Chevrolet has announced the new 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe will offer the 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine option.
“The wait is over, and the wish is granted for all those searching and hoping someday for a diesel engine option in America’s most popular and iconic vehicles, the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe,” Diesel Technology Forum Executive Director Allen Schaeffer says. “Diesel and Suburban fans for many years have been calling and writing the Diesel Technology Forum about when they will be able to get a diesel option, and now we have an answer: mid-2021.”
Diesels are a natural fit for the full-sized SUV segment, he says.
“Like diesel engines, Chevrolet Suburbans have been around for a long time, celebrating 85 years in 2021,” Schaeffer says. “That longevity doesn’t come by accident but from leaders delivering what consumers want… .”
SUVs are second only to full-size trucks as the most popular and fastest growing vehicle segment in the U.S., he says, making the availability of a fuel-efficient diesel engine option welcome news. The new 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine is already an option in the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck.
According to recent research from IHS Markit, commissioned by the Diesel Technology Forum, consumers choosing a diesel engine option in full-size half-ton pickup trucks can achieve, on average, 33 percent more miles per gallon (24 mpg diesel vs. 18.1 gasoline, combined fuel economy), saving about 200 gallons of gasoline every year. Beyond the fuel savings, the diesel options have greater vehicle driving range before refueling. If all full-size pickup trucks in the U.S. were to be powered by a diesel engine, the research found we would realize a savings of an estimated 500 million gallons of fuel for one model year.
An added advantage of the diesel engine option is the ability to utilize blends of advanced biofuels including biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel, thereby further lowering their carbon footprint, beyond the fuel efficiency advantage over gasoline. American consumers value options, and the option of using biofuels will be an important one that boosts sustainability of their personal vehicle choice.
