Andy
02-16-2010, 08:10 PM
Filed under: SUV (http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/), Truck (http://www.autoblog.com/category/trucks/), Cadillac (http://www.autoblog.com/category/cadillac/), Chevrolet (http://www.autoblog.com/category/chevrolet/), GM (http://www.autoblog.com/category/gm/), GMC (http://www.autoblog.com/category/gmc/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/diamondedsuburban.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/) 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Chevrolet Suburban - Click above for high-res image gallery
Listen to enough of the bloviation, and you'll start to believe that full-size, traditional SUVs are the root of all evil. While the hue and cry has gone up far and wide branding these truck-based vehicles as four-wheeled carcinogens, there are enough legitimate reasons to purchase a Chevrolet Suburban (http://autos.aol.com/cars-Chevrolet-Suburban+1500-2010/overview) or Cadillac Escalade (http://autos.aol.com/cars-Cadillac-Escalade-2010/overview) that General Motors is going ahead with the next generation.
SUVs have traditionally been healthy profit-earners for General Motors. Though sales dropped by 25 percent in 2009, sales are picking up once again and exports remain strong, all making a good case for the revamping and keeping the truck chassis. Work had been idled (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/27/tahoe-yukon-and-escalade-not-being-replaced/) on the GMT900 architecture's replacement while GM went through its bout with Chapter 11 and fuel prices spiked. Moving the Tahoe, Escalade, Yukon, and Suburban to a version of the unibody Lambda platform had also reportedly been considered (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/i-motortrend-i-next-escalade-to-go-lambda/). In the end, buyers opting for the big SUVs really want and need what they do; from three rows of seats to truck-strong towing and heavy-duty four-wheel-drive systems, so General Motors is apparently keeping the basic formula, confirming to Automotive News that all current versions of GMT900 have a future. The fact that GM SUVs are practically ubiquitous as congressional transporters probably doesn't hurt the case for revamping the full-size SUV line, either. After all, Capitol Hill has a massive stake in GM, and they might as well get some new armored Escalades for politicians publicly stumping for small, fuel-efficient cars, right?
Gallery: Chevrolet Suburban 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/01suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/02suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/03suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/04suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/05suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)
[Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100215/OEM01/302159908/1156) - sub. req.]No Surprise: GM's next-generation of large SUVs reportedly due by 2013 (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100215/OEM01/302159908/1156) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19359331/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/diamondedsuburban.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/) 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Chevrolet Suburban - Click above for high-res image gallery
Listen to enough of the bloviation, and you'll start to believe that full-size, traditional SUVs are the root of all evil. While the hue and cry has gone up far and wide branding these truck-based vehicles as four-wheeled carcinogens, there are enough legitimate reasons to purchase a Chevrolet Suburban (http://autos.aol.com/cars-Chevrolet-Suburban+1500-2010/overview) or Cadillac Escalade (http://autos.aol.com/cars-Cadillac-Escalade-2010/overview) that General Motors is going ahead with the next generation.
SUVs have traditionally been healthy profit-earners for General Motors. Though sales dropped by 25 percent in 2009, sales are picking up once again and exports remain strong, all making a good case for the revamping and keeping the truck chassis. Work had been idled (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/27/tahoe-yukon-and-escalade-not-being-replaced/) on the GMT900 architecture's replacement while GM went through its bout with Chapter 11 and fuel prices spiked. Moving the Tahoe, Escalade, Yukon, and Suburban to a version of the unibody Lambda platform had also reportedly been considered (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/i-motortrend-i-next-escalade-to-go-lambda/). In the end, buyers opting for the big SUVs really want and need what they do; from three rows of seats to truck-strong towing and heavy-duty four-wheel-drive systems, so General Motors is apparently keeping the basic formula, confirming to Automotive News that all current versions of GMT900 have a future. The fact that GM SUVs are practically ubiquitous as congressional transporters probably doesn't hurt the case for revamping the full-size SUV line, either. After all, Capitol Hill has a massive stake in GM, and they might as well get some new armored Escalades for politicians publicly stumping for small, fuel-efficient cars, right?
Gallery: Chevrolet Suburban 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/01suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/02suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/03suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/04suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/05suburban75th_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevrolet-suburban-75th-anniversary-diamond-edition/low/)
[Source: Automotive News (http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100215/OEM01/302159908/1156) - sub. req.]No Surprise: GM's next-generation of large SUVs reportedly due by 2013 (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Read (http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100215/OEM01/302159908/1156) | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19359331/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/no-surprise-gms-next-generation-of-large-suvs-reportedly-due-b/)