With Chevrolet Traverse, Quality Never Takes a Back SeatRobotic tests mimic customer use to enhance seat quality, comfort and durability for Chicago Area divers
Oak Lawn, IL 1/15/12– Vehicle seats do more than just cradle an occupant. A seat is also a makeshift knee rest, a stepladder, a desk, a tray and sometimes, a bed. Most of all, it should address the occasional mayhem of life with comfort, style and sturdiness.The seats in the Chevrolet Traverse have been stomped on, crushed, and pressed thousands of times to ensure they stand up to the rigorous demands placed on them.
Long before the Traverse went on sale at Webb Chevy General Motors engineers put the seats of the eight-passenger crossover through an intense series of tests to ensure high quality, maximum comfort and long-term durability.
The GM engineering team used state-of-the-art robotic technology to test the comfort and integrity of the seat cushions, as well as the seat frames and their attachments to the vehicle body. The robots simulated a variety of body types entering, sitting and exiting the vehicle. Programmed to mimic the range of motion of actual customers, the robots are sort of a cyber derriere. Front seats underwent up to 50,000 entry-and-exit test cycles representing more than 10 years of typical customer use.
Rear seats are subjected to testing regiments as well, including the Seat Adjuster Easy Entry Durability Test. GM engineers designed the industry first Smart Slide® second-row seat so that a 7-year-old child could safely unlock and move the seat out of the way.
“Engineers behind the Chevy Traverse have succeeded at maintaining the mechanism of the seat while allowing passengers to easily access the third-row seats,” said Jackie Webb, of Webb Chevy “This is especially important for families with younger passengers, who appreciate the Traverse’s flexibility in all situations.”
Traverse customers in Chicago frequently kneel on seats to retrieve packages, groceries and children from other parts of the vehicle. To ensure seats hold up to heavy knee use, the team used a knee-form plunger that simulates a human knee pushing down and applying force on different parts of the seat cushions. This helped engineers assess the long-term integrity of the seat cushion foam, fabric, suspension system and seat warmers. Engineers subjected the cushions to well over a decade’s worth of knee load exposure – a total of 30,000 robotic test cycles.
“Chevy has gone the extra mile with the Traverse to deliver seats that satisfy our customers,” said Webb, “We are excited to offer such a diverse vehicle to local families and drivers.”
About ChevroletFounded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free" solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
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