This is it, the Chevy Traverse. With it -- and others -- the General is coming back!

Take, for example, the Chevrolet Traverse. Here is a crossover vehicle that was late arriving, joining scores of other crossovers from nearly every manufacturer in one of the most competitive segments in the industry.

Buy a Traverse for its luggage capacity!

Chevrolet calls the Traverse a crossover. The EPA classifies it as a sport utility vehicle.

The basic facts are these: It has the engine in front and features front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It’s a car-based vehicle powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 with direct injection making 281 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 266 foot/pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm. The engine is aluminum with double overhead cams and variable valve timing. Recommended fuel is regular unleaded and the EPA estimates fuel economy of 17 mpg in town and 24 on the road for the front-wheel drive version, 16 and 23 for AWD. 

And, buy it for its looks! For a hauler, the Chevy Traverse is a good-looking vehicle!

Brakes are four-wheel ventilated discs with ABS. Standard wheels are 17-inch steel, or you can opt for 18-inch or 20-inch aluminum.

Riding on a 118.9-inch wheelbase, the overall length of the Traverse is 205 inches. Curb weight is 4,720 pounds for the front-wheel drive model, 4,925 if you go with AWD. In either case, there’s seating capacity for seven or eight people distributed over three rows of seats.

Big and beautiful, with plenty of room!

Our test Traverse was the middle 2LT model with AWD bearing an MSRP of $36,325. The base LS goes for $29,224, while the top-of-the-line LTZ starts at $37,985.

Standard equipment on the 2LT makes up a long list: Stabilitrak stability control system with traction control, one year of OnStar service featuring turn-by-turn travel directions and crash response, ultrasonic rear parking assist, rearview camera, power liftgate, heated outside mirrors with turn signals, 18-inch aluminum wheels, 8-way power adjustable driver seat, “smart slide” second row seat feature, tri-zone climate control, tilt & telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, Bose audio system, XM satellite radio service, rear seat audio controls and USB port. 

Sheathed in plastic, this is the V-6 engine.

In addition to the devices already mentioned, safety gets its due with lots of air bags. The National Highway Traffic Administration rates the Traverse tops in a front or side crash (five stars) and nearly tops in rollover protection (four stars).

Here's a good view that explains why the Traverse can hold so much on the inside!

The exterior of the Traverse was done up in Gold Mist Metallic paint and the interior is described as “cashmere.” To these eyes, that means grey and tan in an attractive blend.

Gauges? Yup, the Traverse has them!

I was able to pre-set favorite radio stations without so much as a glance at the driver’s manual, which is uncommon. All cars’ controls should be so simple. Fit-and-finish was very good, even though wide expanses of hard plastic are used.

Exterior styling is quite bold. The grille has the Chevy family horizontal bar with bowtie. The overall look is modern and pleasing.

The Chevy Traverse comes with a bold, corporate identity on its nose!

Handling, for such a large vehicle (4,925 pounds in AWD trim), is remarkably agile. The steering doesn’t feel like you’re directing a big SUV.

Inside, the Traverse gives you real comfort!

The highway ride in a Traverse is smooth and quiet.  The brakes are generally quite good, but you have to remember you’re hauling a lot of weight (see curb weight above). Like a nuclear aircraft carrier, it takes a while to bring this rig to a stop.

It’s easy for the driver to find a comfortable position in the Traverse. Between the wide and supportive seat, the tilt-and-telescope steering wheel and the well-placed dead pedal for the left foot, a driver of nearly any stature can find the sweet spot.

THINGS WE LIKE ABOUT THE CHEVY TRAVERSE

-- It drives “smaller” than it is. Handling is agile for a big vehicle

-- The design and color scheme of the dash is appealing

-- One can figure out how to operate the radio without a crash course in technology

-- Lots of room in the back seat

THINGS WE DON’T LIKE

-- The rear-view camera display: it’s too small to be really useful

-- Speaking of too small, the rear window is just that

Dig It! The Traverse is not the total answer for GM, but it's a solid start!

The cold water of bankruptcy was a shock to the General, but they seem to have “got it” now. Traverse, Malibu, the new Camaro – all are competing head-to-head with Ford, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.

Congrats to the bowtie guys.