Christmas has come early in 2019 with the surprise release of an All-New Chevy Suburban. In this case we mean, there’s actually a lot of all-new. Interested in more legroom, the Suburban has you covered with an extra 2.3 inches in the second row (now 42 inches) and 2.2 inches in the third row (now 36.7 inches). Cargo room is even up by an impressive 23 cubic-feet with all the seats laid down. All this extra space comes courtesy of the Suburban’s new, 134.1-inch wheelbase, an increase of 4.1 inches (overall length only increased by 1.3 inches.)

It’s more than just space that makes the 2021 Chevy Suburban special, though. When fully optioned, the cabin can be fitted with a total of five display screens:

-* Two rear seat display screens

-* A 15-inch Head-Up display

-* 8-inch digital instrument cluster

-* 10-inch diagonal infotainment display

Under the skin, you’ll find that Chevy’s 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8s carry over. For 2021 the 5.3-liter is good for 355 horsepower while the 6.2 comes correct with 420 horsepower, the latter is only standard on the High Country trim. More important than this is the all-new 3.0-liter, Duramax, inline-six. GM says it will be available on all trim levels with exceptions of the Z71 and that it delivers 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It’s supposed to offer superior fuel economy and it’s a step up for Chevy as no other full-size SUV that it competes with actually offers this diesel engine. Fuel economy has yet to be released.

For now, pricing is a mystery, but the 2021 Chevy Suburban and the 2021 Chevy Tahoe are expected to go on sale in Mid-2020.

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Is The 2021 Chevy Suburban Really That Different Outside?

The all-new Suburban seems to have evolved into a stunning creature. It almost twins with the Tahoe and if not for the size, you wouldn't be able to differentiate between the two in one go. The front is dominated with a huge grille with silver detailing as the design element. Two parallel horizontal slats, finished in silver, run from end to the other. I personally hate chrome detailing, but on the 2021 Suburban, it doesn’t look that bad.

On either side of the top of the grille are the slim LED headlights that are the norm these days. This Silverado-inspired design philosophy makes three bulky products – Silverado, Tahoe, and Suburban – look very similar, but helps with overall brand recall. Moving down to the bumper, it comprises of sharp creases and has a slight bulge in the middle below the grille. The bottom part is clad in black plastic that adds to the sporty character and even helps protect the body from scrapping and minor underbody hits. The hood has subtle muscular creases to break the monotony of the huge tin piece.

The biggest difference on the side profile is the increase in wheelbase. The 2021 Chevy Suburban’s length is increased by just 1.3 inches, but the company has increased the wheelbase by 4.1 inches! There is a fair bit of rear overhang, and if not for the new suspension system, the SUV would’ve suffered from a wobbly, unsettled ride if you tow a trailer.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban exterior dimensions

Chevy has made use of black plastic cladding for the side skirts as well. Here, I’ll attribute it just the aesthetic purposes because the side step-board nullifies its functional advantage. The wheel arches have a crease around them but do not bulge out. The front end of the arches feature turn indicators, thus complementing the ones on the wing mirrors. The wing mirrors are placed on the doors instead of windows. This placement coupled with the slim A-pillars should help reduce blind spots to a large extent. The 10-spoke alloys on the High Country variant are finished in Silver and look premium. With that said, they are definitely boring and don’t add to the pizzazz of the SUV. The trim badge is present behind the left-hand side wing mirror, whereas the front doors get a “Suburban” branding.

The rear on SUVs are generally boring, but Chevy has pumped up the design quotient on the Suburban. The LED taillights look brilliant in the night and perfectly sized for an SUV this size. The tailgate receives subtle chrome touches and it actually gives a premium feel to the SUV. With that said, there’s a lot happening on the tailgate. These elements may draw polarizing opinions, but I believe that on an SUV this size, you can’t let it look boring. The 2021 Suburban comes with a set of dual-exhaust pipes that add to the sporty factor. They are finished in chrome and look sweet.

