Enthusiasts Bound to Rally ’Round Chevy Sport Truck
Chevrolet amps up its ’18 Tahoe and Suburban models with RST – Rally Sport Truck – special editions featuring trim and performance upgrades. RST options include the first application of General Motors’ 6.2L V-8 in a Tahoe.
DETROIT – Customer and dealer demand – not the upcoming New York auto show reveal of Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s 707-hp Hellcat-engined Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – are driving General Motors’ decision to introduce performance variants of its popular Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs.
“For this vehicle, that (Trackhawk) wasn’t the target,” Eric Stanczak, chief engineer-fullsize trucks and SUVs, tells reporters at the media introduction of the Tahoe and Suburban RST special editions. “We think, for this market, we have ample performance with this package.”
The aftermarket-inspired RST – for Rally Sport Truck – editions, available this fall as ’18 models, strip away chrome trim and replace it with body-colored grille surrounds and door handles and black elements including the grille, mirror housings, roof rails, window surrounds and badging. RST is available on LT and Premier trim models only.
Standard with the RST package are 22-in. wheels and tires, while 6-piston Brembo front brakes and a Borla performance exhaust are optional on the RST editions. Chevy says the exhaust system is good for a 7-10-hp gain from the standard 355-hp 5.3L V-8.
“The RST is designed for customers who want a street performance look without sacrificing capability or refinement, along with the option of increased performance as well,” says Sandor Piszar, director-Chevrolet truck marketing.
Tahoe RST features aftermarket-inspired trim and options.
Tahoe RST buyers seeking a little more power can opt for the Performance Package, including GM’s 6.2L V-8 offered in the GMC Yukon Denali but seeing its first duty in a Tahoe. The 420-hp, 460-lb.-ft. (624-Nm) engine features direct fuel injection, cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing.
The engine is mated to a revised version of GM’s all-new 10-speed automatic transmission (10L80) introduced in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (as 10L90) last fall. The gearbox and controls are tuned for the SUV applications, but otherwise the ratios remain the same, says Mark Kieliszewski, assistant chief engineer-10-speed transmission.
For the Tahoe 10L80, engineers made some changes to the housing for fit and were able to delete one clutch plate that was needed in the ZL1 10L90 to handle the sports coupe’s prodigious 650 lb.-ft. (881 Nm) of torque, he says.
The 10-speed transmission, developed jointly with Ford, is slated to go into eight other ’18 model-year GM vehicles. The transmission offers a 7.39 overall gear-ratio spread.
The powertrain should be good for a sub-6.0-second 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time and up to 8,400 lbs. (3,810 kg) of towing capability, GM says.
The Tahoe RST Performance Package also includes performance-calibrated Magnetic Ride Control that measures road surface imperfections every millisecond and can revise shock damping in 5 milliseconds.
“When you want to hustle, it is incredibly fast, with significantly higher levels of acceleration, braking and road-holding grip,” Stanczak says. “When you want to relax, it is very refined, with exceptional ride comfort and interior quietness.”
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