New Year Means Innovation
When speculating the kinds of upgrades you should see with next year’s variant, it’s almost hard to believe that innovation can push the Chevy Suburban further than the 2020 model, but that’s exactly what Chevrolet has done with the introduction of the all-new 2021 Chevy Suburban. This all-new model will feature an updated exterior more reminiscent of the Chevy Silverado. Plus, drivers will have an upgraded amount of cargo space and legroom in comparison with the previous models, gaining 28.2 cu.ft. of cargo space, roughly three inches extra legroom for the second row, and an additional 10.2-inches to third-row legroom respectively.
What’s on the Inside?
The 2021 Chevy Suburban is built on a foundation spanning decades of innovation and tech, and the interior of the 2021 Suburban is a perfect example of that. Each Suburban will come standard with a 10-inch touchscreen, and you’ll have options when it comes to expandability with options such as a massive 15-inch heads-up display, a 4.2-inch or 8-inch digital gauge cluster depending on your trim, and lastly, you can opt for dual 12.6-inch screens for your backseat rows providing ample entertainment to your passengers. Chevrolet has mentioned that these two displays can send content with each other, and you may mirror an Android smartphone to the 10-inch touchscreen up front.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been implemented along with a Wi-Fi hotspot for any internet devices you or a passenger may have, plus a large number of USB ports are spread about throughout the SUV, meaning you will never have a lack of ports to charge your devices.
As far as engine choices go for the 2021 Suburban, you are given a few choices, including for the first time in the Suburban lineup, the aforementioned Duramax diesel engine. This is a 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel that produces 277 hp with 460 lb-ft of torque. Details retaining the fuel economy you can expect with this engine are scarce, although Chevrolet has said they are expecting solid results. This diesel engine is the same variant found in the most recent Silverado where it matches the same horsepower and torque, and if the same engine retains its EPA fuel-economy rating, you can expect to see up to 30 mpg highway. It’s also worth noting that Chevrolet has expressed incompatibility with the Z71 trim regarding their diesel engine, which is important to remember should you be interested in diesel.
Most of the trims for sale will come standard with a 5.3-liter V8 that was previously featured in the Suburban a year prior, although Chevy has added a few new features for you including engine stop/start technology which will help with its fuel economy and an overall better cylinder-deactivation system makes the 2021 Suburban’s V8 stand out amongst its predecessors. Aside from these improvements, you should be seeing 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, like last year. If you want the best you can get for the 2021 Suburban, you can opt for a 6.2-liter V8, which produces 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. This engine comes standard with the all-new top High Country trim and will supply your Suburban with plenty of power. All three of these engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and allow you to upgrade from RWD to AWD.
Newer Tech Taking Over
New to the Suburban lineup, more specifically on the Premier and High Country trims, is something called a magnetorheological suspension, more commonly known as Magnetic Ride Control. The magnetorheological suspension has been in development for many years spanning back to 2002 and simply defers itself from any other suspensions you are used to due to its lack of moving parts, in fact, you will have no small moving parts whatsoever with this suspension. A fluid known as magnetorheological fluid (MR) is used instead and has a host of magnetic particles infused and can be made up of 20-40 percent iron particles that have been suspended in water, glycol, mineral oil, or synthetic oil and the particles within this liquid will become energized once it meets the magnetic field created by turning the system on. When the system is turned off, the particles inside aren’t being magnetized and the fluid will move more-so like a traditional damper fluid.
Another new feature Chevrolet has provided for your Suburban’s suspension should you go with the High Country or Z71 trims is something called Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, which is a newer technology being prominently featured in a wide range of new Chevrolet vehicles. What Air Ride Adaptive Suspension does is incredibly innovative; your suspension can adjust up to 4 inches depending on driving conditions, which in turn will result in a smoother ride. When traveling at highway speeds, your Suburban’s suspension will be lowered by ¾ of an inch, which Chevrolet claims will net you better fuel efficiency, reduce drag, and better aerodynamics for your ride. If your vehicle is equipped with 4-wheel drive, your suspension will raise up to 2 inches, which improves ground clearance for off-road driving. What this technology allows you to do upon parking your vehicle is to lower your vehicle up to 2 inches to make getting out of your vehicle easier for you and your passengers.
What Comes Next
We’re very impressed by what we’ve seen so far regarding Chevrolet’s 2021 Tahoe and Suburban lineups, and we’re excited for more details to be revealed as their release date draws near. As if the 2020 lineup wasn’t impressive enough, now that we see some of the beloved features from the Chevy Silverado 1500 make its way over to this lineup, it’s easy to get excitable for these upcoming vehicles, and it truly makes us want to speculate what might happen as far as innovation goes from here.
As we’ve mentioned previously, Chevrolet has been rather light on details regarding some info we’d like to know, such as the MSRP we can expect for these 2021 variants, but we do know that both the 2021 Tahoe and Suburban will be available for purchase to the public by mid-2020. As we learn more about the trims on display as more details are released, it should paint a better picture for you regarding which trim is right for you.
Chevrolet has made some strides in bringing similarities from the Silverado 1500 to the all-new Suburban, and we think the changes are welcomed ones. We think the new Suburban looks slick and a worthy upgrade over the previous years, and the high-end trims make them rather desirable. When these vehicles are released, we imagine our thoughts on these vehicles will grant them some solid recommendations for your new vehicle next year.
