WardsAuto Podcast: The State of SUVs and CUVs with Chevy Traverse Chief Engineer

There has been a pronounced shift in the U.S car market from sedans to SUV and CUVs. There was only one sedan among the top 10 models sold in 2023, and only five in the top 25.

For a quarter century, U.S. car buyers have been migrating away from sedans, station wagons and minivans to crossovers and SUVs. And though few of those buyers ever go off-road, AWD and other features for rutted dirt roads and slippery conditions have become a necessity, and a demand by customers who live and largely stay in the suburbs. More and more people insist on being prepared for a worst-case driving scenario.

That’s not a bad thing; it’s just the marketplace in which we live.

Ford and General Motors, for example, were built on offering any and every kind of car an American family could want. No more. Sedans are dead at Ford, and GM is cutting back as well.

The Chevrolet Traverse is a bread-and-butter family CUV that has been updated for the 2025 model year to address as many wants and needs any U.S. family might have. This week, we chat with the Traverse’s Chief Engineer Joel Hofman about the new CUV and what buyers are looking for.

You can play the episode here, and/or subscribe to WardsAuto on your favorite podcast platform.