Many of us have been wondering about the availability of the latest Chevy Suburban HD. The Suburban Heavy Duty has been available in previous generations, but information on this new truck has been slim. We first saw the updated Suburban HD in prototype form testing at high altitude in October of 2014. New information is now available courtesy of the GM Fleet website. Unfortunately, there is no indication that the Suburban HD will be available for sale direct to consumers.
The latest Suburban HD is powered by the 6.0-liter gasoline Vortec V8 engine that is good for 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. This motor has been the gasoline-powered workhorse in GM heavy duty trucks for many years. There is no word on the availability of the 6.6-liter Duramax V8 turbo-diesel. The Vortec V8 is mated to an 6-speed automatic transmission. The main benefit of the heavy duty version is the 11,000 lbs of Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). It’s more than the 10,000 lbs rating on a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD. It is also a significant increase over the 7,500 lbs GVWR of a light-duty Suburban. GM says that the Suburban HD is “a perfect platform for up-armor applications when your security cannot be left to chance.”
The HD version is configured with a 4×4 system, a 2-speed transfer case, and a trailering package. Maximum towing capacity is not listed. It’s configured with front bucket seats for an 8-person maximum capacity. Naturally, it comes with a host of safety and convenience features available on a Suburban LS model. OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability is included.
The privilege of having a Suburban HD in your fleet will come at a starting price of $79,715. For comparison, a light-duty Suburban 4×4 LS starts at $53,895 (before destination charges). You can option a light-duty Suburban to over $75,000, but it is only available with the 5.3-liter V8.
The GMC Yukon XL HD is not available according to the GM Fleet website.
We have not put a Suburban to the Ike Gauntlet extreme towing test yet, but the GMC Yukon XL Denali won our 2015 Gold Hitch towing competition for SUVs.
