Test drive Chevrolet Tahoe

The huge and unshakable Tahoe has become more collected and no longer resembles a boat waddling on the waves.

The phrase, which began the driving presentation of the new Chevrolet Tahoe, sounded intriguing: “First, you must drive a Ford. But in the US, it is the Ford Expedition that is the main competitor of the new Tahoe, and this fact is very worried at GM. So much so that the test driver behind the wheel of the Expedition is clearly cunning - he tries to lay the corner more abruptly and pass the test bumps faster than on the Tahoe. A box rumbles in the trunk of a Ford, although such tricks could easily have been dispensed with.

A short passenger ride through the Milford Proving Grounds outside Detroit is all about getting to know the new Tahoe. At the same time, test cars are still covered with camouflage outside and inside - Tahoe and its sister Suburban will be officially shown only in the evening of the same day. However, this is enough for a first impression, especially since Ford Expedition helps to compose it.

Joints, pits, waves, turns and asphalt of varying degrees of preservation - the giant Milford training ground has everything you need to fine-tune the chassis. And it can easily rock passengers even with a strong vestibular apparatus. Soft suspension "Ford" and the efforts of Jim's driver do their job.

Tahoe, at first glance, marks the joints harder, but does not notice a trifle, and where the Ford trembles with unsprung masses, it spreads softly. In turns and when braking, Chevrolet has become more collected and no longer resembles a boat waddling on the waves. Sport mode removes the softness of the sofa, but adds some semblance of excitement to the giant's controllability.

And all thanks to the new chassis: rear independent suspension instead of a shaky continuous axle and air suspension in combination with proprietary Magnetic Ride shock absorbers.

Shock absorbers with magnetorheological fluid constantly monitor the road situation and now change their characteristics even faster thanks to new electronics and a set of accelerometer sensors.

The air suspension maintains a constant body height and allows you to change the ground clearance within 100 millimeters. The Tahoe crouches 51mm for an easier ride and lowers the ground clearance by 19mm at high speeds from the standard body position. Off-road, it rises by 25 mm and by the same amount when the lower transmission row is turned on.

The camouflage of the test cars tightly covered the front end, but made it clear that the Tahoe's body had not changed much. The lines became sharper, the wide pillar behind the tailgate was cut off from the roof, and a kink appeared at the sill line. The camouflaged front end did not hold any surprises either. The design of the car could be made an impression on the related Tahoe pickup Chevrolet Silverado, which was shown a couple of years ago.

Nevertheless, in the evening at the presentation, it was the design of the front of the new SUVs that came as a surprise. In fact, the Tahoe has lost its two-story optics, although LED brackets under the headlights subtly hint at this signature feature. Chevrolet designers seemed to have spied on Mitsubishi and Lada's X-face, proposing their own version. The larger Suburban is made in the same style, but now it can be identified not only by the enlarged rear overhang - the sill line of the SUV is straight, while in the Tahoe it has a kink.

Tahoe in comparison with the previous generation car has grown in length by 169 mm, up to 5351 mm. The wheelbase has grown to 3071 mm - 125 mm more. The distance between the axles of the Suburban has increased by 105 mm, and the length in comparison with its predecessor has increased by only 32 mm. The increase went mainly to the third row and trunk. This is especially noticeable in a larger car. The Suburban gallery can be called spacious, and behind the backs of the third row there is a very spacious trunk with a volume of 1164 liters. In Tahoe, the third row is tighter, and the trunk behind it is smaller - "only" 722 liters.

The middle row for SUVs is the same, but the seats can be moved longitudinally, both in the version with separate seats, and in the version with a solid sofa. The backs of the third and second rows are folded with buttons. Changing the frame profile - yes, the frame remained under the body - made the floor of the cars lower.

The interior trim of the new Tahoe and Suburban is now more luxurious than even the more status Cadillac Escalade: an abundance of soft panels with stitching, a more natural-looking wood. The keys are mostly physical, and even a 10-speed "automatic" is controlled by the buttons, and the classic poker is a thing of the past. The automatic transmission remote is conveniently located to the right of the steering wheel, but control still requires habit. So, the "drive" and "reverse" buttons need to be hooked up with a finger, and the rest - pressed.

The multimedia system is new, with high performance and a good level of security against cyber attacks. It supports Apple and Android devices, and updates can be poured over the air, like in some Tesla. In addition to the 10-inch touchscreen in front, the rear passengers have two more displays with a diagonal of 12,6 inches, and each can display a different picture from different sources. The dashboard continues to feature many analogue dials and a small display. The top versions have an 8-inch instrument display plus a data projector on the windshield.

Full LED headlights are standard, as are three dozen electronic assistants. Of the new - a high-resolution all-round visibility system, as well as a rear pedestrian warning function. The Tahoe will continue to alert the driver by vibrating the driver's seat cushion. GM says that most buyers prefer this type of notification to beeps and indicators.

Tahoe has got active flaps in the radiator, which improve aerodynamics, and V8 gasoline engines are equipped with an advanced system of shutting off part of the cylinders. However, the motors themselves have not changed much - these are the usual lower-shaft eights with a volume of 5,3 and 6,2 liters with two valves per cylinder. They develop respectively 360 and 426 liters. with. and are aggregated with a 10-speed "automatic".

After a long break under the hood of the Tahoe and Suburban, the diesel is back - a three-liter inline-six with 281 horsepower. And the Americans have not yet said a word about electric versions or hybrids. However, GM announced plans to produce electric pickups at a plant in Detroit - not otherwise than in response to Elon Musk.

Americans are also not worried about reducing weight - the components of the new SUV are made with a margin, and the frame is impressively thick. GM has invested heavily in the Arlington plant to improve the quality of the Tahoe and Suburban. However, the frame of the cars is still non-galvanized, and just paint protection is not enough for the aggressive Russian winter.

In the US, the Tahoe and Suburban will begin selling in mid-2020. Moreover, for the American market, SUVs with rear wheel drive and a simple spring suspension will traditionally be offered. Magnetic Ride air struts and shock absorbers will be the prerogative of the off-road version of the Z71 and the high-end High Country.

Most likely, we will not have simple versions. The new Tahoe will reach Russia by the end of next year, and we still won't have an extended Suburban. But in addition to gasoline engines, Chevrolet will offer a new diesel engine for our market.

A type	SUV	SUV	SUV
Dimensions (length / width / height), mm	5732/2059/1923	5351/2058/1927	5351/2058/1927
Wheelbase, mm	3407	3071	3071
Ground clearance, mm	Н. d.	Н. d.	Н. d.
Cargo space	1164 – 4097 Feet	722 – 3479 Feet	722 – 3479 Feet
Curb weight, kg	Н. d.	Н. d.	Н. d.
Gross vehicle weight, kg	Н. d.	Н. d.	Н. d.
engine's type	Gasoline 8-cylinder	Gasoline 8-cylinder	6-cylinder turbodiesel
Working volume, l	6,2	5,3	3
Max. power, l. with. (at rpm)	426/5600	360/5600	281/6500
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	460/4100	383/4100	480/1500
Type of drive, transmission	Full, AKP10	Full, AKP10	Full, AKP10
Max. speed km / h	Н. d.	Н. d.	Н. d.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s	Н. d.	Н. d.	Н. d.
Fuel consumption (on average), l / 100 km	Н. d.	Н. d.	Н. d.
Price from, USD	Not announced	Not announced	Not announced