GM to launch 2009 Chevrolet Traverse in Q3

Posted Fri Jan 18 2008 11:05 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

To fill the void left by the departure of the long-running Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV, GM will be launching a new crossover model based on the existing Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave (pictured) line of cars. The new Chevy model will be the fourth such variation of the popular platform and will be called the Traverse when it goes on sale in the U.S. in the third quarter.

The Traverse will be built at GM’s Spring Hill plant in Tennessee and according to the carmaker’s NA sales Chief, Mark LaNeve, who spoke recently with the Detroit Free Press, sales numbers for the vehicle could be as high 100,000 units per year.

GM’s other crossover models have been well received. Monthly sales for the new Outlook and Arcadia have more than doubled since the beginning of last year. Their popularity has been increasing mostly because they offer owners a vehicle with car-like dynamics and fuel-efficiency but with the interior space of traditional SUVs, highly sought after traits in a world of rising fuel prices and increasingly congested cities.

Reader Comments

Fri Jan 18 2008 1:42 PM
NaBUru38 says

WIth this car and a Captiva-based model (maybe with exactly the same styling), Chevrolet US would have a perfect crossover lineup.
Fri Jan 18 2008 2:37 PM
chris says

nab, the captiva is the chevy Equinox over here. they already have it.

question; how many variants on the same platform that more or less look the exact same can you have before you're just confusing people by flooding the market?
answer; 4.

i cant wait for the cadillac DTX. then GM will have half of the market offerings in this segment.

ok all sarcasm aside, whats the difference between the customers that GMC gets and the customers that Chevy gets? I mean, sure,.. buick is for people who think highlighly of themselves, and saturn is so that GM can get their share of the people who look down on domestics, but GMC and chevy are both bargain basement domestics. why is there even GMC, chevy, and pontiac? anyone?
Sat Jan 19 2008 1:03 AM
NaBUru38 says

Chis, this is my guess (in the near future) for the GM brand positioning in the US:
o- Chevy: big seller, as it's always been
o- Pontiac: slightly sporty, but still mainstream (like Seat or Kia)
o- Saturn: slightly luxury, but still mainstream (like Hyundai)
o- GMC: old-school pickups and SUVs, as it's always been
o- Buick: it will disappear along with Mercury.
Cadillac and Hummer: it's your time to guess.
Mon Jan 21 2008 12:52 PM
chris says

hummer isnt going anywhere in the near future. caddy is here to stay.

I know what you're saying nab, its just... theres SO much overlap. chevy has the entire market covered, and pontiac, buick, and gmc get reskins of everything in the chevy lineup. and recently, saturn too.

i dont know if buick will disappear; theyre going great in china and if anything will go china exclusively. but with the cars that buick is putting out in china, i think buick will make for a good lincoln rival. unfortunately, buick should be pitted against mercury, and lincoln brought up to caddy, but i dont know if that will happen. Lincoln is making some nice cars, but not caddy nice, and even the MKT concept isnt nice enough in concept form to be sold as a caddy, and god knows it will be reduced greatly from that concept. Really sad.

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