The Chevrolet Traverse RS is here. It drops the V6 in favour of a turbo four and offers unique styling plus more torque.
The Traverse that Chevy calls fun to drive uses a 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged four-cylinder in place of the 3.6L V6 in the other Traverse trims. The turbo four offers 257 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That's down 53 hp from the V6, but up 29 lb-ft. The RS is also offered only with front-wheel drive. The engine shares the 9-speed automatic that comes with the V6.
On the outside, the RS offers blacked-out trim. The chrome of the mirrors, grille, and roof rails have been replaced with black pieces, and the gold bowtie in the grille is replaced with a black version. The wheels are unique 20-inch versions in a Dark Android finish.
That black look carries over into the interior, with jet black leather seats.
Other Traverse RS features include HID headlights, active aero grille shutters, an 8.0-inch Mylink touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, a Bose 10-speaker audio system and a power tailgate. Active safety features include lane change alert with blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, surround view camera, and GM's rear camera mirror.
The smaller engine and reduced power might not mean better performance, but the RS does offer a solid value. It has most of the same comfort and convenience features of the all-wheel drive LT True North trim with the addition of black trim and special wheels, but has an MSRP nearly $5,000 less than that LT trim.
The Traverse RS is on sale now.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse RS pricing:
$42,800
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