2013 Traverse Gets a Makeover

DETROIT -- The restyled 2013 Chevrolet Traverse will makes it Auto Show debut at the New York Auto Show, set to take place in early April. The new Traverse will be very similar in size to the outgoing model, as well as exactly the same mechanically.

Picture Courtesy of GM

The 2013 Chevy Traverse will feature a different exterior and interior look, as well as some safety upgrades. General Motors announced details about the vehicle yesterday.

Exterior

The first change to the Traverse will be one that buyers will recognize right away, and that is the Chevy Traverse’s new front end. It has a new hood that is a variation of the power dome hood equipped on Malibu’s and Camaro’s with a three-bar upper and two-bar lower grille design.

The Chevy designers took the new look one step further by removing the split mesh and stocking the re-designed Traverse with chrome accents, new headlights, and fog lights with sculpted front corners similar to those on the Malibu sedan. The new fog lights will give the Traverse a sportier look than previous models. The new Chevy Traverse also has less plastic covering than the outgoing model.

At the rear, Chevy’s engineers opted to give the Traverse a cleaner look by giving it redesigned taillights and a new license-plate pocket.

Interior

Inside the 2013 Chevy Traverse buyers will notice that it has more soft-touch materials on the instrument panel and front-door upper area than the outgoing model. The seats have new contrast stitching, and the interior cabin is decorated with blue light accents.

The 2012 Traverse will is equipped with larger controls for a more upscale feel, as well as new eight way power front seats with articulating headrests. The 2013 model will also come equipped with a new center stack that includes a 6.5-inch touch-screen display along with Chevy's MyLink system. MyLink lets drivers synchronize their cell phones to their vehicle for hands-free dialing and audio capabilities.

Under the Hood and Safety

Under the hood, the 2013 Chevy Traverse is equipped with a direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 engine, which pushes 281 hp. The redesigned Traverse is also equipped with the rebound springs in the front struts for increased roll control. The new rebound springs help improve the ride and handling of the vehicle. New shock valves in the 2013 Traverse will help deliver a better ride when driving at slower speeds.

The 2013 Traverse gets the same safety features of the current model but adds a new front-center airbag to keep vehicle occupants safe during side impact crashes.

What’s the Word?

When reached for comment, Chris Perry, vice president of global marketing and strategy for Chevrolet, said the restyled front end of the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse "is more modern and brings it in line with the overall Chevrolet design." He also stated that he believes the Traverse’s interior improvements will be its strongest new selling point for potential car buyers.

Pricing hasn't yet been announced for the redesigned 2013 Chevy Traverse. It’s set to go into production later this year.

Like what you read? Follow us on Twitter at @jerryschevybalt and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jerryschevrolet

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche

What other vehicle is so multitalented that you can turn it from an SUV to a pickup in under a minute? Well folks, If you are looking for versatility, the 2012 Chevy Avalanche is for you. With the split-folding rear bench seat down and the Midgate lowered, the 2012 Avalanche has the capability of a full-size pickup truck, but the interior look and feel of an upscale SUV. The 2012 Chevy avalanche is a great vehicle that will be sure to put your fun side and classy side at odds.

Exterior

Let’s face it; it's already hard to miss the Chevy Avalanche’s unique profile, and this year it'll stand out even more.

The 2012 Avalanche comes equipped with a midgate that transforms it from a six-passenger SUV to a full-size pickup truck.

The conversion is easy: just lower the 60/40 split-folding bench seat. From there, the midgate can be lowered for a secured cargo area, or the rear window and three-piece cargo cover can be removed for more room to transport larger items. It was so easy to do I was even able to recruit someone to show me!

The Avalanche's cargo box also features a lockable tailgate, a firm tonneau cover and is equipped with a top storage box. The Avalanche’s cargo box can accommodate 4' x 8'objects, as well as 50 inches of space between the wheel housing. The 2012 Avalanche offers 45.5 cubic feet of space, and if you want to talk about storage capacity, the Avalanche is also your guy, as it has the largest trunk in the industry.

