UPDATE: You can now read our full review of the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse with official prices, specs and more.
Since its introduction in 2008, the Chevrolet Traverse crossover SUV has seen its share of updates and refreshes, but in platform years, the Lambda-based architecture is quite long in the tooth. That will be remedied next year when the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse bows featuring major overhaul of the vehicle’s underpinnings. The idea is to make the next-gen Traverse lighter and more fuel efficient without sacrificing utility and comfort.
Unlike its 2016 GMC Acadia stablemate, which is the first of the Lambda siblings (which includes Buick Enclave) to get a redo, the Traverse will not ride on a shortened wheelbase or give up its standard three-row seating capability. In fact, the vehicle under development looks larger than the current model, with a boxier SUV silhouette and a more upright front grille.
V6 Power
Not looking to compromise its people and cargo hauling capability, expect the Traverse to offer only a V6 engine in the next generation, as well as the availability of front- or all-wheel drive variants. Like the redesigned Acadia and the all-new 2017 Cadillac XT5, the Traverse will use some of the same structural members, including a healthy dose of lightweight high strength steel as well as aluminum and magnesium components. This new architecture is internally dubbed C1 in place of the previous Lambda designation.
The redesign of the Traverse also portends major changes in the work for the last member of the family, the Buick Enclave, which may bow sometime later next year after the Chevy, but also as a 2018 model. The all-new Traverse will be welcomed by Chevy dealers looking to have a fresh offering against the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer and Mazda CX-9.
