The Chevy Traverse shortage has worsened again across the United States, with inventory now at a mere four days supply in January 2022. Scarcity at dealer lots is the result of Traverse production having been idled during several weeks in 2021 and since January 3rd, 2022.
The current four-day Traverse supply is the same as it was during December 2021, down from 11 days supply in November 2021. That was up from six days at the beginning of October 2021, which was up from a nearly non-existent two days supply at the beginning of August 2021. As a reminder, the optimal figure for the U.S. auto industry is 60 days.
The extremely low supply of the Chevy Traverse is the result of the GM Lansing Delta Township plant that produces the Traverse being idled on July 19th, 2021 due to the ongoing global semiconductor microchip shortage that is expected to remain well into 2022. Traverse production restarts kept getting pushed back, with changeover to the 2022 model year of the Traverse taking place the week of October 25th. However, production was idled again after the start of the new year, on January 3rd, 2022 as GM makes provisions to build the GMC Acadia at the plant.
Several GM plants have been affected by various shortages, including but not limited to the chip shortage, as GM continues to prioritize production of full-size truck and SUVs, which represent its most popular and profitable products. Prioritizing chips for those models has resulted in production of less profitable models being idled. Some analysts estimate that nearly eight million vehicles industry-wide won’t be built due to the chip shortage and will cost the global auto industry upwards of $210 billion.
As a result, the total unsold new-vehicle supply in December 2021 was down 62 percent year-over-year as automakers continued to deal with the impacts of the supply shortages. It almost goes without saying that the highly contagious and persistent Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus impacting the world is also a concern.
In fact, GM initially planned to refresh the Chevy Traverse for the 2021 model year, but delayed the launch of the update due to complications brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Consequently the automaker shifted to the 2022 model year for a launch in the fall of 2021.
The refresh features various updates to the exterior such as restyled front and rear fascias, three new exterior colors, and several new wheel designs.
The all-new front fascia of the 2022 Traverse consists of a new grille and a set of standard LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and turn signals. Below them are the vehicle’s primary forward lighting elements (the actual headlights). The design motif takes after the 2019 Chevy Blazer, which the Bow Tie brand previously stated would inspire the design of all of Chevy utilities. The 2022 Traverse also gets a set of revised LED taillights that give it a more modern appearance.
Inside, the 2022 Traverse features new interior seating options, a new available eight-inch infotainment display, and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Additionally, the refreshed Traverse will now offer six new standard safety features: Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, IntelliBeam auto high beams and a Following Distance Indicator. Additionally, a new Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control system will be offered on the LT Leather (3LT), RS and Premier trims, while GM’s Safety Alert Seat will become standard on Premier and High Country models.
From there, the base L trim level of the Traverse has been dropped, making the LS the new base model. Finally, the Redline Edition package will be offered on the 2022 Chevy Traverse as it was for the 2021 model year, available exclusively on the Premier trim level.
All versions of large, three-row crossover utility feature the same naturally-aspirated 3.6 V6 LFY engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. GM’s 9-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive are standard, while all-wheel drive is available as an option.
Chevy Traverse sales have continued to suffer as a result of inventory shortages stemming from the aforementioned production delays. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Traverse posted the biggest decrease in sales volume in the mainstream large three-row crossovers segment, falling 47 percent to 22,052 units. The results place it in the middle of the segment, which saw sales decrease an average of 16 percent, meaning the Traverse underperformed the segment.
Sales Numbers - Mainstream Large Three-Row Crossovers - Q4 2021 - United States
| MODEL | Q4 21 / Q4 20 | Q4 21 | Q4 20 | Q4 21 SHARE | Q4 20 SHARE | YTD 21 / YTD 20 | YTD 21 | YTD 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORD EXPLORER | -9.56% | 59,697 | 66,008 | 21% | 20% | -2.81% | 219,871 | 226,217 |
| TOYOTA HIGHLANDER | -20.30% | 56,564 | 70,975 | 20% | 21% | +24.43% | 264,128 | 212,276 |
| HONDA PILOT | -16.02% | 28,395 | 33,811 | 10% | 10% | +15.55% | 143,062 | 123,813 |
| KIA TELLURIDE | -19.40% | 22,981 | 28,514 | 8% | 9% | +24.73% | 93,705 | 75,129 |
| VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS | -27.26% | 22,872 | 31,445 | 8% | 9% | +32.42% | 115,687 | 87,362 |
| CHEVROLET TRAVERSE | -46.91% | 22,052 | 41,534 | 8% | 12% | -7.40% | 116,250 | 125,546 |
| HYUNDAI PALISADE | -0.96% | 21,866 | 22,078 | 8% | 7% | +4.69% | 86,539 | 82,661 |
| SUBARU ASCENT | -4.78% | 16,937 | 17,788 | 6% | 5% | -11.30% | 59,980 | 67,623 |
| DODGE DURANGO | +5.11% | 13,004 | 12,372 | 5% | 4% | +14.02% | 65,935 | 57,828 |
| NISSAN PATHFINDER | +237.59% | 12,439 | 3,685 | 4% | 1% | -14.93% | 41,324 | 48,579 |
| MAZDA CX-9 | -21.20% | 5,694 | 7,226 | 2% | 2% | +24.80% | 34,493 | 27,638 |
| TOTAL | -15.78% | 282,501 | 335,436 | +9.37% | 1,240,974 | 1,134,672 |
As a result, Traverse segment share dropped 4 percentage points down to 8 percent in Q4 2021. The top contenders were the Ford Explorer at the top with a 21 percent segment share followed by the Toyota Highlander with a 20 percent segment share.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Traverse news, Chevrolet news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
The article failed to mention that Delta Assembly is down for production equipment changes needed to start building the GMC Acadia in the spring.
How long does it take a new (2022 Premier Redline) to transition from parked awaiting to In-Transit? We ordered it in late December and they said “probably go In-Transit late February”.
Ordered AWD LT Cloth in June 2021, still waiting for delivery…