Interior

We gotta give it to Chevy, The 2012 Avalanche can accomplish any task.  It offers plenty of comfort and style, with a roomy interior that holds up to six passengers comfortably and offers a myriad of features:

If you go for the LT model, you will get heated front seats. The Avalanche LTZ comes equipped with a heated steering wheel, plus leather front bucket seats that are heated and cooled. Now you can be comfortable in your Avalanche, all year long.

The Avalanche allows both the driver and front-seat passenger to have control of their own temperature settings. The LS model features standard Manual control, while the LT and LTZ trims offer automatic controls.

The 2012 Chevy Avalanche is equipped with remote vehicle start, allowing consumers to start your vehicle from your house or office. This will come handy in this area, where winters are very cold and summer is even hotter!

Under the Hood

The 2012 Avalanche comes equipped with a standard 5.3L Vortec V8 engine that delivers 320 horsepower and 335 lb.-ft. of torque. For the Avalanche, Chevy gave us the right combination of horsepower and torque, and with 8,100 lbs. of towing capacity, the Avalanche can handle much bigger payloads.

The 2012 Chevy Avalanche is equipped with Active Fuel Management Technology that activates all engine cylinders when more power is needed and deactivates four of the eight cylinders to conserve fuel. Thanks to this feature, the Avalanche offers a very impressive EPA-estimated 21 MPG highway and a driving range of up to 650 miles when operated on gas.

Speaking of gas, the 2012 Avalanche is equipped with a standard Flex-Fuel-capable engine, which can run on either unleaded fuel or E85, a combination of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Features

The LT and LTZ trims of the 2012 Avalanche come with an excellent set of features. The 2012 model now offers a new Touch-Screen Infotainment system that is equipped with A 30GB hard drive that lets you store your favorite music. The infotainment system is equipped with DVD-playback, voice recognition, and has the option for SiriusXM integration with SiriusXM NavWeather, which gives you the choice between a 2D or 3D full-color map display, a rear view camera and a pause-and-play feature that gives users to pause a live radio broadcast (Think TiVo on wheels!).

The 2012 Avalanche has a USB port which allows you to use your MP3 player/Ipod or USB stick to play music, giving you convenient control through both radio and steering wheel controls. The LT trim has a seven speaker Bose premium sound system, and the LTZ trim is equipped with an eight-speaker premium Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound System

The 2012 Avalanche is equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology for select phones which allows you to take calls with the touch of a button. Also if you want to stay connected to your Avalanche, you now are able to do so with the myChevrolet mobile app which lets you start your vehicle, check diagnostics, contact roadside assistance, routine maintenance and more.

Safety Features

The 2012 Chevy Avalanche comes standard with StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System which helps you keep your car on the road and under your control. For 2012, StabiliTrak includes Hill Start Assist and Trailer Sway Control for even more assurance. The Avalanche is also equipped with Rollover Mitigation, which helps determine the potential for vehicle rollover and applies brake pressure to the outside front tires to manage lateral tire grip. Speaking of tires, the 2012 Avalanche comes with a standard Tire Pressure Monitor, which constantly monitors the inflation level on your tires.

The 2012 Avalanche has Six standard Air Bags, including head and curtain side-impact air bags and side impact air bags mounted on the front seat. Additionally the Avalanche has  standard dual-stage frontal, driver and right-front passenger air bags with the Passenger Sensing System. To top it off, the Avalanche is surrounded by a high-strength steel safety cage and strategically placed crush zones to help absorb and channel crash energy in case of a collision.

In case you do get in a collision, the Avalanche comes with OnStar and a built in automatic crash response.  This feature, standard for the first six months, alerts an OnStar advisor if you get in an accident (even if you cant) and can even pinpoint your exact location.

Verdict

The 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche has everything any car buyer can want. It is literary versatile enough to be a pick up or an SUV, it has an excellent infotainment system, great safety features, and best of all, it’s pretty good on gas! If you are in the market for a bigger vehicle, or if you can’t decide between a truck or an SUV, this bad boy is right up your alley.

Like what you read? Follow us on Twitter at @jerryschevybalt and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jerryschevrolet

Want to check out your own Chevrolet Avalanche? Go to: 

http://www.jerryschevrolet.com/inventory/view/Make/Chevrolet/Model/Avalanche%201500/Records100/SortByprice/

2013 Chevrolet Malibu

We just got our first 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in our show room, and we could not wait to get inside of one.

