology so you can build and use them in your motor vehicles?”
Hi Gary,
I was driving a VW and Audi TDi several times (as fleet-cars) and honestly spoken, these engines can’t compete with Opel’s CDTi-engines at all. I especially was disappointed about the noisy operation (clatter) of the TDi-engines. So I can’t understand all the excitement about VW’s Diesels. Well, their Diesels are fuel-efficient, but that’s not everything that counts. I recently was driving an Astra 1.9 CDTi. The advantage in smoothness versus the TDi of the Golf was simply incredible.
I would like to see the Malibu and Traverse over here in Germany, either. I think these models would attract more customers, than the slow-selling Epica, whereas this still is a reasonable car. The Chevrolet-portfolio for Western Europe should get a more upscale mix, as it’s found in the Middle East for example. Selling GM DAT-built Chevys only would make more sense for Eastern- and Southern Europe, where the average incomes are lower and consequently most affordable vehicles are required there in particular.
Ted,
Production of the Camaro will begin in quarter 3 or quarter 4 of FY 2009 which is spring of 2009. Not too bad considering the car was never considered to even be built untill August of 2006. To go from pure concept to full production in 3 years time is pretty darn good time.
What’s that you say? The Challenger concept was released the same auto show season as the Camaro (2006)? Ah, yes, but the Challenger is on the Chrysler 300C platform. It’s interior is pretty much straight out of it (take a look for yourself and compare).
The Camaro is ALL NEW from the ground up. Zeta is an all new platform. COMPLETELY NEW. Not shared from any thing previously produced. whether it be from North America or Australia. Every thing but the base engine (3.6 VVT) will be new – even the V8.
That stuff takes LOTS of time to go from someone’s idea in their head to a drawing on a sheet of paper to the car parked in your garage.
GM is doing everything to make this Camaro not only the best Camaro they’ve ever built, but the best CAR they’ve ever built. Their mantra now is every car they release will be progressively better than the cars they released last year, even if it was a higher end car. This is evidenced by the Traverse’s advanced engine, interior materials, and option list being more extensive than the Buick Enclave’s. Even though the Enclave is about 10-15k more expensive, and on the same chasis.
Trust me – I’ve been keeping a keen eye on Camaro’s development through some web forums that have members with very close ties to Camaro’s development.
I agree with Chris R and P Delorenzo, is another Lambda SUV really necessary? 4 flavors of the same soda? A paired Saturn / Buick SUV would have been fine. A Lambda Minivan as a Chevy / GMC combo (they were in concept design and market clinic, come on) would have been the way to target a different market. Now GM has 4 visually unique, but functionally identical products that the general public will not understand. Why pick any one over the others. Traverse / Outlook / Acadia? John / Jill Q. public is scratchin’ their heads wondering why they should pay a premium for any of the these (I predict a dealer instigated rebate pricing war, way to go start a fight amongst yourselves!). The Enclave is a bit unique, but does it have the bluetooth / nav available like the chevy?
Have you guys taken Target Marketing 101? Come on, offer unique functionality and features to distict groups, do not cover the mass market with nearly identical product. Not the way to get premium pricing and secure superior returns. The money saved on not producing 2 of these functional clones could have accelerated a 2mode hybrid into lambda, saved the Ultra V8 and/or Zeta Impala and/or Alpha Pontiac (by investing in the tech & materials to achieve the CAFE targets). Stop the clones, give us superior products (and don’t kill V8s, BOF trucks, large RWD cars and manual trans).
I just hope this doesn’t cause problems down the line with so much overlap between brands.
With all the hoopla that GM is putting into TV ads and such for the Chevy brand, why is Saturn who originated these vehicle designs (and the same vehicles ex: Aura and Outlook) not being properly promoted? How many “Aurabu” commercials run on TV and none promoting Saturn’s all new line-up? What a terrible, lackadaisical marketing effort. Is GM trying tho keep Saturn a secret? If so, well done!
Hello Ed:
Nice job on Bloomberg’s “Taking Stock” a few days ago. Your comments re: the Malibu and gunning for Camry/Accord underscore the progress GM has made.
Two years ago your confidence would have been outlandish, now it’s completely realistic.
