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It's called the Suburban, but it's virtually the size of a whole metropolis: Chevrolet has launched its new-generation full-sized 4x4, - and it's a whopper.
The 2007 Suburban has a 130-inch (3,302mm) wheelbase; it has been uprated to give more precise handling, improved refinement and more power. A 5.3-litre V8 engine (320bhp) is the first option on offer, which features displacement-on-demand cylinder shutdown technology; a 6.0-litre V8 (355bhp) with the same fuel-saving device will be offered later, although in the meantime, a conventional 6.0 V8 (350bhp) is available. This huge SUV is capable of towing up to 3,674kg, even in two-wheel drive form, and the higher-powered 4WD Suburban 2500 can pull up to 4,400kg.
New features include standard stability control, seatbelt pretensioners and optional side curtain airbags, plus rollover sensors. There is a new rack-and-pinion steering set-up, new coil-over-shock front suspension and a redesigned front end structure, the latter for "improved vehicle to vehicle compatibility in the event of a frontal impact with a smaller vehicle." In other words, this Suburban is a little less likely to completely squash a little hatchback than its predecessor.
Further new equipment on offer includes tyre pressure monitoring, rain-sensing wipers, parking sensors and rear-view cameras, sat nav and DVD players; 20-inch alloy wheels are optional.
The Suburban, and its GMC Yukon XK counterpart, will go on sale in the US in the second quarter of this year. Chevrolet dealers in the UK and Europe may obtain Suburbans to special order and it is also likely that independent importers will bring a few in.
