Chevrolet to Update Traverse for 2018

Chevrolet's Traverse mid-size SUV will enter a new generation in the 2018 model year with "premium cues, new technologies and all-new trim levels," General Motors has announced. Chevrolet will provide more details on Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show.

The current Traverse was introduced in the 2009 model year, and has become a staple among mid-size SUVs in commercial fleets. It was the fifth most registered mid-size SUV in 2013.

Commercial fleets registered 4,875 Traverse SUVs in 2015. The vehicle is often used by companies with sales teams on the road, such as pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Commuter ride-sharing service vRide has more than 1,500 Traverse SUVs in its fleet, said Rita Kass-Shamoun, a GM Fleet spokesperson.

The three-row, eight-passenger 2018 Traverse will offer available D-Optic headlamps that provide "a natural daylight effect," according to Chevrolet.

With the update, General Motors will likely take the Traverse off the Lambda platform that served to underpin the prior model, as well as the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. The GMC Acadia entered its second generation with the 2017 model year.