2009 Chevrolet Traverse. Click image to enlarge

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2009 Chevrolet Traverse

Spring Hill, Tennessee – General Motors has begun regular production of the all-new 2009 Chevrolet Traverse at its plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, following a 12-month retooling and an investment of more than US$600 million. The Traverse is GM’s newest crossover in the market.

“The all-new Chevy Traverse is the right product for the market today, and we’ve got the right manufacturing team building it here in Spring Hill,” said Troy Clarke, president of GM North America. “The Chevy Traverse is fast becoming one of our most important volume products, as buyers increasingly turn to more fuel-efficient crossovers with today’s rising cost of fuel. Traverse is a leader in its segment in highway fuel economy, thanks to its new 3.6-litre V6 engine with direct injection technology.”

The plant investment included an addition to the paint shop, an additional 31 miles (50 km) of new conveyor systems, complete refurbishment and installation of 623 new robots for spot welding, and refurbishment of five polymer mold injection presses that manufacture the front fascias. The launch of production has been one of GM’s fastest from plan development to product rolling off the line.