Chevrolet Traverse RS: Sharper Looks and a Turbo Four for the Big Crossover
gmauthority.com
The third-generation Traverse RS swaps its V6 for a 2.5-liter turbo, sharpens its styling and moves to GM's updated C1-2 platform.
The Chevrolet Traverse RS has moved to a new generation, but it isn't an all-new car built from scratch. The third generation is more of a deep reworking of the previous model: the dimensions are almost the same and the platform is closely related, yet the styling now looks far tougher and harder to miss.
The difference is obvious up front. The new Traverse RS wears a more upright black grille, slim daytime running lights up top and the main headlights lower down — Chevrolet calls this two-tier layout “high brow.” The pre-facelift Traverse RS flirted with similar themes, but the new car looks wider, rougher and closer to the recent Blazer, Trax, Equinox, Tahoe and Suburban.
Chrome has all but vanished from the nose: the RS leans on black and gloss-black trim. The lower bumper is squarer, the air intake gets bolder horizontal bars, and the Chevrolet badge stays black. The old Traverse RS didn't look dated, but next to the new one it comes across as calmer — a family crossover given a light dusting of sport.
In profile the changes are less dramatic. The silhouette is still recognizable and the wheelbase is nearly unchanged, but the glasshouse line is flatter and the rear pillar gains a shark-fin treatment with a floating-roof effect. The new Traverse RS is about 3.8 cm shorter, though GM puts the small discrepancies in the numbers down to a wider track. The mirror caps are now black, and the glossy wheels adopt a fresh design that recalls the Camaro Z28.
At the rear the new Traverse RS looks richer than before. The tail lamps are larger and more expressive, carrying Chevrolet's signature Y-shaped graphic. The bumper integrates horizontal reflectors and a reversing light, and the two exhaust outlets have become four. Admittedly, with this much black trim the chrome tips look debatable — a black finish would have suited the overall look better. Cargo space is barely changed: it was 23 cubic feet and is now 22.9 cubic feet, or about 648 liters.
The mechanicals have changed more noticeably: in place of the 3.6-liter V6 there is now a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline four, and the car rides on the GM C1-2 platform — an evolution of the earlier C1. In 2024 the old and new Traverse were sold side by side, with the outgoing model wearing the Traverse Limited name. The full switchover was wrapped up for the 2025 model year.
The Traverse RS is now built at GM's Lansing Delta plant in Michigan, and after a hike the price has climbed from $55,495 to $57,295 for the 2026 model year. The new RS doesn't so much break the old formula as make it more visible — this crossover is now harder to lose among a sea of identical family SUVs.
Earlier, 32CARS.RU reported that Chevrolet gave the Traverse a light refresh rather than a major overhaul.
