The 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe full-size SUV can get up to 28 mpg highway when equipped with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6, Chevy announced on Thursday.
The turbodiesel gets an EPA-rated 21 mpg city, 28 highway, 24 combined in rear-wheel-drive models. Four-wheel drive drops it to 20/26/22 mpg. Chevy claims it’s best in class fuel economy for full-size SUVs.
Redesigned for 2021 to be larger and roomier on the inside, the nine-seat Tahoe comes with two V-8 engine choices or the same 277-horsepower 3.0-liter turbodiesel first offered in the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The 460 pound-feet of torque helps the turbodiesel Tahoe tow up to 8,200 pounds. All three engines come with a smooth and efficient 10-speed automatic transmission.
The 2020 Ford Expedition gets an EPA-rated 17/23/19 mpg in its most efficient form. The 2020 Nissan Armada gets 15 mpg combined and the archaic 2020 Toyota Sequoia gets 14 mpg combined.
The Tahoe’s 5.3-liter V-8 gas engine has a 16/20/18 mpg rating with rear- or four-wheel drive. That engine makes 335 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque and can tow up to 8,400 pounds.
The 6.2-liter V-8 gas engine has a 15/20/17 mpg rating with rear-wheel drive; four-wheel drive knocks it down 1 mpg across the board. That engine makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft, and can tow up to 8,300 pounds.
In the related but even larger Suburban, the turbodiesel gets 21/27/23 mpg in rear-wheel drive and the same 20/26/22 mpg rating in four-wheel drive as the Tahoe. The turbodiesel Suburban can tow 8,000 pounds.
The turbodiesel is a $ 995 upcharge over the 5.3-liter on LS, LT, RST, and Premier trims. On the top High Country trim it gets a $ 1,500 decrease from the standard 6.2-liter engine. The EPA estimates it would take about five years to recoup the upcharge in fuel savings, but that doesn’t factor in the diesel upcharge at the pump, which varies by region and season.
