To quote Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise as he signed-in to each new episode: “Space. The final frontier”.
It’s hard to introduce you to the 2025 Chevy Traverse High Country I’ve been driving, without gushing about the SUV’s cavernous, humongous, supremely-practical space.
For a mid-size sport-ute, this thing is huge. Three rows of seats, space in the third row for a couple of adults, and with the second and third rows folded, the load space of a Mayflower moving truck.
Thinking about buying a new full-size Tahoe? You may want to take a look at this freshly-minted Traverse. It’s big.
The Traverse line-up got a full-body makeover last year, with all-new styling to replace the previous, tofu-bland model. It came with more curves than J.Lo in Spandex, a sexier waistline, and a bolder, more Tahoe-like front end with slimline LED lights.
Under the hood, the previous, wheezy 3.6-liter V6 got ditched. In its place a new, small-but-mighty, 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder packing a muscley 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque.
For 2025, Chevy brought back the fancy High Country trim that adds shiny chrome to the grille and around the bodywork, and towering 22-inch rims at each corner.
Climb aboard and coal-black leather covers the seats – soft gray is the other choice – with nice bronze-colored contrast piping, perforated panels in the middle, and heating and cooling for the driver and front passenger.
The comfy second row captain’s chairs also get heating, while both the second and third rows can be power-folded flat at the touch of a button.
The High Country trim also includes such niceties as keyless entry with remote start, walk-up lighting and unlocking, rear pedestrian alert and thumping 10-speaker Bose premium sound.
Leaving the best for last is GM’s impressive Super Cruise semi self-driving system which is standard. It works on almost 750,000 miles of divided highways across the US and Canada.
Find yourself on one of those approved roads and you’ll get a green light on the dash. Set the cruise control, hit the Super Cruise button on the wheel. Now take your hands off the wheel and the Traverse will literally drive itself. 
And its cool party trick is automated lane changing. Tap your blinker, sensors will make sure there’s enough room to change lanes, and it will do the rest. Spooky at first, but impressive when you get used to it.
While that High Country badge might suggest some serious off-road chops, the big Traverse actually comes standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive a $2,000 option. But even then, it’s more of a soft-roader for light off-road duty than a mountain climber. Leave the rocky stuff to the V8 Tahoe.
Talking of pricing, the 2025 Traverse line-up kicks off with the base LT at a bang-for-the-buck $41,995. Next up is the Z71 at $48,995, with the range-topping RS at $56,795.
Our 2025 High Country came in at $54,995 including destination and $56,900 out the door. The only options were the must-have $1,500 panoramic glass roof and that deep Radiant Red paint for an extra $495.
Fire-up the new turbo four-cylinder mill, tap the new steering column stalk shifter for the Traverse’s new eight-speed automatic to hit ‘drive’ and you’re away.
While a 2.5-liter four-banger might seem a little puny to be motivating a 4,700-pound SUV, it’s like The Little Engine That Could. Off the line it sprints away with enthusiasm and punches above its weight, with enough oomph to pass slower traffic and merge easily from on-ramps.
Yes, the motor can sound a little strained when revved hard, but ease off and the Traverse becomes a haven of hush. Highway cruising at 70 mph is nothing less than serene making it a perfect long-distance family hauler.
It also steers nicely, carves curves with ease and rock-solid stability, brakes strongly, and rides like a Town Car.
As you’d expect in this hugely popular segment of the market, rivals for the big Chevy are plentiful. Heavy three-row hitters include Kia’s Telluride, Toyota’s Grand Highlander, the lovely Mazda CX-90, Hyundai’s Palisade and the Honda Pilot.
But the Chevy, especially the High Country, shines with its cool styling, super-roomy and versatile interior, impressive level of standard equipment, and terrific pricing. Captain Kirk would have approved.
