In an age when even Rolls-Royce sells an SUV, it's easy to forget that they didn't always exist. The first one -- no, it wasn't Jeep -- was the Chevrolet Suburban.
Of course, Suburban wasn't always a brand name. The term was originally a generic designation for a station wagon type vehicle that was manufactured and marketed by such automakers as Chevrolet, Dodge, GMC, Nash, Plymouth and Studebaker -- some of them concurrently. it wasn't until 1988 that the Suburban became a General Motors trademark, some ten years after Plymouth dropped its Suburban model.
But those other Suburbans are long gone. What remains is basically Chevrolet's body-on-frame, three-row SUV that's basically a longer version of the Chevrolet Tahoe. Available in ascending LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier and High Country trim, the Suburban was redesigned for 2021, and gets a number of detail changes this year.
The 420-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 is now offered on RST, Z71 and Premier trim levels, while a 12.3-inch configurable infotainment screen is now standard on all but the base model, which most likely is hard to find. But you'll find it has embedded Google functionality, in addition to the expected Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. When it comes to driver assistance systems, parking assist, lane keep assist and lane departure warning are now standard, and the exterior camera offers up to 13 views, including those designed to make trailering easier.
But you've no doubt seen any number of Suburbans by this point; they're hard to miss. Their massive size and slab-sided wardrobe are capped by a grille that's distinctive, but lacking in panache. The overall effect is intimidating, if only for its size and height. But that garden shed-like size provides for a very accommodating interior with incredible legroom in the first two rows, and more than sufficient space in the third row. Yes, you do lose some headroom has you move rearward, but it's negligible. And using all three rows doesn't eat into cargo space. There's more than 41 cubic feet with all three rows in use.
As is the custom these days, the 12.3-inch touchscreen has the features you'll appreciate -- especially the integrated Google software. But the system's new user interface is baffling at times, and its hierarchy isn't as logical to use as you might expect. But the reconfigurable instrument cluster is easy to use.
Moving this massive mobile is a 5.3-liter V-8 producing 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. The Z71 test vehicle was fitted with a 6.2-liter V-8 rated at 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is about what you'd expect with this engine: 16-18 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The exception is the 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine, which is rated at 23 mpg in combined driving. A smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission is standard. Both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive models are offered.
Standard driver assistance safety systems include automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, following distance indicator, front pedestrian braking, front/rear park assist, rear vision camera, and automatic high beams. A surround view camera, rear pedestrian alert, head-up display, adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, rear cross traffic alert, and blind spot alert are among the options, or are standard on the upper trim levels.
Even if you're accustomed to vehicles this large, to drive a Suburban is to become constantly aware of the width of lanes and parking spaces. Patronizing a drive-thru will elicit apprehension. It's not unusual for backing out of a spot in a parking lot to require a three-point turn. Normal driving mode becomes an anxiety-ridden exercise until you come to terms with the Suburban's bulk, especially since the steering's on-center feel is somewhat loose and its suspension is tuned for off-road compliance. Yet overall, the Suburban feels somewhat agile for a vehicle of its size, with admirable dynamics overall.
GM engineers did a superb job of marrying the engine and transmission. The V-8's power is always there when needed, with the transmission always in the perfect gear. Acceleration is effortless, as is high-speed passing power. It's a very well-engineered driveline. And fuel economy isn't quite as miserable as you'd expect, as the test vehicle returned 16.9 mpg in mixed city and highway driving.
As "Star Trek" Gene Roddenberry once put it, space is the final frontier. And the 2022 Chevrolet Suburban is a vehicle with space worth exploring and exploring in. After all, just think of how much you can bring along.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban AWD Z71
Base price: $63,000
Engine: 6.2-liter Ecotec V-8 engine
Horsepower/Torque: 420/460
EPA fuel economy (city/highway): 14/19 mpg
Observed fuel economy: 16 mpg
Fuel required: 87 Octane
Length/Width/Height: 225.7/81/75.7 inches
Ground clearance: 8 inches
Payload: 1,876 pounds
Cargo capacity: 41.5-144.7 cubic feet
Towing capacity: 7,600 pounds
(Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. Readers may send him email at TheDrivingPrintzgmail.com.)
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Interior of 2021 Chevrolet Suburban Z71. (Chevrolet/TNS)
Exterior of 2021 Chevrolet Suburban Z71. (Chevrolet/TNS)