2018 Chevrolet Traverse High Country Priced at Eye-watering $52,995, 18-Percent More Than Top-spec 2017 Traverse
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Overall auto sales are falling in the United States, but utility vehicle sales are not. This explains, in part, why average transaction prices are routinely rising to record levels — June 2017 ATPs were up 1.5 percent year-over-year, for example.
And what better way to take advantage of the American consumer’s willingness to pay more for a new family vehicle than with a new top-spec trim level. For the second-generation 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, that variant is called the High Country.
The High in High Country could represent one of two things. Either you need to be high to pay $52,995 for a Chevrolet Traverse or — and it could be the latter — the elevation of this Country is so High you’re about to suffer altitude sickness.
Perhaps there’s a third option. It could be an outstanding value.
The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse High Country, including destination, will require a jump of $4,700 from the next-most-expensive Traverse, the Premier AWD, CarsDirect has learned.
That places the base price for the Traverse High Country, which includes all-wheel drive as standard equipment, more than $4,600 beyond the (now smaller) GMC Acadia Denali AWD and only $3,695 less than the new Buick Enclave Avenir AWD.
It’s also 10-percent more costly than the Traverse Premier AWD, 18-percent more than the current top-spec 2017 Traverse, and 72-percent more than a basic 2018 Traverse.
There’s no shortage of perks. The third row is power-folding; the tailgate is power-operated. There’s brown leather, 20-inch wheels, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a panoramic roof, automatic braking with collision avoidance.
The Traverse High Country also features GM’s twin-clutch AWD system, which can distribute all of the 3.6-liter V6’s 310 horsepower to the front or rear axle without a differential. That AWD system isn’t available on lesser Traverses, though whether consumers recognize the difference from one AWD system to another isn’t fully known.
High Country is a trim level GM introduced on the Silverado in 2013, but it hardly carries the cachet or awareness of, say, GMC’s Denali sub-brand. Nevertheless, GM has rolled the Traverse up into very premium territory with the High Country badge.
The Lexus RX, which will offer a third-row variant next year, currently starts at $45,415 with AWD and is America’s top-selling premium brand utility vehicle. AWD-equipped Acura MDXs start at $47,025; AWD Infiniti QX60s base at $45,895.
The 2017 Chevrolet Suburban 4×4, admittedly in base trim, is priced from $54,210.
[Image: General Motors]
Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Autofocus.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars.
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So that's what a $50k interior looks like these days, huh?
Sticker price doesn't mean much at GM. Once widely available you'll be able to get $10k off sticker, and at $42k a loaded Traverse makes much more sense