An article today discussed the new and larger 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. Both gain leg room and rear cargo space, a new independent rear suspension much like Lincoln’s, and an in-line 6 turbo diesel engine. The engine puts out 277 hp and a whopping 460lb-ft of torque with significantly improved fuel mileage. You can read the article in USA Today, or the Freep, where it originated. The Yukon, Yukon XL, and the Escalade will all be based on these platforms. Comments?
Ridiculous to put diesel engines in what are basically luxury vehicles.
They’re pretty honkin big already. But, the turbo diesel sounds promising. As long as the engine or the emission system hanging off of it isn’t problematic… I imagine the price tag for a well equipped rig with the diesel option will approach starter home pricing.
I wonder how the f150 diesel option is selling and how that engine is performing?
Why? It’s not going to be like an old 7.3 Powerstroke or anything. Come to think of it, it would be cooler if it were 
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It’s noisy, diesel is not less expensive than gasoline, and I think they will face buyer resistance.
True on all but the noisy part. The new, small diesels aren’t that clattery at all. And it’ll get better mileage than a gas engine. If they can market it for the same price as the V8, it might make sense. If they charge $5k more for the diesel, it’s probably not worth the better mileage. Ford is doing it in the F150. I hear Toyota will be putting a diesel in the Tundra. I imagine they’ll migrate to the truck based SUV’s too, if they’re successful. I’m sure it’s more about fuel mileage than anything. Just like the small turbo gas motors.
Bigger Tahoe and Suburban . Sounds like an answer to a question no one asked.
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I don’t know. One of my wife’s female friends traded her “old” Tahoe for a newer model identical one because according to her, the new model was a foot longer or thereabouts. They looked identical to me, down to the color. People are strange.
Why? The buyers in that segment are desperate to be the toughest vehicle on the block, and what’s tougher than the engine out of a semi?
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Good point! Will they have those chromed vertical exhaust pipes that come up behind the cab?
Nah, it’ll be similar to the Ram Ecodiesel I’m betting. I’ve ridden in a Ram 1/2 ton diesel truck and you can barely hear the engine. Are Volkswagen drivers desperate to have the toughest car on the block?
I saw a similar article in one of the auto magazines. I have a standard sized garage but I can imagine trying to fit one of these things in along side another standard sized vehicle. I think it is just silly to be giant sizing everything. How do you even wash them? With scaffolding?
So am I, but do you think the soccer-parents know or care? They hear diesel and they get images of big rigs, or men in cowboy hats throwing hay bales into the bed of a pickup the size of an aircraft carrier. It’s all about image with many if not most in our society. Substance is secondary. At best.
If you can explain why anyone would buy a VW at all… 
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If someone wants that sort of vehicle it makes a lot of sense. The big torque value will definitely help getting that massive weight moving. I wouldn’t buy one for two reasons however, first I don’t need a vehicle that large, and second, a turbo-charger is one more thing that might fail. The best way to guarantee your car won’t be in the shop for turbo problems is to own only cars w/out turbos. A gasoline non-turbo engine, reasonably light weight sedan has plenty of get up and go for my needs. But I have some friends who run a business out in the desert that requires transporting a significant number of rowdy teenagers here and there on a daily basis. They’d be interested in this sort of vehicle I think.
They have pretty good styling. I’d say BMW and VW have the best styling these days. So if style is what you’re looking for, and not particularly worried about % up-time and cost to maintain, VW and BMW are the go-to manufacturers.
Buying certain car brand/style/nationality is becoming a political statement. It’s ‘trendy’ for some to show where they stand. And paying the high price for a car with a tariff might become a trend in some areas.
I think if it sells, it’ll be because of the window sticker mpg rating. Which kind of doesn’t make sense because 90% of the people shelling out the extra cash for the diesel option probably won’t keep the vehicle long enough to get that money back on fuel savings. If people are wanting the biggest and baddest, they’ll opt for a 6.2 V8 over a 3.whatever diesel.
But I thought you were kind of a green guy and would applaud the fuel savings aspect of the diesel vs the big ol 8. I mean if people are going to drive a Tahoe anyway, a more economical engine option is a good thing, right?
As far as VW’s…I dunno.
Speaking of turbo engines, my FIL just bought a new Accord. I looked at the front and could see what appeared to be an inter cooler through one of the grill openings, so I asked him if it had a turbo. He didn’t have any idea, so I popped the hood and looked for the turbo on the exhaust manifold. As I’m looking my son says, “Dad, the sticker on the engine says turbo.” Ohhh. Yeah.
The car drives pretty nice. I think it’s a 1.5 liter 4. Probably replaces a 3.something V6. I don’t really see the difference with what they’re doing in the Tahoe. Replacing a 5.3 or 6.2 V8 with a 3.something turbocharged diesel.
Speaking of the 6.2, a coworker claims that his new GMC Sierra with that engine actually gets better fuel economy than his 2013 3.5 Ecoboost that he traded in. So…that’s weird.
Just noticed this:
You mean like this thing that used to live near my house?
I’m not sure about that. That crowd, at least around here, almost takes a perverse pleasure in showing off how much gas they use. It’s probably another version of conspicuous consumption. “I’ll prove I’m rich by showing how much of this expensive thing I can waste.”
I am, to a point. And that’s why I’m unimpressed when people buy giant vehicles without needing giant vehicles. You make a farm truck get 30mpg, I’ll applaud. Make a Suburban, for which there is no real use case that can’t be done better by something else, get 30mpg and I’ll say that’s what you should be getting anyway if you were driving a normal vehicle.
I’m really thoroughly unimpressed that the “efficient” hybrid/etc vehicles of today at best match a 1988 CRX HF in fuel efficiency, and most of them don’t even do that. Our drivetrains are much more efficient today than they were during the Bush-1 administration, yet we’re not seeing equivalent gains in actual efficiency because the car makers keep pushing the horsepower numbers higher and higher. And fine, if you’re doing that in a top-end Mustang, sure. But a 300 horsepower Camry? Freaking why?!
But beyond the fuel issue, large SUVs annoy me. You can’t see around them, cars are starting to come with cross traffic monitors just so you can back out of a parking space without getting T-boned, and they tend to encourage their drivers to be overly aggressive because “Huh, I got a big truck and I’ll crush you,” and drivers really don’t need any more encouragement to add to the epidemic of jerk, hyper-aggressive drivers on the road.
Heh - that turned into rather a rant, didn’t it.
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I love that PT Cruiser.