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GM revealing Terrain and Traverse in Detroit


fuzzymoomoo

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I wonder if the Traverse will be split into two models or the smaller model be renamed Blazer?

 

Traverse, in name, is staying a jumbo 2+3+3, FWD/AWD crossover. There is also a RWD/AWD twin of the new Acadia (*not* Acadia Limited, which is the old model) coming for Chevrolet, apparently wearing the Blazer badge. As far as I've heard, both Acadia and Blazer share DLO's and interiors, with unique front and rear ends.

 

Edit: This is at odds with what the Freep is reporting in the linked article. Last I had heard, Acadia/Blazer went smaller, while Enclave/Traverse stayed as large 8-seaters.

Edited by PREMiERdrum
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Traverse, in name, is staying a jumbo 2+3+3, FWD/AWD crossover. There is also a RWD/AWD twin of the new Acadia (*not* Acadia Limited, which is the old model) coming for Chevrolet, apparently wearing the Blazer badge. As far as I've heard, both Acadia and Blazer share DLO's and interiors, with unique front and rear ends.

 

Edit: This is at odds with what the Freep is reporting in the linked article. Last I had heard, Acadia/Blazer went smaller, while Enclave/Traverse stayed as large 8-seaters.

 

Was that supposed to be FWD/AWD? How would the Acadia be FWD with Blazer being RWD (when they look the same in spy pictures)?

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We will find out soon enough if Traverse gets downsized to midsize like Acadia or stay fullsize.

 

Eitherway, I suspect Chevy will have both midsize and fullsize SUV like Ford and Dodge so if Traverse is midsize, that means Blazer is fullsize, and vice versa.

 

GM has really upped its SUV game and will have the markets covered like no one else:

 

Subcompact (Gamma II): Trax, Encore

Compact (Delta III): Equinox, Terrain, Envision, and upcoming XT3

Midsize (Chi SWB): Blazer? Acadia, XT5

Fullsize (Chi LWB): Traverse? Enclave, upcoming XT7

Edited by bzcat
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I think the prototype we've seen running around that is being called the Blazer is actually the Traverse, it's a lengthened version of the Acadia (longer wheelbase).

 

Chevy is suppose to get another midsize SUV and that might be the Blazer. I'm unclear on what this will actually be built upon but I wonder if this has anything to do with Bronco (Ford may bring back the Bronco because they knew Chevy was doing something).

 

The Edge is not a growing segment so I don't think Chevy is particularly interested in directly competing with that specific product, the rest of GM sells far more midsize SUVs than Edge anyway.

Edited by BORG
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I think the prototype we've seen running around that is being called the Blazer is actually the Traverse, it's a lengthened version of the Acadia (longer wheelbase).

 

Chevy is suppose to get another midsize SUV and that might be the Blazer. I'm unclear on what this will actually be built upon but I wonder if this has anything to do with Bronco (Ford may bring back the Bronco because they knew Chevy was doing something).

 

The Edge is not a growing segment so I don't think Chevy is particularly interested in directly competing with that specific product, the rest of GM sells far more midsize SUVs than Edge anyway.

 

Midsize SUV not a growing segment?

 

Edge, Highlander, Journey, Murano, Santa Fe, Sorento, Grand Cherokee, Pilot, Outback... It would seem very silly for Chevy to not be in that segment. Equinox and Terrain are being downsized to compact so the only middle market GM midsize SUV will be Acadia and it is not outselling Edge.

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Midsize SUV not a growing segment?

 

Edge, Highlander, Journey, Murano, Santa Fe, Sorento, Grand Cherokee, Pilot, Outback... It would seem very silly for Chevy to not be in that segment. Equinox and Terrain are being downsized to compact so the only middle market GM midsize SUV will be Acadia and it is not outselling Edge.

.B0013721417--300570.JPG

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Thinking about traverse and Arcadia, they're made on 118" wheelbase, similar to the full sized BOF Utilities

but are softer, more car like and probably more appealing to people who like the size above Explorer.

 

It's maddening to me that Ford didn't do more with Flex and MKT, those LWB D3/D4 based vehcles

should have been reworked years ago and offered as 1) Explorer LWB low rider version and,

2) MKT reworked as Aviator to be a low rider cousin of Navigator and follow that style.

