The All New Chevrolet TAHOE

REVIEW

Humorous as it may have been to poke fun at a would-be dodo, it seems the grave meant for the fullsize body-on-frame SUV may have been dug rather prematurely (ironically, the burial plot ended up being for Suzuki itself, at least here in the States). Proof positive can be seen in the 2015 Chevy Tahoe that is the subject of today's feature. It's a completely redesigned machine, and it holds an important place in the automaker's lineup – according to General Motors, fullsize SUVs make up 1.6 percent of the US vehicle market (2.2 percent if you include luxury nameplates), and GM owns a whopping 74 percent of that chunk. Add it all up and that equals 263,948 sales in 2013. What's more, these aren't low-dollar sales, with an average transaction price of $53,000, and they are known to have particularly huge profit margins.
So, we've established that fullsize SUVs aren't yet dead, Chevrolet and GMC are two of the biggest players in the segment and, importantly, that the market is lucrative. It was with these facts in mind that we slid behind the wheel of the 2015 Chevy Tahoe.

 

 The good news is that its long, straight lines and vertical stance mean its interior is large, bright and airy. Seats are comfortable, and the leather surfaces of our LTZ tester were soft and supple. In front of the driver sits a cluster with easy-to-read gauges, including a large tachometer on the left, a matching speedometer on the right and a row of four smaller ancillaries in between. A reasonably sized LCD sits below those smaller gauges, offering the driver basic information that includes trip odometers and fuel mileage readouts. When optioned up properly, all the surfaces you can touch are covered in a soft-ish leather substitute in either gray or brown shades with attractive stitching. Similarly, the steering wheel is nicely covered and easy to put into a comfortable position.

 

 

The 2015 Chevy Tahoe rides rather well, with a quiet confidence on rough roads that feels like at least a match for any of its competitors. The Tahoe's ride and handling have been improved over its predecessor thanks to a number of engineering refinements that include a wider rear track and revised suspension geometry that includes a new cross-axis ball joint, more high-strength steel, shear-style body mounts and available Magneride magnetic ride control. Most of these updates are inherited from the latest Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks, but the magneto-rheological shocks, which come standard in LTZ trim, is worth mentioning. The technology, well known for its appearance on Chevy's own Corvette as well as Ferrari models, is capable of adapting its damping characteristics in as little as 10 milliseconds in response to changing road conditions. Suffice it to say that the technology works as advertised, offering a smooth ride and responsive handling in one package with no extra work required of the driver.