Body-on-frame SUVs are a dying race, but GM’s truck-based family of utility vehicles is damn close to everywhere on the roads. For good reason too; their primitive bindings provide some great possibilities, whether it be to drag people or horses or whatever. But ubiquity does not mean perfection, and it takes too long to save the leaves. For 2021, the Chevrolet Tahoe and its Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade siblings are getting some major refinements that add a yachty flavor to these boats.
When the latest generation of GM pickup trucks arrived, the answer was … a blacksmith lepid. The exterior was on the Seinfeld side of breathtaking, and the interior felt stagnant, with too few changes over the previous generation. The 2021 Tahoe, by comparison, just gels. Chevy’s business front-end looks much more impressive on the Tahoe, and a few strong character lines break some of the plate-sided look that comes with an SUV this size.
And yes, this thing is mass. The Tahoe’s new body is about 7 inches longer than before, with an extension of the wheelbase not far behind. The result is an absolute boatload (groan) of cargo capacity and interior space. Cargo space is up 66% after the third row to 25.5 cubic feet, thanks in part to a cargo floor that is almost half a foot lower, but it is not the case that space comes at the expense of passenger comfort. Those in the way, way backs get an extra 10 inches of legroom, something that my 6-foot frame immediately appreciates. I have lived in smaller studio apartments. The first and second rows are exactly as voluminous as you might think.
So where did all this extra space come from? The answer is three letters that would give any “creative” accountant a break: IRS. To further distinguish the big boys ‘SUVs from their truck brakes, General Motors replaced the ol’ stick-axle instead of an independent rear suspension. Not only does this provide all the space, it significantly improves the ride quality.
Make no mistake, you will not forget that there is a truck hiding under this box shell. Some of the traditional body-on-frame right is present over heavier bumps, but overall the ride quality falls within the positive definition of nautical. My High Country tester comes standard with GM’s excellent Magnetic Ride Control magnetorheological suspension, but it’s been further enhanced with a $ 1000 custom air suspension that is well worth the cost of entry. Both low and high speeds take place in a cushioned, comfortable state that overlooks roads. It’s the most luxurious full-size SUVs from GMs you’ll ever feel – as my tester should be damn good considering the shocking as-tested price of $ 81,845.
The rest of the Tahoe subdivisions also emphasize smoothness. The High Country’s engine is the largest offered on Tahoe, a 6.2-liter V8 that emits 420 horsepower and 460-pound torque, with an exhaust note that is more than a little Corvette-inspired, especially at full clip. That octopus works well in combination with its automatic transmission of 10 speeds, and jumps easily through the gears. The modulation of the pedal is simply dead, ensuring smooth start and stop. Of course, a lot of this is very thirsty, and the EPA’s estimate of 14 miles per gallon city and 19 mpg highway reflects that.
That game is all well and good, but the biggest and best improvements in the 2021 Chevy Tahoe can be found inside. Further separating their truck family, the interior of Tahoe is much closer to a passenger car, with a modern “floating” infotainment screen and a dashboard design that is actually interesting for a change. The High Country trim is wrong on the luxurious side (and to start at $ 72,000, it would be better), with soft leather almost everywhere. The transfer buttons of the push button on the dash face take on something, but as far as kids ‘toys lookin’ change, these are king of the hill. There are still a whole bunch of changers, something that GM is likely to wrestle with until the hot death of the universe, but they are placed in sunny places and are readable at a glance.
As you might expect, there are ten trillion places to store your junk in the Tahoe. The door compartments have multiple layers to separate items better, and although the bottom of my tester feels cubby flat, that’s not really a bad thing. For $ 350, you can get an electric glass center console option, which slides backwards to give the second row better access to this storage space. The console rear slide also opens a hidden compartment that will be an excellent place to store securities. I generally do not get smeared with gimmicks, but this one is pretty lovely, and you can have it for a song. If I do not need the seats of the third row, I can fill them flat with the buttons above the head, another nice touch.
See again:
2021 Chevy Tahoe is ready to sail
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GM’s cars already come with a solid complement of dashboard tech, and the Tahoe is no exception. The center screen of my tester measures 10 inches and runs the latest infotainment system from the automaker, which is quick to respond and well explained. Wireless Apple CarPlay en Android Auto are available, and all trims except the base LS get a standard Qi induction charger. It is not, however, that there are no ports; the first row gets two USB outputs (one USB-A, one USB-C), and the second and third rows each have dual USB-Cs. Short of a barbiturate dispenser, access to chargers is probably the best addition in the car to keep the kids quiet on long trips to the lake house.
For whatever reason, Big Bowtie has generally been pretty clumsy with its safety systems, but the Tahoe packs a number of standard tools for driver assistance, including automatic emergency braking, lane assistance, blind monitoring, parking sensors and an appropriate high-def backup. camera. A $ 3,355 technology package reinforces that with adaptive cruise control and a radar-based automatic brake upgrade. Up to nine cameras can cover almost any corner of the Tahoe, and a top-down view on the infotainment screen is basically necessary if you are trying to park something the size of an office building.
How do you make a truck better than a truck? By putting in a whole lot more than usual. The 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe has almost completely separated itself from its roots with the addition of major upgrades such as an independent rear suspension and a well-transparent interior. Those with large families as the need for more capacity than most walk-in cabinets will not be disappointed with this latest generation full-size SUV, which is now fully positioned as a 21st century hauler.