I agree that this is going to possibly cause problems of overlap between brands. The Acadia, Outlook, Enclave and this new Traverse all look too similar and nothing sets them apart except for their price tags. While I love all vehicles because they look virtually the same, this may not be a good move for GM – they need to have some variety of difference between them.
“Saturn-Guy”,
of course the re-freshened Saturn-lineup also deserves attention and reasonable marketing-efforts. On the other hand you shouldn’t overlook that Chevrolet by far is GM’s largest and most important brand. For example, over here in Germany you’ll also see more commercials for Volkswagen-models, than for Skoda-cars, although Skoda has a good reputation in the meanwhile and is a fully integrated brand within the Volkswagen-Group.
The Saturn-portfolio is so strong like never before, so I am confident that this brand will succeed, also due to their loyal customers and new buyers, who normally prefer imports. Especially the Astra will give Honda and Toyota a hard time.
Thanks for your feedback Gereon. Of course, I haven’t had the opportunity (or pleasure) to drive the Opel CDTi since GM won’t (or can’t) sell it here.
My remark about GM licensing VW’s TDI technology and making TDI engines for their cars in a Flint or Saginaw factory was tongue in cheek.
Since VW’s TDI will be able to meet US diesel emission standards, I thought licensing that technology would be a fast way for GM to get a diesel into their North American cars.
The “excitement” about VW’s TDI is that it is here, while GM has nothing to compete with it.
I’m sure Opel’s CDTi is as good as you say, and look forward to driving one some day.
Best,
Gary
Hi Gary,
also thank you for your reply. As long as this NOx-issue is not fully solved, a Diesel-engine anyway wouldn’t be an option for me. Considering the tax-incentives, granted by the German government until 2018, my next car very likely will run on LPG again. The Chevy HHR, on sale over here in the meanwhile, will be available with an optional LPG-system, too. To me this means: cutting the expenses on fuel to 50 percent for further 10 years!
Gereon said: “Considering the tax-incentives, granted by the German government until 2018, my next car very likely will run on LPG again. The Chevy HHR, on sale over here in the meanwhile, will be available with an optional LPG-system, too.”
Gereon,
No question, you are leagues ahead of us when it comes to LPG-powered cars.
It’s a mystery. They are efficient, and better for the atmosphere than either gasoline or E85 powered cars.
We have a loophole encouraging GM and the other U.S. carmakers to build flexfuels cars that will run on E85, it’s too bad our politicians didn’t make it an LPG loophole instead.
Best regards,
Gary Dikkers
Mr. Peper,
You are not going to like what I have to say. You missed the target.
My wife & I saw the Traverse photos from the Chicago auto show. WOW! We LOVED what we saw. This appeared to be what a family of four to six would want. Then we dug into the technical specs, specifically the miles per gallon (mpg). You missed it, TOTALLY!
I was all ready to place the Traverse on the short-list, next to CR-V & RAV, for our next vehicle. The qualities of our list are basic – must be able to seat five and have +20 mpg in the city. You blew it big time in the mpg category. With gas hovering around $3/gallon and a 20 gallon gas tank families should NOT need to decide – hmmm groceries or gas.
Sincerely,
Bob Q.
BOB Q.
You’re comparing apples to watermelons. The Traverse is over 2 FEET longer, 1/2 Foot wider than a CR-V and has a V6. Just about same with Rav4. You need to go take a Look at a Saturn Vue Green Line for a comparison.
Gary,
I’m not familiar with VW so I took at their website. The only TDI diesel I see from them is the Touraeg with a price tag over $60k. I’d rather see the two mode Hybrid version than a big V10 diesel and I think most consumers would agree looking at VW NA sales #’s for that vehicle.
Looks like a nice car. Built a hybrid, and Americans might turn away from Toyota for it.
Of course, since Lutz doesn’t think pollution is a problem, I can’t imagine that this is going to be a Hybrid any time soon.
I was excited about the Traverse from the promotional materail, till I actually saw it. The designers missed the boat on this one.
The lines are awful. I know of some other people that were interested in buying from the pictures they had seen, but when they actually saw the vehicle they were disappointed and are looking at other vehicles. I will be doing the same.