These three Chevy SEMA truck concepts can be boiled down to big wheels, Borlas, and Brembos. What else were you expecting, a full-blown Tahoe SS? After our conversations with Chevrolet reps at last year’s show, however, it does appear we may be getting closer.
Chevrolet Suburban Premium Outdoors concept
Fitted with a Borla exhaust, Brembo front brakes with 16-inch slotted rotors and six-piston calipers, and deuce-deuces all around, this ‘Burban packs the supersize 6.2-liter V-8 from the top-dog Silverado pickup. It makes the same 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. (The engine is also in the Suburban’s GMC twin, the Yukon XL Denali.) This engine, not yet available on Suburban or Tahoe models, is a considerable jump from the 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 and why some buyers gravitate to GMC in the first place.
The Premium Outdoors also features a two-tone brown leather interior with “mustard” piping, deep-pile carpet, a microsuede headliner, power-retractable running boards, chrome exhaust tips, illuminated sills, and a fold-up picnic table made with salvaged wood from Detroit.
Chevrolet Tahoe Premium Outdoors concept
This Tahoe copies the Suburban’s features, minus the larger V-8 and reclaimed-wood table, but it does add lusty dark-turquoise paint as well as black and brown leather set off by blue piping.
Chevrolet Silverado High Desert concept
This one is the standout, a modified High Country model—that’s the high-zoot trim—that wears forest-green paint and a custom sport bar that’s silver on the outside and a rich bronze on the inside. Those silver 22-inch wheels with bronze inserts look mighty fine, too. While the sport bar has us remembering the late Avalanche pickup, there’s no cab cutaway or fold-down seats. Rather, Chevy turned the short bed into a car-like trunk with three partitioned bins sealed by removable, locking, and, well, Avalanche-like covers. A pair of smaller hinged compartments are neatly integrated into the rear fender tops, similar to Ram’s RamBoxes.
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The bed liner is also split into three rails, presumably to keep all those unbagged groceries from Costco in one place, and the hold is illuminated with LED lights. Motivation comes from the High Country’s 6.2-liter V-8 and GM’s new eight-speed automatic. Might we suggest a supercharger and a Borla exhaust? Then let’s talk about slapping an SS badge on a pickup again.
