2009 Chevrolet Traverse in Seattle

GM's marketing staff insists the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse is a "no-compromise" vehicle - but we beg to differ. That, however, is a compliment - with the seating capacity of a minivan, the towing capacity of a mid-size SUV, and the ride prowess of a large car, the Traverse may well be the ideal compromise for customers accustomed to large SUVs.

That may bode well for Chevy dealers. Not only does the Traverse loosely fit into the holes left by the departed Uplander minivan and Trailblazer SUV (finished after a brief '09 run), the capabilities - and better fuel economy - of the new crossover may help it attract customers who normally would shop for Tahoes and Suburbans.

Like the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, the Traverse rides upon GM's Lambda platform. Although GM engineers note the Chevy crossover shares more body structure with the Enclave than the Acadia or Outlook, the Traverse sports a considerable amount of unique sheetmetal.

In fact, the only Enclave-like cues are seen on the Traverse's chiseled quarter windows, fender kink and boat-tail hatch; even these subtly differ from those on its Buick sibling. Rear fenders rise upward with a distinct coke-bottle shape; the taillamps sport Chevy's trademark dual round lamps (albeit set in chiseled surrounds). Thanks to a lower license plate mount, the Traverse has a unique tailgate.

Up front, designers attempted to cop cues from the successful Malibu sedan as much as possible.... Read full article