Consumer Guide's Impressions of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

First three, now four. General Motors' popular new crossover SUV gets the value-oriented bow tie treatment as America's biggest automaker keeps searching for sales.

What We Know About the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

They were a long time getting here, but General Motors' new jumbo-midsize crossover SUVs--the 2007 GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook and the 2008 Buick Enclave--are among the few bright spots in the company's current sales picture. For 2009 comes a planned Chevrolet version of this Lambda-platform design. Called Traverse, it should be priced just below the Outlook as the most affordable of the foursome, but will likely be lighter on standard equipment.

Predictably, the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse will differ mainly in exterior styling and interior trim. The main visual distinction will be a bold Chevy-look nose a la the Uplander minivan and 2008 midsize Malibu sedan. Uplander is GM's sole surviving traditional minivan, and Traverse is its eventual replacement, just as Enclave and Outlook have already supplanted the Buick Rendezvous and Saturn Relay. Incidentally, Consumer Guide classifies all Lambda models as midsize SUVs, but Traverse is considerably larger than Chevrolet's Equinox crossover, which is built on the corporate Theta platform shared with the Pontiac Torrent.

The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse follows its corporate cousins in offering a single four-door wagon bodystyle with two or three trim levels--Chevy's entry LS, mainstream LT, and luxury LTZ hierarchy--plus the expected crossover choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive sans low-range gearing. Existing Lambdas use a six-speed automatic transmission with a 3.6-liter V-6 available in single- and dual-exhaust versions with respective horsepower ratings of 270 and 275. Traverse may have these too, but this is a fairly expensive powertrain for Chevy's market class, so the Uplander's 3.9-liter V-6, a lower-cost pushrod engine with 237 horses, could show up in Chevy's new crossover, along with an associated four-speed automatic. Either way, maximum rated towing capacity should be around 4500 pounds. Antilock brakes and traction control should be standard. So, too, GM's Stabilitrak antiskid system, as on other Lambdas, though it may be an option for the LS and/or LT Traverse, again with Chevy's "value pricing" in mind. Almost sure to be standard are front side airbags and full-length curtain side airbags with rollover deployment.

Other features should follow what's on other Lambdas. That means standard three-row seating for eight with a choice of bench or bucket-type second-row seats, plus extras like a power liftgate, remote engine start, rear DVD entertainment, rear climate control, leather upholstery, and 19-inch wheels to replace 18s.

A Notable Feature of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

Though not slated for any game-changing innovations, the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse will inherit the nifty "Smart Slide" second-row seat mechanism found on the Enclave, Acadia, and Outlook. Instead of folding/tumbling for third-row access, the seat slides ahead, causing the cushion and backrest to fold like a book to open up the entryway. When occupied, the seat slides back and forth a few inches to apportion leg room between the second and third rows. For cargo, the seatbacks flop down in the usual way with no need to remove the headrests.

Buying Advice for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse is mostly a photocopy of other Lambda models, so there's no reason to prefer it unless you're a diehard Chevy fan or watching every dollar you spend. However, Chevrolet does have more dealers than Buick, GMC , and Saturn, which might be a consideration for service visits depending on where you live and the dealer's reputation.

2009 Chevrolet Traverse Release Date: Sales should get underway in the first quarter of calendar 2008.

First Test Drive: We've basically driven this one already in our tests of the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia, but Chevrolet will stage a specific media preview, perhaps before the end of 2007.

2009 Chevrolet Traverse Prices: Coming from GM's "value" brand, the 2008 Chevrolet Traverse should be the lowest-priced Lambda, likely starting a few hundred dollars below the Saturn Outlook's current $27,255 minimum. That could mean around $25,000 for a base 2WD model, but a lot will depend on standard content. With GM fighting for every sale in a very rough market, incentives should be available right off the bat, probably modest cash rebates or zero/low-rate financing.

For more inside information on hundreds of new cars of today and tomorrow, check out:

• Consumer Guide New Car Reviews and Prices: Road test results, photos, specifications, and prices for hundreds of new cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs from the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide.
• 2008 GMC Acadia: Read Consumer Guide's full report, including ratings, prices, specifications, and fuel economy.
• Midsize Sport-Utility Vehicles: The Chevrolet Traverse will compete in the midsize-SUV class. Here's Consumer Guide's roundup of all the midsize SUVs on sale today.
• Fuel-economy leaders: The EPA admits its fuel economy numbers are estimates. Ours are real. Here are the fuel-economy leaders as determined in Consumer Guide tests.
• Future Cars: Step into the automotive showroom of tomorrow with reviews, analysis, pictures, prices, and preliminary specifications on scores of 2009, 2010, and 2011 new cars.