2022 Chevrolet Traverse

With three rows of seats, a spacious cabin, a comfortable ride, and reasonable fuel economy, the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse is a practical, stylish family-hauler.

The Traverse makes use of a 3.6-liter V-6 that delivers 310 horsepower to the front or all four wheels. Its boxy SUV styling gives it a rugged appearance, but its driving characteristics are all about comfort.

Updates this year are minor, aside from light visual tweaks to the headlights and taillights. Chevy dropped the base L trim level, so LS, LT, RS, Premier, and High Country versions carry over mostly unchanged. Automatic emergency braking now comes standard, and all models include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

That newly standard crash-avoidance tech joins a roster of features including various airbags plus optional blind-spot monitors, surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, and rear camera mirror. Crash-test results include a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA plus an IIHS Top Safety Pick award for Premier and High Country trim levels that have the best headlights in the lineup.

Fuel economy ratings are 18 mpg city, 27 highway, 21 combined with front-wheel drive and 17/25/20 mpg with all-wheel drive. No hybrid version of the Traverse is available.

Model Lineup

The range starts at about $35,000 for the LS, while all-wheel drive costs an additional $1,200 to 1,500 on all models. At that base price, the Traverse includes automatic emergency braking, seating for eight passengers on cloth upholstery, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring, and three-zone automatic climate control.

The $41,195 LT adds blind-spot monitors, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, plus the option to add leather upholstery and second-row captain’s chairs.

RS versions cost $47,395 with racier exterior trim, a surround-view camera system, Bose audio, navigation displayed through an upsized 8.0-inch touchscreen, and adaptive cruise control.

The $50,395 Traverse Premier tosses in 20-inch wheels, a hands-free power liftgate, and a memory driver’s seat, while the $54,595 Traverse High Country ups the ante with a panoramic moonroof and a trailer hitch, plus a power-folding third row of seats.

Exterior

Revised lighting this year does little to change the Traverse’s basic style, and that’s just fine with us. The Traverse has more upright lines and angles than some of its rounded-off rivals, which gives it a timeless, SUV-lite appearance. It’s like a Suburban that went on a keto diet.

RS versions toss in blacked-out exterior trim including wheels and mirror caps. Premier and High Country models swap in more brightwork, plus 20-inch wheels.

Interior

A bright 8.0-inch touchscreen takes up center stage on the dash on most versions, with secondary controls organized neatly below. USB ports are easy to locate, and the Traverse is something of a rarity with its conventional transmission lever rather than the knobs and buttons seen on some rivals.

Space is the Traverse’s forte thanks to its car-like construction. It’s a big vehicle, stretching over 205 inches between its bumpers, and that translates to a cavernous interior. Front-seat riders have good space and a nice view forward. The second-row bench seat can be swapped out for captain’s chairs with a small center pass-through on most versions. With 38 inches of rear leg room and broad door openings, climbing aboard is a cinch. Third-row riders have 33 inches of leg room, and passengers back there will find USB ports and cupholders.

Fold down the rearmost seats and the Traverse’s 23 cubic feet of space grows to 57.8 cubic feet. With the second-row seat backs tumbled, it offers up 98.2 cubic feet.

Small-item storage also impresses, with plenty of cubbies and bins ready to swallow up phones, pens, wallets, and other items.

Driving Impressions

The 2022 Traverse comes with a strong 3.6-liter V-6 teamed to a snappy 9-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is good, and the Traverse can tow an impressive 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. Perhaps most impressive is the way the 9-speed automatic slips through the gears; its actions are barely noticeable from the driver’s seat.

The fully-independent suspension furnishes a comfortable ride, even with the largest 20-inch wheels that wear tires with fairly short sidewalls. Even without the adaptive dampers seen on the related Buick Enclave, the heavy Traverse smothers bumps below.

Responsive steering and excellent straight-line stability make it a terrific highway cruiser.

One caveat: the optional all-wheel-drive system has a two-wheel-drive mode that may save some fuel but means drivers need to remember to switch things back to all-wheel drive when conditions warrant extra traction.

Final Word

Between its handsome good looks and its spacious interior, the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse is a smart choice among full-size crossover SUVs.

—by Andrew Ganz, with driving impressions by The Car Connection