The Chevrolet Suburban has been in production since 1934, which makes it the longest-produced automobile nameplate in the world. It began as one of the first metal-bodied station wagons and became the template for the modern full-size SUV.
Chevrolet Suburban at a glance
| Production | since 1934 |
|---|---|
| Current generation | twelfth, from the 2021 model year |
| Class | Full-size SUV |
| Origins | one of the first metal-bodied station wagons |
| Construction | wagon body on a pickup chassis and powertrain |
| GMC version | GMC Yukon XL since 2000 |
| Cadillac version | Cadillac Escalade ESV since 2003 |
| Chassis shared with | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Hollywood | about 1,750 films and TV shows since 1952 |
| Notable finding | most driven car per year in a 2018 study |
History of the Chevrolet Suburban
The Suburban dates from 1934, when it began life as one of the first metal-bodied station wagons. It combined a wagon-style body with the chassis and powertrain of a pickup truck, and in doing so it created the template for the modern full-size sport utility vehicle. Alongside its Advance Design, Task Force and C/K predecessors, the Chevrolet Silverado still shares its chassis and mechanical parts with the Suburban.
The model has been marketed through both Chevrolet and GMC for almost its entire production. GMC used several names for it before settling on the GMC Yukon XL in 2000, and Cadillac has sold it as the Escalade ESV since 2003. During the 1990s General Motors Australia marketed right-hand-drive Suburbans under the Holden brand. The Suburban is sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Peru, the Philippines and the Middle East, while the Yukon XL is limited to North America and the Middle East.
Traditionally one of the most profitable vehicles General Motors sells, the Suburban is now in its twelfth generation, in production since the 2021 model year. A 2018 study by iSeeCars.com found it to be the car driven the most miles each year, and a 2019 study ranked it second among the longest-lasting vehicles. In December 2019 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave the Suburban a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, noting that it had appeared in about 1,750 films and television shows since 1952.
Design and features
- Record longevity: in production since 1934, the longest-running car nameplate in the world.
- SUV template: wagon body, pickup chassis, room for a family.
- Three brands: also sold as the GMC Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade ESV.
- Film career: about 1,750 appearances on screen since 1952.
Chevrolet Suburban versions
- Early Suburbans: the 1930s and 1940s wagons on pickup chassis.
- Advance Design and Task Force generations: the post-war carry-alls.
- C/K-based Suburban: the full-size SUVs to the 1990s.
- GMC Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade ESV: the divisional versions.
The Suburban shared its chassis with the Chevrolet C/K and now with the Chevrolet Silverado, and it is closely related to the shorter Chevrolet Tahoe.
Video: 2012 Chevrolet Suburban LT
Video by Gelz@Telz on YouTube.
Sources
- Chevrolet Suburban, English Wikipedia: history, generations, GMC and Cadillac versions, studies
