Chevrolet Traverse Designers Seek to Prevent Storage Wars

Using the latest 3D virtual reality technology and customer feedback, General Motors designers and engineers created sleek, functional and durable storage solutions for the Chevrolet Traverse crossover.
In a family vehicle like Traverse, an abundance of storage can help keep the peace among young rear-seat passengers, avoiding storage wars on long drives. The Traverse offers the most storage capacity of any vehicle in its segment. Seating for up to eight with a maximum 116.4 cubic feet of cargo space makes for a spacious ride.  An optional family-friendly second-row armrest unfolds into a tray table while leaving ample storage space for rear-seat passengers.

Parents Magazine’s parents.com website rated Traverse among its best family cars in 2010. According to the report, “You can get a week's-vacation worth of luggage into the rear cargo well, and with the seats folded down this vehicle could almost double as a delivery van. Still, the sure handling will make you forget all about its size.”



GM director of Design Quality Matthew Davis says the key lies in understanding where a customer wants certain features to be located. Customers were asked very early in the Traverse’s development what they want to store in their car and where they want to store it. A decade ago, customers wanted places to store CDs and Gameboys ®, now Chevrolet customers are looking for convenient places to store smartphones, MP3 players and electronic tablets.


“My job is to act as the voice of the customer, so getting customer input early is essential,”   Davis says.
Designers and engineers used a high-powered 3D virtual reality system called Cave Automated Virtual Environment, or CAVE, to develop interior dimensions and design ideas.


“We’re looking for ideas on where we can store items inside the vehicle while maintaining a clean, uncluttered interior with fresh industry leading design appeal,” said Davis. The CAVE allows his team to explore ideas and make changes to the vehicle’s interior in virtual reality, well before production.


The fruit of the exhaustive work is a Traverse interior that blends refined styling, technology and attention to detail. Davis draws inspiration from his 9-month-old son. “It’s exciting to watch him grow and as he gets a little older to see a budding love of cars, which makes his dad proud,” Davis says. “As a dad, I’m keenly tuned in to what kinds of storage features are needed in a vehicle. A crossover like Traverse needs to be able to accommodate and store anything from a sippy cup to a portable video gaming device.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly" solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended gasoline range, according to EPA estimates. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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