2021 Chevy Suburban revealed with new independent rear suspension, more style, tech

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban made its debut today in Detroit, alongside its smaller sibling, the 2021 Chevy Tahoe. Per usual, the two are mighty similar to each other, but we’re going to focus on the Suburban here.

Of all the changes Chevy made to its next generation of full-size SUVs, the switch to an independent rear suspension is the most important of all. It’s meant to provide superior ride comfort and body control, while aiding hugely in interior space, as well. In terms of the latter, the new Suburban is also 1.3 inches longer in overall length and has a 4.1-inch longer wheelbase. This, combined with a whopping 5.3-inch-lower load floor mean huge gains in cargo space and third-row room. The Suburban gains 3.7 inches of third-row legroom, and gains 16.2 cubic feet of space behind the second row. That gain alone is basically the equivalent of a midsize sedan’s trunk.

There are three suspension options. The standard setup has traditional coil springs and passive dampers. The mid-tier suspension uses coil springs and GM’s fourth-gen magnetic dampers, and is standard on Premier and High Country trims (optional on Z71). Then, the top-of-the-line suspension combines the magnetic dampers and a completely new air suspension system available on High Country and Z71 trims. The air suspension offers up to 4 inches of height adjustment depending on the situation. At highway speeds, it’ll lower 0.75 inch, and can go skyward in off-road situations.

The powertrain story is almost identical to what it was before, with one big exception: the addition of the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel, which makes the same 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque as it does in the Silverado. The 5.3-liter V8 is still the standard engine making 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, while the 6.2 liter V8 is the upgrade. This larger V8 continues to make 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Both V8s feature GM’s advanced Dynamic Fuel Management system. 

Chevy integrated its next-gen electrical architecture in the new Suburban, which means it’s about as technologically advanced as any other Chevy today. The standard infotainment system is a 10-inch touchscreen mounted front and center. Meanwhile, an 8-inch digital screen in the instrument cluster is standard on the Premier and High Country (a 4.2-inch screen goes on the rest of the trims). A giant 15-inch head-up display is optional, and a rear-seat entertainment package mounts huge 12.6-inch touchscreens to the back of the front headrests.

Similar to the Silverado strategy, the Suburban will have great variation in looks from trim to trim. The LS and LT are the two base trims. From there, Chevy is offering an RST, Z71, Premier and High Country. The High Country is new for Suburban, displacing the Premier as the top trim model of the 2020 truck.

Pricing isn’t available yet, but the 2021 Suburban will be going on sale in mid-2020.