The company has also offered a spoiler at the top of the rear hatch with a high-mounted stop light underneath it. For some reason, Chevy thought that providing a grab handle bang in the center under the license plate would be a good idea. The company has worked so well on the Suburban to make it more functional while also being aesthetically pleasing; so why this? Chevy could’ve given a cutout at the bottom of the tailgate instead. But, overall, the SUV looks very fresh and will age gracefully.

2021 Chevy Suburban - Refinement And New Technology Inside

In all honesty, Chevy has cracked the mantra and has built a cabin to please the masses. It has got all the bases covered this time around. Despite all the tech in here, the biggest highlight is the way Chevy has managed the space inside. They now measure 42 inches and 36.7 inches respectively. Even the cargo room has grown by 1.8 cubic-feet and now measures 41.1 cubic-feet. Flip down and the second and third-row and you have 144.7 cubic-feet available at your disposal!

2021 Chevrolet Suburban interior dimensions

The cabin is as luxurious and premium as you can expect it to be at this price point. It will be tough for the competition to match the Suburban in this department. In terms of comfort, the Suburban has a very sedan-like driving position when you set the seat to the lowest. The 2021 Suburban follows a black and beige theme in here. It feels plush and reeks of quality all around. The beige leather used all around is perforated and looks classy. This theme is available on the SUV’s new top-trim, the High Country. Yes, the High Country now replaces the Premier to slot into the apex position. The steering is sized perfectly, but thumb contours would’ve made it a delight to hold. It has a host of buttons on it, but despite this, it doesn’t look cluttered. The armrest on the doors is placed a tad bit higher and this position makes it a lot more comfortable. Door handles are finished in silver and the window switches are a standard affair.

What Are The Tech Features On Offer?

The 2021 Suburban will leave tech-heads drooling. Chevrolet has made huge strides in the tech department on this ‘evolved’ SUV. The center console houses the 10-inch touchscreen unit as standard. It does not sit flush in the dash, but it is not a vertically-slated unit like the Ford Explorer either. This is more like a floating unit that looks sturdy and should be bright enough even under bright sunlight, thanks to the smart placement. Other than the touchscreen on the center console, the Suburban can be had with the following depending on the trim you choose:

-* 15-inch Head-up display

-* An optional eight-inch digital instrument cluster

-* Two 12.6-inch rear seat displays for second-row passengers

Chevrolet has provided the HVAC vents below the touchscreen. At the onset, they seem to be small for a cabin this big. Perhaps, the airflow is strong, but, I wonder if that’ll make it loud. Instead of going all berserk by offering on touch-stuff here, Chevy has made use of dials, knobs, and buttons for the HVAC. No matter how classy they look, I believe the controls for the air-conditioning needs to be analog. Dual-Zone climate control is available on the 2021 Suburban. Right below this control zone, the company has offered wireless charging spot. Chevy has moved on from the stalk-style to transmission buttons on the dash. The transmission buttons can be seen on the left of the touchscreen unit. They are all sized the same, which looks symmetrical but I don’t find it convenient. There are chances you will press the wrong buttons accidentally more often than not. I hope the buttons have a different feel on each of them. On the passenger side, Chevy has provided a glove box. Since the Suburban has a wide dash, it would’ve been interesting to see ‘Suburban’ branding or engraving here. After all, this is the flagship SUV in the American automaker’s flagship product.

There’s A New Diesel Engine Available For The 2021 Suburban

While the two engines from the current Suburban are carried over, a new diesel engine finds its way under the hood. The new engine is the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder Duramax that produces 277 horses and 460 pound-feet of twist. The other two mills are the 5.3-liter, V-8 engine that makes 355 horses and 383 pound-feet of torque, and a 6.2-liter, V-8 mill that churns out 420 ponies and 460 pound-feet of twist. All three engines are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Chevrolet says that the Duramax engine is a new design that has:

-* An aluminum block

-* Iron cylinder liners

-* Forged steel crankshaft

-* Forged connecting rods

-* Blended aluminum plus silicon pistons

2021 Chevrolet Suburban specifications

What Does A New Suspension System Mean?

