Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
IT seems that every week brings a new SUV into the market, but American automobile giant Chevrolet is hoping that its latest beast will prove a hit in the kingdom thanks to its extensive portfolio of features and an extremely friendly price.
The new Chevrolet Traverse is a perfect car for large families thanks to its exceptionally spacious cabin, a large cargo area and a third row of seats that can easily accommodate adults, but will more likely be used to pile your children, their friends and sports gear into the back of as you cart them around.
Eight-seater cars are becoming more common, but usually they are squashed together in a small interior that leads to crushed kneecaps rather than comfort, so to have equal legroom on each row is a fine achievement and a major plus in my book. The fine leather seats and classy interior design also help to create a smooth and luxurious atmosphere.
Standard features on the Traverse include a rear-view camera, USB and AUX ports, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a touch-screen audio system with a 6.5-inch LCD display. Further options include navigation, a DVD player, the MyLink infotainment system (which includes Bluetooth audio streaming and Siri Eyes Free iPhone integration), a 10-speaker Bose stereo system and a rear-seat entertainment system.
That’s a lot of entertainment choices, and it is admittedly slightly confusing to trawl through the various menus while driving. It took me the best part of a two-hour stint driving around Bahrain to get used to new features and I was still finding hidden options as I drove back to the showroom in Sitra. If one area of the Traverse could be improved significantly, it’s the usability of the various buttons on the centre stack.
Chevrolet has an outstanding safety record, and it’s easy to understand why when your senses are pummelled with sounds and graphics from the dashboard. Forward collision warning, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring are all there, and although it can be slightly annoying to have a high-pitched beep every time you swap lanes on a road or highway, with the craziness on the roads in this country it’ll do more good than harm.
Under the bonnet, the Traverse is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine with 281BHP which packs a definite punch and is sharp off the throttle, even if revs stay slightly too low. A six-speed automatic transmission is complemented by a tiptronic manual option, although the gear up and gear down buttons are small and located on the side of the gearstick, which is pretty disconcerting at first compared to paddle or stick shifters.
Even in automatic, the Traverse is fun and responsive to drive, with a very solid suspension that makes driving over the various potholes and speed bumps a breeze.
One brilliant feature I particularly enjoyed was the ability to start the car from outside by simply holding down a button for a couple of seconds. This is perfect for the hot summer months when you’re ready to leave the house or work but are dreading climbing in to what is essentially a metal sauna. Whack that button and the AC will fire up without having to go outside, and the car will still be unable to go anywhere without turning the key, so there’s no worry of someone hopping in and nicking the thing.
The price point is the real outstanding feature here, with the model starting from BD9,990. For a car with so many features and unrivalled cabin space, not to mention a smooth, safe drive, it’ll be tough to find a better deal in this segment.
For more information, visit the Chevrolet showroom in Sitra or call 17457100.