 

I think GM is on a great winner with the hew Traverse and Arcadia, these are the forgotten weapons

in the large utility arms race, the near cousins to those high volume selling full sized BOF Utes.

If GM gets both of these out quickly, it can cover any change in the market trends at the top.

Edited by jpd80
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Now that Equinox as been re-positioned at the new Compact Utility, that will allow Chevrolet

to re-position Traverse as a slightly smaller and away from the Tahoe, that product space

should benefit all three Utilities.

Unless there's been a very recent, dramatic shift in GM's utility strategy, the Equinox shift to Global Delta was to open up room between Equinox and Traverse for a true mid-sizer which will share much with the new Acadia.

 

The idea of a large, FWD/AWD utility is still very much alive, and AFAIK was staked out as a part of the evolving Epsilon program.

 

My GM sourcing isn't great, but everything I've heard is that the Acadia-based Chevrolet utility is not filling the Traverse's slot, and likely not wearing its badge.

Edited by PREMiERdrum
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Unless there's been a very recent, dramatic shift in GM's utility strategy, the Equinox shift to Global Delta was to open up room between Equinox and Traverse for a true mid-sizer which will share much with the new Acadia.

The story I heard over at GMI was that new C1XX Arcadia and Traverse are brothers under the skin....

 

The Equinox name gives GM an Escape fighter while Traverse moving to Mid Size then aligns

more with Explorer and frees space to Tahoe. Currently Traverse is 118" wheelbase, that's big.

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The story I heard over at GMI was that new C1XX Arcadia and Traverse are brothers under the skin....

 

The Equinox name gives GM an Escape fighter while Traverse moving to Mid Size then aligns

more with Explorer and frees space to Tahoe. Currently Traverse is 118" wheelbase, that's big.

 

Explorer is full size - 198",,, over 5 meters long. Other fullsize CUV: CX-9 is 199"; Durango is 201"; and the current Traverse is 203".

.

Acadia is 193" which is similar to Highlander 192"; Santa Fe 193", and the Chinese market 7 seat Edge 193".

 

Chevy_NAIAS_Teaser.jpg

 

Here's a teaser shot of the Traverse.

 

Acadia for comparison.

 

nydn-2017-gmc-acadia-slt-dark-blue-profi

Edited by bzcat
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The new Traverse is longer than Acadia, it has been lengthened in the middle. So it will probably be as long or longer than Explorer. Explorer is wider and taller than Acadia however so we'll see how those stats turn out. Explorer actually has poor space management for its size and weight, the Acadia and Explorer have the same overall internal space so a Traverse will likely be larger than Explorer on the inside once again, but probably not as big as the old Traverse.

Edited by BORG
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You're absolutely right in that regard Borg

 

When making comparisons, we simply can't go by external dimensions, we need to check out the actual interior room

where thing like hip, shoulder and leg room change across vehicles you'd expect would be much closer.

 

While Explorer has good hip and shoulder room, the 112" wheelbase makes for a cramped third row which is

where the better proportioned and longer wheelbase vehicles have a distinct advantage with packaging

so it will be interesting to see if GM actually get any advantage with all this rearranging or just confuses

those returning buyers who see a smaller Equinox and wonder WTF happened to it and Traverse...

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You're absolutely right in that regard Borg

 

When making comparisons, we simply can't go by external dimensions, we need to check out the actual interior room

where thing like hip, shoulder and leg room change across vehicles you'd expect would be much closer.

 

While Explorer has good hip and shoulder room, the 112" wheelbase makes for a cramped third row which is

where the better proportioned and longer wheelbase vehicles have a distinct advantage with packaging

so it will be interesting to see if GM actually get any advantage with all this rearranging or just confuses

those returning buyers who see a smaller Equinox and wonder WTF happened to it and Traverse...

 

 

This is true, the 2nd gen Edge/MKX are substantially longer, especially in the rear seat and cargo area. But for me the cars feel smaller because it's lower, narrower, and the seat doesn't travel as far. It's a complicate thing to fully quantify in a quick glance.

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