General Motors aims to maintain its dominance in full-size sport-utility segment, GM executives said, as the company unveiled the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Chevrolet Tahoe at a private event in Detroit.
GM invented the sport-utility vehicle when it introduced the first Chevrolet Suburban back in 1935, noted Tim Herrick, GM vice president global product program, by building a vehicle with capable of carrying both passengers and cargo at the same time.
“With an increasing number of SUVs on the market, we knew the all-new Tahoe and Suburban needed to reach higher than ever,” said Herrick. “We transformed Tahoe and Suburban to offer all-new technologies and features and deliver a better driving experience, while staying true to the versatility and capability that have earned people’s trust for generations.”
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The Suburban is now the oldest name plate in automotive history, having been in production for 85 years and GM owns close to half of the segment, GM executives noted.
“Now they will be just as dominant as the day they were introduced,” said GM president Mark Reuss, who recounted that his grandfather had driven a suburban that was used as school bus in rural Illinois decades ago. “We are out to win,” he said.
While automotive experts know that motorists can form an emotional attachment to sleek, fast sports cars, customers also form a bond to vehicles such as the Suburban and Tahoe because of they are integral part of creating family memories, Reuss added.
The new Suburban and Tahoe are larger, more comfortable, carry more features and come to market with extra cargo space. The area behind the three rows of seats in the Tahoe, for example, is 66% larger.
Barry Engle, executive vice president and president, General Motors North America, said each vehicle has been redesigned to be the ultimate SUV with the most interior space of any SUV, exclusive technologies and features, and the best driving dynamics in the full-size segment.
“There are no vehicles like Tahoe and Suburban – which have starred in Hollywood movies, carried military heroes and world leaders, and helped create countless family memories,” Engle added.
“We’ve taken what people love about these pioneering SUVs and made them even better – adding more room for people and cargo, more advanced technology and an unrivaled driving experience.”
This was achieved by combining the strongest aspects of its new full-size truck architecture with entirely new systems tailored to the needs of today’s SUV drivers and passengers.
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The changes to the vehicle also result in better driving dynamics with an independent rear suspension paired with available Magnetic Ride Control and first-in-class Air Ride Adaptive Suspension. The new Air Ride Adaptive Suspension available on both the Suburban and Tahoe offers load leveling at all four corners of the vehicle, and up to 4 inches of ride-height adjustment.
The longer wheelbase and new chassis systems also create greater ride smoothness, particularly on uneven pavement and unpaved surfaces, with improved handling, GM officials said.
The vehicles’ load floors are significantly lower, providing a more natural seating position and a remarkable gain of 10 inches of third-row legroom even as the cargo space increases.
A new SUV-specific interior offering up to five display screens in total, including a standard 10-inch (254 mm) diagonal central color touchscreen, the largest in its segment, an available 8-inch (203 mm) diagonal instrument cluster and an available 15-inch head-up display, which no competitor offers.
A pair of 12.6-inch diagonal rear-seat LCD displays are also available on the Suburban and Tahoe.
The 30 safety and driver convenience features are highlighted by standard Automatic Emergency Braking and new features, including HD Surround Vision and Rear Pedestrian Alert.
An all-new 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine, delivering an unprecedented combination of refinement, performance and efficiency is available on both Suburban and Tahoe.
The V-8 engines, including the standard 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V-8 with 420 horsepower have been updated with Dynamic Fuel Management. A 10-speed automatic transmission for all engines with push-button electronic shift is standard for all engines.
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The 2021 Tahoe and Suburban go on sale in mid-2020 in North America, joining the new Silverado and Silverado HD to completely redesign Chevrolet’s full-size truck and SUV line-up within 24 months.
