GM pledges something for everyone in its next generation Chevy Suburban and Tahoe SUVs
Fresh off a $1.4 billion expansion of its Arlington plant, General Motors is ready to start selling its “next generation” 2021 models of the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe beginning in the second quarter of next year.
Company officials on Tuesday night unveiled early versions of the two Chevy sport utility vehicles, and highlighted a plethora of engineering, technology and other improvements.
For example, the new Tahoe features independent rear suspension, and a floor that is about five inches lower to the ground to make it easier for occupants to climb in and out. Also, the third row includes up to 10 inches of additional legroom — so passengers can sit there without their knees touching their chests.
“There is nothing better than taking your family on a nice long field trip in one of these vehicles,” Steve Southwell, program engineering manager for the two models, told about 200 co-workers and visitors who attended the unveiling.
Pricing for both models hasn’t yet been disclosed, but the standard and optional amenities clearly will place both the Suburban and the Tahoe at the high end of the SUV segment. The Tahoe is the best-selling SUV in the United States since 2001.
Alan Brown, general manager of Sam Pack’s Five Star Chevrolet in Carrollton, said the improvements will help give the Tahoe an edge over its chief competition, the Ford Expedition.
“It has really checked all the boxes of the things the Tahoe used to not have,” Brown said after getting his first up-close look at a Tahoe Z71 model while touring the Arlington plant.
Brown noted that one common complaint from Tahoe owners has been that when the rear door is opened the groceries or other contents in the cargo area can sometimes tumble out, because the floor framing is slanted downward in the rear of the vehicle. GM has fixed that by flattening the floor of its framing, and also has moved the rear wheels back about five inches.
Chevrolet is celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Suburban — the longest-used automobile nameplate in the U.S. Like the Tahoe, the Suburban is made exclusively at the Arlington plant.
The Suburban also has had a head-to-toe redesign. It features an integrated front end, available panoramic sunroof and cutting-edge digital features including larger entertainment screens for back seat passengers.
It’s no coincidence that the completion of GM’s $1.4 million investment in the Arlington plant comes at roughly the same time as the next generation of SUVs is ready to hit dealership floors.
The improvements include a new, 1 million-square-foot body shop and a 600,000-square-foot new paint shop. Camera and laser inspection systems were also added.
The new facilities are highly automated, with more than 1,400 robots performing tasks in the body shop alone. In the facility’s metal stamping area, if workers need to switch from one model to the next — say, switch from making a roof panel for a Suburban to a roof panel that fits a Tahoe — the robots can switch out the 60,000-pound dies used to shape the metal in about six minutes.
“More than the physical changes, the Arlington upgrades increase assembly flexibility in the plant, allowing for more model and trim variations,” Bill Kulhanek, Arlington plant executive director, said in an email. “That means more choices for customers. In fact, the trim range for Tahoe and Suburban expands to six, with distinct designs and features on each.”
Matt Noone, GM design director for Chevy trucks and SUVs, said the next generation versions of the Suburban and Tahoe are excellent replacements for car models with a deep American heritage.
“We have watched sketches on pieces of paper turned into real vehicles,” Noone said during the ceremony.
The unveiling of the two popular SUV models is the latest in a string of good news for GM. In October, the company negotiated an end to a 40-day strike by its workers, who are represented by United Auto Workers Local 276 in Arlington.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 9:02 PM.
