Chevrolet has introduced its latest full-size Tahoe SUV, and it remains a proper body-on-frame, V-8–powered beast built to handle everything from a rocky trail to towing a large boat, and everything in between. Just like previous Tahoes, the 2015 model rides on a chassis shared with the larger Suburban, as well as the Silverado pickup. Also like the Tahoe that came before it, the new rig’s styling deviates from the Silverado’s, with a sleek new look that conceals an all-new engine, chassis, and up-market cabin.
The Tahoe might seem like a dinosaur in these fuel-conscious days, but it has almost no competition, and thus is quite the profit center for GM. Ford’s slow-selling Expedition, as well as the equally customer-proof Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada are its closest threats—and those trucks are only considered “close threats” because they’re roughly the same size as the Tahoe. Last year, the Chevy outsold its next-best-selling competitor, the Expedition, by a margin of nearly two to one. More than five Tahoes were sold last year for every Sequoia Toyota moved, and Chevy cashiered nearly four of the SUVs for every Armada Nissan managed to get rid of. Besides its usefulness as a tool for towing and hauling, the Tahoe also happens to be a popular people shuffler for Americans who like riding tall in the saddle.
Like A Rock Chiseled By the Wind
Not to lean too heavily on Chevrolet’s old “Like a Rock” ad slogan, but the automaker clearly tried to instill the same basic idea in the new Tahoe. A strengthened, fully boxed ladder frame sits beneath a smoother-looking body. The Tahoe still looks chiseled and tough, but the front end is a little rounder for better aerodynamics. The styling is a departure for Chevrolet, with barbed projector-beam headlights reaching into each front fender; overall, the front graphic matches the brand’s corporate look, but it certainly doesn’t mimic the Silverado.
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The suspension was tuned for a quieter and better-controlled ride, and Chevy claims it delivers better steering and braking feel. If the base setup is anything like the sweet-driving 2014 Silverado’s, we’re inclined to predict Chevy’s claims might just turn out to be true. For the first time, GM’s magnetic ride control adaptive dampers make an appearance on the Tahoe’s options list. An aluminum hood and liftgate are utilized to save weight, but the truck is still quite heavy: Chevrolet quotes the two-wheel-drive Tahoe’s curb weight at 5349 pounds. Adding four-wheel drive tacks a little more than 200 pounds to that figure.
Step inside the Tahoe, and you’re greeted by an all-new interior that’s less trucky than before. The dashboard is far less upright than the Silverado’s (until the most recent-generation Tahoe, the dashboards in both were similar), and features lots of soft contours, stitched leather and vinyl, and flashes of metallic-looking trim. The doors are now inlaid into the bodysides and should result in a quieter interior at speed—the design element was employed on the new Silverado, to good effect. Chevrolet’s latest MyLink infotainment setup, paired with an eight-inch touch screen, is available, as are up to six USB ports and six power outlets (including one 110-volt household-spec outlet) and keyless entry with pushbutton starting. The Tahoe features fold-flat second- and third-row seats, along with an available power-folding feature, for generous cargo space.
A suite of new safety gear also is available, including a front-seat center airbag, forward collision alert, lane-departure warning, lane-change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. GM’s unique vibrating seat, which works with several of the aforementioned safety-net systems to provide the driver with alerts, also makes an appearance in the new Tahoe. Glass-break, vertical movement, and interior-movement sensors comprise the SUV’s bundle of available anti-theft gear, and, when tripped, some of the sensors can even shut down several control systems to make it “almost impossible” to start or move the truck.
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EcoTahoe 3
The 2015 Tahoe borrows its new 5.3-liter small-block V-8 engine from the same Ecotec3 family that powers the Silverado. Like Chevy’s full-size pickup equipped with the 5.3, the Tahoe is imbued with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Power is routed through a six-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels or all four with the available four-wheel-drive system.
We’re pretty sure that red-meat-loving Americans who hunt, fish, and tow boats up and down mountains (as well as suburban family shufflers) who want large, capable SUVs also care about fuel economy. To that end, the V-8 also features the same efficiency-boosting technologies, such as direct fuel injection, Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation, and variable valve timing. Fuel-economy figures have yet to be revealed by the EPA, but they likely will improve over the outgoing model’s (powered by a previous-generation 5.3-liter V-8) 15 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway. No word on whether Chevrolet plans to introduce theSilverado’s base, 4.3-liter V-6 (which shares its basic architecture with the 5.3-liter V-8) to the Tahoe’s engine roster, but the move would presumably offer buyers a more fuel-efficient option than the eight. In the two-wheel-drive Silverado (and GMC Sierra), it boosts fuel economy by 2 mpg in the city and 1 mpg on the highway over the 5.3-liter V-8. Four-wheel-drive models only see a 1-mpg improvement in the city with the six.
Regardless, you won’t have to wait long to evaluate Chevrolet’s changes— The ALL-NEW 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe has started to arrive at Peters Chevrolet in Longview, TX. Contact Lonnie Newbury to schedule your VIP Test Drive @ 903-291-3361.
Lonnie Newbury — Sales & Leasing Consultant — Peters Chevrolet Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram — Longview, TX
www.EastTXCarGuy.com 