There’s nothing quite like the rush of excitement and anticipation you feel when a car company announces the details of a new model year, that giddy sense of expectation as you read a press release and discover… two new exterior colors. Yeah, sometimes model-year updates are less than underwhelming; but sometimes they’re not. Sometimes they live up to the hype, and we get a new year for a vehicle that builds on a foundation that we already know and respect, taking that model to the next level of performance or style. The 2024 Chevy Traverse is exactly one such vehicle: a far cry from simply getting some exterior updates; this is a full redesign.
Even redesigns can be a bit underwhelming when not done properly, but what we have here is the perfect example of how it should be done. For the 2024 model year, the Traverse retains everything we love about it—midsize style and spaciousness, gorgeous interior details, and bold performance—but simply makes them better. We have a new, powerful engine to enjoy, more standard safety features to count on, impressive trim levels and special editions, plus much more. What kind of much more? Well, how about an off-road-focused Z71 trim for the Traverse—does that do anything for you?
New Look, New Engine
Everything else aside (for the moment), any good redesign should look like a redesign, which means it should offer some bold new style we haven’t seen before. Right out the proverbial gate, Chevy nails it with this, and the all-new Traverse has a powerful new shape and style that feels more truck-like than ever before. This is Chevy’s three-row midsize SUV, and they’ve leaned into that distinction to make it feel bolder and more aggressive from the outside. Just one glance is all it takes to see the visual statement that Chevy is making with this redesign, and everything else about it lives up to that first impression.
Of course, a powerful look could easily be undercut by middling performance or a meager engine, but there’s no risk of that here. Every 2024 Traverse comes with an all-new 2.5L turbocharged engine that delivers 315 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, which is about a 19% increase in torque from the previous year’s model. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive (AWD) is available (more on off-road potential in a moment). When properly equipped for it, the all-new Chevy Traverse can handle up to 5,000 lbs of maximum towing, making it perfect for hauling a boat to your favorite weekend spot.
The All-New Traverse Z71
Although AWD is available on other trim levels (there are four total), for anyone interested in hitting the trail or who deals with a lot of dirt roads, then the all-new Z71 trim for the Traverse should catch their eye. Chevy fans will immediately recognize that name as Z71 has been one of the pinnacles of off-road performance in some of their other models. I don’t know if they were ever tempted to make this a Z71 in name only, but that’s definitely not what happened here. For starters, you’ll find more than one inch of increased ground clearance with the Z71 compared to other Traverse models and increased track width to improve stability and handling when driving in rough conditions.
The Z71 comes with exclusive 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, with a unique front fascia that’s been purposely designed to improve its approach angle. You’ll find an aluminum skid plate to protect the Traverse’s underside and signature Z71 red tow hooks to really drive home the message that this is an off-road machine. There’s an off-road-capable twin-clutch AWD system unique for the Z71, along with unique dampers with hydraulic rebound control to improve its off-road capability and passenger comfort inside. All of this comes together to make this a remarkable three-row SUV ready for an entire family that’s heading out for a day (or more) of fun and adventure.
Fantastic Technology Throughout
Inside the all-new 2024 Chevy Traverse, you’ll find a host of features and options that remind us that we’re looking at a fully redesigned ride. The look and feel of the interior are stunning, with clean, sweeping lines that carry your eyes throughout the interior and a spacious feel that’s perfect for a midsize SUV like this. But what about technology? The current 2023 Traverse has a standard 7.0-inch infotainment display with an 8.0-inch screen available. For the 2024 update, you’ll find a 17.7-inch color touchscreen at the center of the Traverse’s front dash—standard. That’s a 17.7-inch screen in every model.
Wi-Fi Hotspot functionality is available, as you’d expect, along with a wireless charging pad, heated front and second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, and much more. Returning to standard features, we find a gorgeous 11-inch configurable driver information center inside every Traverse, along with a column-mounted electronic transmission shifter. The Traverse retains its spacious interior with 98 cu.ft. of maximum interior cargo capacity, along with options for both eight-passenger and seven-passenger seating inside, thanks to a pair of available captain’s chairs for the second row.
Stylish Special Editions
No matter what trim you look at for the 2024 Chevy Traverse; you’ll find something special—even beyond the impressive new Z71 model. LS and LT models have Midnight and Sport Editions available, adding stylish details like all-new front and rear lighting, including standard LED lights. The RS trim is the definition of style for the Traverse with a walk-up lighting animation that greets owners as they approach it, plus a new panoramic dual-glass sunroof with a power sunshade, all-new 22-inch high-gloss black wheels, and a unique suspension tuned for a sportier ride to go along with all of that flash. This is no surprise since the RS is the pinnacle trim for the 2024 Traverse, with black details and accents inside and out.
More Standard Driver Assistance Features
I don’t care how much of a nerd it makes me sound like; I’m a fan of safety technology, particularly driver assistance features. Anything that helps ensure someone gets home safely is amazing in my book, and I love seeing that the 2024 Traverse has updated safety features. It starts with the Chevy Safety Assist technology suite that’s standard on every Traverse model. This package includes a Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Emergency Braking, with Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking to help ensure others get home safely too.
This suite also includes a Following Distance Indicator, plus a Lane Keep Assist system with a Lane Departure Warning. That’s all great, but what’s truly remarkable is that the list of standard safety features goes well beyond this and includes things like Rear Park Assist, an HD Rear Vision Camera, and even HD Surround Vision, which provides you with a virtual 360-degree look around your vehicle. Other things like Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Zone Steering Assist, and a Rear Pedestrian Alert with Reverse Automatic Braking are also all standard. If that’s not enough, you can choose some available options like GM’s innovative Super Cruise hands-free driving technology or Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist.
A Traverse Ready for Any Journey
This is only the first look at what Chevy has done with the redesigned 2024 Traverse, but so far, this is a master class in how to approach this kind of model-year update. Great looks from the outside, sleek new style inside, remarkable tech upgrades, new trim options for greater capability, and enhanced safety technology at every level—the Traverse checks all of these boxes and more. If there are other manufacturers out there watching, they need to realize that this is how it’s done and take notes. This is how you redesign an SUV in a way that gets drivers excited and curious to feel these new features for themselves. With so much focus on EVs these days, it’s good to know that Chevy still understands how to take a great vehicle and make it better than ever before without the need to plug it in.