What we found is that the Chevy team took the Malibu and gave it some flashy new improvements. We have to say, Chevy did not disappoint with the 2013 Malibu.

Exterior

As soon as you start walking around the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu you get the feeling that it’s a completely different vehicle. We had the coincidence of having a 2012 model right in front of the 2013, so we got to do some firsthand comparisons.

One difference we noticed is that the 2013 model loses 4.5 inches in wheelbase. But you would barely be able to notice due to the fact that the 2013 Malibu’s has more than 3 cubic feet overall interior space than the 2012 Malibu. The 2013 Malibu has also grown 2.7 inches wider, which gives passenger a great increase in shoulder and hip room to compensate for the minimal loss in legroom and front headroom. Overall it’s not a bad trade off, as the considerable increase in passenger room makes the vehicle much more comfortable.

The 2013 Malibu is equipped with an Ecotec 2.4L engine and six-speed transmission, producing 182 hp @ 6200 rpm and 172 ft-lbs. @ 4900 rpm of torque. It is equipped with the eAssist system which uses power stored in the lithium-ion battery to provide needed electrical boost in various driving scenarios.  

The 0.5 kWh, 115V lithium-ion battery and the 15-kW motor-generator unit help increase fuel economy and provide regenerative braking, which gives up to 15 kW of electricity to charge the battery. It also gives up to 15 hp of electric power assistance to the vehicle during heavier acceleration, and cuts off gasoline use when stopped, using electricity instead. Another cool feature of the eAssist is that it has a fuel cut-off feature during deceleration down to zero mph which further increases your fuel savings.

Interior

The interior of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu left us completely wowed. The interior was redesigned to fit the part of a luxury sedan, yet offers a sporty look that will please the younger crowd as well.

The 2013 Chevy Malibu is equipped with memory seating and mirrors, a very convenient feature if you have multiple drivers. It has a Tilt and telescopic steering wheel that is wrapped in leather and has a wood grain base, to give it that luxurious look you can brag about.

As we mentioned earlier, the 2013 Malibu has a roomier interior than last model. It is also equipped with Interior blue lights, which look great and give the Malibu a fantastic look, especially when driving at night.

The 2013 Malibu is designed to be very ergonomic. It is equipped with a one touch assist button for the sun roof, making it easy to open and shut it. It also has a sliding front glove box that the driver can use as an arm rest, and a driver’s information center that can be seen on the dashboard and accessed by the driver. For the passengers in the back, the back of the 2013 Malibu has a storage compartment with cup holders mounted. 

Lastly the 2013 Malibu has a roomy passenger glove box, as well as a cubby behind the infotainment system, for easy storage access for the driver.

Speak of the devil; the 2013 Malibu is equipped with a fantastic infotainment system that has a USB port hook up and an auxiliary input for your Ipod, USB stick and image files. You can access music or photos on the infotainment screen.

Safety Features

The 2013 Chevy Malibu does not come short on safety features. It is equipped with 4-wheel ABS, Front and rear head airbags, Dual front side-mounted airbags, Child seat anchors, a Remote anti-theft alarm system, Emergency braking assist, Rear door child safety locks, Daytime running lights, Dusk sensing headlamps, traction and Stability control, Electronic brake force distribution, a Post-collision safety system, Tire pressure monitoring  and Electric Park Assist.

One safety feature we are absolutely in love with is the lane detection feature on the 2013 Malibu. The lane detection feature has a sensor that lets the driver know when he/she is too close to other vehicles/obstacles as well as when the driver is not driving between the lines. This is a very convenient safety feature that is sure to help prevent future accidents.

Verdict

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is a sure winner in our book. The outside looks like a sporty sedan, yet has the luxurious interior of much pricier vehicles for part of the cost (it has a MSRP starting at $25,235). The interior offers a roomy and comfortable feel, with a fantastic infotainment system that will surely entertain the whole family.

Like what you read? Follow us on Twitter at @jerryschevybalt and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jerryschevrolet

Want to check out your own 2013 Chevrolet Malibu? Go to: http://www.jerryschevrolet.com/inventory/view/2013/Model/Malibu/New/SortBy0/