.

the car junkie daily magazine.

.

Chevrolet Tahoe And Suburban RST: When The Family Wagon Needs To Haul Ass


Chevrolet Tahoe And Suburban RST: When The Family Wagon Needs To Haul Ass

(Photos: General Motors) The Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban are the go-to full-size SUVs in the market right now. Look left and right when you are out and about, and I’ll all but promise you that you will see one. They are great people haulers, work trucks, cargo movers…they are an outstanding do-it-all kind of rig. They’ll tow, they’ll haul, they’ll eat the miles up as long as you maintain them. But there is one thing that neither the Tahoe nor Suburban do well: “sporty”. They’re big, lumbering beasts of burden that are meant to work.

But with the SUV boom somehow still going strong, GM has decided to offer up the “Rally Sport Truck” package for the Tahoe and Suburban, which on paper looks to give the big SUVs a shot in the arm. These aren’t going to be speed monsters in any sense…they aren’t going to be scaring a ZL-1 Camaro at the stoplight. But they will move out quite nicely once you lay into the 6.2L V8. What do you think, worthy or not?

DETROIT — Today, Chevy introduced a new special edition for the Tahoe and Suburban: the street-performance Rally Sport Truck, or RST. The Tahoe RST will also be available with a new Performance Package that includes a 420-hp, 6.2L V-8 engine; Magnetic Ride Control with performance calibration; and an all-new Hydra-Matic 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission.

“Chevrolet has continually invested in Tahoe and Suburban, developing models with varying combinations of capability, technology and performance to meet the needs of different customers,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Truck Marketing director.  “The RST is designed for customers who want a street performance look without sacrificing capability or refinement, along with the option of increased performance as well.”

RST will be available on Tahoe and Suburban models in the fall of 2017. Inspired by aftermarket trends, virtually all chrome trim has been eliminated for a street performance appearance. Changes include body-color grille surround and door handles; gloss-black grille and mirror caps; black roof rails, window trim, badging and Chevy bowties. RST also includes exclusive 22-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone P285/45R 22 tires.

Available upgrades for Tahoe and Suburban RST include a Borla performance exhaust system that offers a 28 percent improvement in exhaust flow, for a 7-10-horsepower gain at the rear wheels. An available brake package features massive front red Brembo six-piston, fixed aluminum calipers with brake pads clamping on larger-than-stock 410 x 32mm (16.1 inch x 1.3 inch) Duralife rotors coupled with a 84 percent increase in brake pad area and a 42 percent increase in rotor area to increase system thermal capacity. Duralife™ rotors feature a hardened surface to reduce corrosion and provide quieter braking with less vibration.

The Tahoe RST will also be offered with an exclusive Performance Package that includes Magnetic Ride Control with performance calibration, 6.2L V-8 and the new 10L80 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is the first time Tahoe will offer the 6.2L V-8, which delivers an estimated 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The engine features three state-of-the-art technologies — direct injection, Active Fuel Management and continuously variable valve timing — to make the most of power, torque and efficiency across a broad range of operating conditions.

The 6.2L V-8 will be paired with an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission. With smaller steps between each ratio, the transmission maximizes engine power under acceleration. With a wide 7.39 overall gear ratio spread and lower numerical top gear ratio, the transmission also improves efficiency by reducing engine revolutions at highway speeds.

Based on preliminary estimates, the Tahoe RST Performance Package will offer a towing capacity of 8,400 pounds and the truck will be cable of 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 6 seconds. Full performance metrics will be announced closer to launch.

Magnetic Ride Control is an active suspension that “reads” the road every millisecond, triggering damping changes in the electronically controlled shock absorbers in as few as 5 milliseconds. As a result, the suspension delivers both improved body-motion control during cornering and a more comfortable ride while cruising. The new performance calibration included in the Tahoe RST Performance Package increases body control for even higher levels of responsiveness and comfort.

“When you want to hustle, it is incredibly fast, with significantly higher levels of acceleration, braking and road-holding grip,” said Eric Stanczak, chief engineer for Chevrolet full-size trucks. “When you want to relax, it is very refined, with exceptional ride comfort and interior quietness.”

Chevrolet has been the best-selling full-size SUV brand for 42 years. Today, Tahoe and Suburban are the top two vehicles in the segment. They also account for 49.3 percent of retail sales, or nearly one out of every two full-size SUVs Americans bought in 2016. Tahoe and Suburban customers are also the most loyal owners in the segment, with 79 percent of owners replacing their vehicle with another Tahoe or Suburban.


  • Share This
  • Pinterest
  • 0

6 thoughts on “Chevrolet Tahoe And Suburban RST: When The Family Wagon Needs To Haul Ass

  1. sbg

    needs 40s
    but sir, you forgot to tell us the one, most- important metric – does it have tow hooks?

  2. BeaverMartin

    I hope they sell exceptionally well and are immediately totaled. I can think of lots of wrappers for that drive train.

Comments are closed.