Have you been wanting a heavy-duty full-size SUV? The U.S. government is buying this buying this new HD SUV. It looks like a Chevy Suburban HD, but it’s a whole new animal. It’s a whole new vehicle underneath. Here is everything we know about so far.
It’s called the HD SUV (or Heavy Duty Sport Utility Vehicle) and it’s armored from the get-go. GM Defense LLC has taken the General Motors truck technology and manufacturing know-how to create these new beasts. The U.S. government likes it, and they are buying up to $300 Million worth of these new SUVs. Specifically, the U.S. Department of State / Department’s Diplomatic Security Service is the agency that will be taking delivery of these.
For background, we have been following this story for a long time. In September 2021, we published a story about an initial $36.4 Million U.S. government contract for the new heavy-duty GM SUVs.
What’s the big deal? The U.S. government has been using armored GM SUVs for decades. Well, GM Defense LLC is taking a new approach to producing these big Suburbans. Before, GM trucks and SUVs were taken to aftermarket armor upfit companies. These trucks were disassembled, modified, armored, and re-assembled.
Now, GM Defense can build these heavy SUVs with armoring during the Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) process. The vehicle comes all integrated and wired for the job at hand. Take a closer look at the image above. This is the only image that GM Defense LLC has provided.
The vehicle appears to ride on heavy 8-lug hubs/axles. The image also shows thick “bulletproof” front and side glass.
The new HD SUV could have one of the following powertrains, according to a GM Defense spokesperson: a 6.2L gas V8 & 10-speed automatic or a 3.0L Duramax I6 & 10-speed automatic.
Here is more detail about what underpins it according to a GM Defense spokesperson. “The vehicle includes a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension, specifically designed to support the increased vehicle weight and performance requirements.“
How much does one of these armored Chevy Suburban HD costs? We do not know this for sure either. The current 2024 Chevy Suburban price ranges from around $61,000 to $84,000. This GM Defense version of the heavy-duty SUV has a unique chassis and unique armored components. It’s difficult to estimate the price of one of these customized OEM vehicles, but it will be far into the 6-digit price territory per vehicle.
Do you want a civilian non-armored version of the Chevy Suburban HD? If so – leave a comment below and/or write a letter to General Motors.
Here is the GM Defense press release.
Here is us testing a turbo-diesel Chevy Suburban on our MPG loop in the video below.
