2021 Chevrolet Tahoe – All-New & Awesome!

The all-new 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe is a homerun.  And it’s made in the USA!  Arlington, Texas to be exact.

So, I’ve always been a Tahoe fan.  But during my test drive.  I kept thinking.  They got it right.  And not just here or there.  But the whole thing.

2021 Chevy Tahoe Top-3:

  1. Interior
  2. Styling
  3. Drive
2021 Chevy Tahoe driver profile

120.9″ wheelbase & 210.7″ overall length

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Full-size SUV

2021 begins the 5th generation of Tahoe.  And the improvements are in all the right places.

Chevy paid attention to details.  The same I would have.  Great looks inside and out.  Smooth powerful drive.  But more.  Way more.

It’s like they moved the engineering team from the new mid-engine Corvette.  (A grand slam home run.)  Right over to the Tahoe.

The all-new Tahoe has great tech too. But Chevy’s been delivering there as well…  it’s the interior!

More space.  Better use of it.  And that makes 2021 a tough act to follow!

Chevrolet’s complete lineup of SUVs here.

Bigger And Better Inside – Boom!

While it may seem odd.  Starting in the back.  But that’s where we’ll begin for this review.

Interior 3rd-row backseat

+10.1″ of 3rd-row legroom!

Until now Tahoe had a 3rd-row seating issue.  Because tight legroom was amplified by a high-floor.

And that worked fine for kids in the far-back row.  But for adults, not so much.

2021 Chevy Tahoe 2nd row captains seats

42-inches of 2nd-row legroom

So, for 2021 Chevy engineers added 4.9″ to the wheelbase and 6.7″ to the overall length.  And that might not sound like a lot.

But it equates to 3-more-inches of 2nd-row legroom.  And a whopping 10.1-more in the 3rd-row!

Bingo!  Adults are comfortable in every row of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe.

2021 Chevy Tahoe cargo area w. 2nd _ 3rd row seats partial down

Up to 122.9 cu.-ft. of cargo space

And with that modest wheelbase and length increase.  Chevy adds 28.2 cubic-feet of maximum cargo space.  That’s in addition to the increased legroom.

But wait, there’s more!

2021 Chevy Tahoe front seats and dash

Gear shifter–>BUTTONS!

Because there’s also an all-new dash.  Shifting buttons replace the traditional gear-shifter.

And the layout of everything is more user-friendly.  Because everything is more spaced out.

Allowing for greater mindfulness behind the wheel.

Interior Dimensions:

  • Headroom: 42.3/38.9/38.2
  • Legroom: 44.5/42/34.9

*All inches, 1st/2nd/3rd-row seating.

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Trims & Pricing

Since the all-new Tahoe starts a new generation.  All but two of the trims are listed on Chevy’s website.

So the two not yet out are the base LS.  And the street-inspired RST.

 Trims & Starting MSRPs:

  • LT $53,800
  • Premier $62,600
  • Z71  $59,200
  • High Country $69,600

Providing the manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing is for reference.  Equipping your Tahoe to your specs will impact price.

Engines, Transmissions & MPG

Chevrolet Tahoe is offering three different engines for 2021.

Yet each of them is matched with the same transmission.  And, it’s a new 10-speed automatic with electronic shift control.

Tahoe badge with ocean reflecting in the paint

Where will Tahoe take you?

V8s And Turbo-Diesel

So there’s two different V8s and a Duramax turbo-diesel engine.  First the V8s.

There’s the 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque.  And that’s standard on LS, LT, Z71, RST, and Premier trims.

Then, standard on High Country is a 6.2L V8.  And it puts out 420-hp with 460 lb-ft of torque.

Finally, there’s the optional Duramax 3.0L inline-six turbo-diesel.   The diesel delivers 277-hp and 460 lb-ft of torque.

And no full-size SUV competitor offers a diesel engine.

Two-wheel and 4-wheel drive are available of course.  And when it’s 2wd.  The action is in the rear.

Fuel Economy

Interestingly the 5.3L is rated to deliver the same fuel economy.  That’s whether you have 2WD or 4WD.

In the city 16 mpg.  On the highway 20 mpg.  And combined 18 mpg.

Towing Capacity

And the 5.3L V8 with 2WD is the configuration to go with.  If you need to tow up to 8,400-pounds.

2021 Chevy Tahoe – Looks That Own The Road And Trail

All-new means everything’s changed.  And those efforts can miss the mark.  But not with the 2021 Tahoe.

The first time I saw it.  I stopped.  Because I wanted to check it out as it drove by.

  2021 Chevy Tahoe Exterior Dimensions:

  • Wheelbase: 120.9
  • Overall
    • Length: 210.7
    • Width: 81.0
    • Height: 75.9
  • Track:
    • Front: 68.5
    • Rear: 75.9

*All inches 

Sleek side-body lines.  And profile and 3/4-views that give the sport-ute a forward-motion look while standing still.

Bold and athletic from every angle.  Most notably the front and read with the Z71 trim.

It’s still unmistakably Chevy’s Tahoe.  But redesigned in all the right places.

Infotainment & Technology

Before 2021 Chevy was doing well with Tahoe.  Keeping the creature comforts and tech up to date.

But now with the all-new Tahoe.  It feels like it all fits together better.

cockpit

Enhanced user-friendliness

The standard 10″ infotainment touchscreen now protrudes from the dash.  Making it easier to keep your eyes on the road.

Plus the center stack is designed so much better.  It’s easier to see and use all the climate controls.  And the infotainment settings.

Available 8" instrument cluster display

Available 8″ instrument cluster display

And an available 8″ instrument cluster display is brilliant.  Because it monitors the vehicle’s surroundings.  Allowing drivers to gauge their actions accordingly.

Also, available is a 15″ head-up display.  Another feature that no competitor offers.

Plus there’s an optional new dual 12.6″ rear-seat LCD displays.  For keeping your passengers occupied.

Driver Assistance Safety Tech

And Chevy continues to deliver with ample assistance features.

 Driver Assistance Tech:

Standard

  • Automatic emergency braking
  • Forward collision alert
  • Front pedestrian braking
  • Following distance indicator
  • Intellibeam – auto high beams

Available

  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Lane keep assist with lane departure warning
  • Lane change alert with blind zone alert
  • Safety alert seat
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
  • Onstar
  • Teen Driver

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Top-3

Because there’s so much that’s great about the all-new Tahoe.  Selecting my Top-3 took some consideration.  But I’ve landed on the following.

And I’ll even go in 1-2-3 order.

  1. Interior – Having the ability to put adults in the 3rd-row is a game-changer.  And I didn’t mention the auto-sliding center console or the colossal moonroof.
  2. Styling – While test driving the Z71 trim I was turning heads.  And getting looks.  It’s still a Chevy Tahoe.  But a very sporty one.
  3. Drive – It’s powerful.  Super-smooth with that longer wheelbase.  And I was able to flip a u-turn effortlessly.

Congratulations to Chevrolet.  Because this all-new Tahoe is impressive.  Highly desirable!