Chevy has now upped the ante by making use of a four-link independent rear suspension design. A similar setup was adopted by Ford for the Mustang and it radically changed the way that the pony handled. The system basically consists of three lateral arms, one longitudinal arm, coil springs, and a stabilizer bar. We first saw ta similar setup in Chevy’s line up in the Silverado pickup, albeit in a different tune. The 2021 Suburban now also comes with Magnetic Ride Control dampers and a new Air Ride Adaptive Suspension. The former is not a new sighting, but the latter sure is. Chevy has sourced the Air Ride Adaptive Suspension system from BWI Group, which also supplies to Ram for the 1500.

The Air Ride Adaptive Suspension features auto-leveling that will ensure that even if you hitch a trailer at the rear, the car will level itself so you are sitting flat and nice inside. The suspension has a range of four inches, which means you can lift or lower the vehicle by up to two inches. The Magnetic Ride Control constantly keeps adjusting the dampers on the fly to make sure the vehicle is at its smoothest-best at all times.

As for the towing and payload figures, Chevy is yet to release them. The same goes for the official fuel economy as well. Currently, the Suburban can tow 6,300 pounds as standard, and 8,300 pounds with the optional trailering package. The fuel economy could see a slight dip as the independent rear suspension system has increased the weight by up to 200 pounds.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban suspensions

Pricing

The official prices of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban are not here yet, but there could be a significant increase in the pricing, thanks to the new suspension system and tech features. The current Suburban starts at $51,700, but the 2021 model could see an increase of $2,000-$4,000 depending on the trim.

Competition

Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada is due for a change as it's running on a decade-old design. It was spotted recently with camouflage but we can expect a lot of changes. The current model comes packed with a 5.6-liter, V-8 engine that makes 390 horses and 394 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to all the wheels. The SUV can even tow up to 8,500 pounds. Speaking of the cargo space, the Armada offers 16.5 cubic-feet of space with all the three tows up, 50 cubic-feet with the last row folded, and over 95 cubic-feet with the second and third-row seats flipped down. The Armada starts from $47,100.

Read our full review on the 2020 Nissan Armada

Cadillac Escalade

The Cadillac Escalade has been hitting rough patches all throughout its life. It never really succeeded on the market, but it never clocked in volume low enough to be called off. The new-gen Escalade was recently seen in leaked pictures and it has an uncanny resemblance to the 2021 Suburban. The current-gen comes with just a single engine option currently - a 6.2-liter, V-8 mill that makes 420 horses. However, the Suburban’s cousin could feature a new mill in the near future. This would be a Cadillac-exclusive 4.2-liter, twin-turbo, LTA, DOHC V-8 mill. It is found under the hood of the CT6-V sedan as well. The engine is available in two different states of tune; one that produces 500 ponies and 553 pound-feet of torque, and the other that churns out 550 horses and 627 pound-feet of torque. Apart from the exterior resemblance, the Escalade could also borrow many other features from the Suburban. It is expected to debut in the first quarter of 2020. As for the current Escalade’s pricing, it starts at $75,195.

Read our full review on the 2019 Cadillac Escalade

Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition is the closest rival to the Suburban in a lot of senses. Being a Ford product, the interior is well-screwed and the fit and finesse are exemplary. The higher trims are loaded to the gill, but the base ones, not so much. It comes with a 3.5-liter, V-6 turbo engine in two guises – one makes 375 horses and 470 pound-feet of torque, whereas the other one makes 400 ponies and 480 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Ford Expedition also features an independent rear suspension design but doesn’t come with an air suspension. Will we see it in the new-gen Expedition? You never know! The Expedition starts from $52,810.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Expedition

Final Thoughts

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban seems like a complete package altogether. It comes with a vastly different exterior, some impeccable features inside the cabin, and a new mill and suspension system under the skin. I don’t see a reason for the SUV to fail in the market from the initial impressions, but a lot could depend on the fuel economy and the pricing. The Chevy engineers need to be credited for the way they have handled the space management on the Suburban, and even more so on the Tahoe. With that said, there is not much difference left between the two SUVs anymore. And, with the Cadillac Escalade looking similar to both these twins, there could be an internal war. It looks like Chevy doesn’t care which SUV customers opt for as long as they are rolling out of GM’s factory.

2021 Chevy Suburban Picture Gallery