Dominance doesn’t come easily in the automotive sector, no matter the segment. Companies and brands will spend untold millions fighting for tenths of percentage points, all in a quest to beat their competition over the head — preferably with a steel chair.
How popular are the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban?
Which makes it all the more remarkable that the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban together make up over 35% of the large SUV segment; adding its two brothers at GMC push that tally to about two-thirds. The tony Cadillac Escalade bumps that total farther still. It isn’t a stretch to say that very nearly seven out of 10 large body-on-frame SUVs sold in this country sit on this platform.
That’s dominance on the level of the New York Yankees in the late ‘90s, or the hold which deep-fried foods have over your author.
Is styling new for 2025?
Looks are where this thing gets off to a strong start, incorporating new front fascia treatments across all trims, along with fresh lighting signatures front and rear. Both the Tahoe and Suburban lose nothing in terms of road presence with these changes, continuing a tradition of intimidating their way through traffic with a towering ride height and a grille the size of Texas.
Selecting the right colour across a spectrum is an entertaining exercise: red gives off fire-department vibes; blue gives off a whiff of constabulary; and black, well, let’s just say a pitch-black Suburban with tinted windows can scythe its way through traffic and get away with temporarily parking in front of government buildings.
Do the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban have fancy interiors?
Inside, a raft of changes elevates the cabin across every single trim, thanks in no small part to the standard 17.7-inch Jumbotron of an infotainment touchscreen. The graphics are crisp, and response times are more than reasonable, certainly quicker than what’s on offer in competitors with a Blue Oval on the nose. Large icons can be dragged and dropped to yer heart’s content, and even plunked into a permanent task bar atop the display for quick access to common commands.
This truck escaped the ignominy of having its headlight controls shuttled through the screen, as in other GM products. A bank of dials and switches are present for the likes of 4×4 selection and electronic trailer brake control, and ancillary functions are to the driver’s left, along with the headlight control.
Such an approach of providing tactile function extends to a row of rocker-style switches near the centre dashboard ventilation registers for gear like fan speed and chunky dials for temperature selection. This is a Good Thing, especially for those of us in northern climes who wear gloves when the weather turns foul.
We’d like to think this was borne from feedback by drivers who use rigs like the Suburban for security duty, since fiddling with a touchscreen which suddenly and inconveniently illuminates could scupper a covert operation. Sure, that’s probably Hollywood trope — but it’s a cool (and plausible) explanation to brag about with the neighbours.
How much space is in a Chevy Tahoe or Suburban?
Interior space is best measured in acres, with the Tahoe providing 127 cubic feet (3,596 litres) of cargo space; and the Suburban offering up about 144 cubes (4,078 litres) of it when the back two rows are dropped. That’s more empty space than a downtown office building at the height of Covid-19.
Seating is typically offered in seven- or eight-passenger configurations, thanks to the option of a middle-row bench or buckets, though a tremendous nine-passenger option can be ordered on an LS trim thanks to the availability of a front bench. So equipped, a Suburban could probably haul the hockey team and its gear. You’re on your own for air fresheners in that scenario.
What engines are available?
There’s little new under the hood of the Tahoe and Suburban for 2025, save for the addition of a Duramax diesel option (providing 305 hp and 480 torques) in the Z71 trim. This change was permitted thanks to a new fascia design permitting the plumbing required by the diesel, alterations which also removed the awkward slight overbite last year’s Z71 had on its jaw. Both of the V8 options are robust but familiar, with the 5.3L V8 (355 hp and 383 tq) and 6.2L V8 (420 hp, 460 tq) providing all the shove one needs in this segment.
When new, the diesel sounds like it is idling in the next room under a blanket, meaning that fuel’s distinctive clatter is well-muted. Be aware our testing experience suggests this may change with age and mileage. Torque shows up in waves, making the 3.0L Duramax a dandy choice for anyone planning to haul a trailer. Here in Canada, the diesel is said to have roughly 30% take rate.
Meanwhile, the 6.2L V8 should be yer selection if buying a gasser; it makes quick work of merging onto busy freeways, doesn’t burn much more fuel than the 5.3L once cruising, and brings valuable bragging rights. The 10-speed automatic paired with either engine invisibly goes about its work like a quiet butler.
It isn’t a stretch to say very nearly 7 out of 10 large body-on-frame SUVs sold in this country sit on this platform
The reasoning for a lack of change in the engine compartment is likely thanks to GM’s general recalcitrance to hybridization at the moment — if all-electric variants using bits and bobs from the Cadillac Escalade IQ are in the hopper, why bother with spending the R&D on what will likely be a short-lived offering? Remember, GM dipped its toe in the hybrid waters of this segment nearly two decades ago, an effort which wilted for a variety of reasons.
Anyone who wants fuel economy from these brutes is advised to sample a Duramax-equipped model, types of which this writer has used to easily knock out efficiency in the 8.0 L/100 km range without even trying. It’d be easy dipping into the 7’s with even an ounce of restraint on the loud-pedal, though expect double digits with either of the V8 mills.
Speaking of loud-pedals, the red Tahoe RST shown on these digital pages was equipped with a $3,300 factory-fitted performance exhaust system which, when paired with the 6.2L V8, made the thing roar like Chase Elliott’s NASCAR stocker. Pro tip: get it.
2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban Canadian Pricing
Good things are rarely cheap, an old saw which applies to the 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, which start at $74,999 and $78,499, respectively, for a base LS trim. The volume-selling RST and Z71, which a GM rep told us together account for nearly half of sales in Canada, are priced right on top of each other at $88,499 and $87,499, plus fees. The toniest High Country strays into a six-figure MSRP.
Chevy likes to assert there isn’t a lot of cross-shopping between at top-rung Suburban High Country and an Escalade Luxury trim, but the reality is there is less than $6,000 difference between them when equivalently optioned. At these prices, that’s about a five-per-cent walk, or like adding 1,500 bucks worth of options to a base Trax.
Copies of the 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban are rolling into dealerships right now, with examples featuring the diesel engine and Super Cruise slated for early next year.
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