When Chevrolet unveiled the facelifted Tahoe a year ago, the fullsize SUV got the usual engines: a pair of gas V-8s and the inline-six diesel. However, the version for the Chinese market downsizes further to a four-pot. The stately family hauler is sold there with General Motors’ small 2.7-liter Turbomax powertrain found in America in smaller GM products.
In Chinese application, the four-cylinder engine pumps out 299 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Compared to the naturally aspirated 5.3-liter V-8 sold in the US, it’s down by 36 hp and 14 lb-ft. The even bigger 6.2-liter V-8 packs 121 hp and 91 lb-ft over the four-cylinder unit. At the same time, the 3.0-liter Duramax has six extra ponies and 126 lb-ft compared to the 2.7-liter gas engine. Chevrolet sells the Tahoe in China exclusively with a 10-speed automatic transmission, helping the behemoth deliver “swift, efficient and reliable performance.”
Marketing fluff aside, having a relatively small engine in such a huge and heavy vehicle would have us worried about long-term reliability. More so when towing. However, GM doesn’t think that’ll be a problem for Chinese buyers where the Turbomax is the only powertrain available for the 2025 Tahoe. We’d also be curious to know how fuel-efficient this four-cylinder engine is given the SUV’s mighty heft.
Math starts at RMB 650,000 or just under $90,000 at current exchange rates. It’s a lot of money considering the cheapest Tahoe in the US starts at $60,495. To be fair, the Chinese version is 4WD-only, a $3,000 option in America on the base LS trim level. The four-cylinder monster also has adaptive air suspension, which you can’t even get on the entry-level Tahoe in the US.
The Tahoe is sold through The Durant Guild, GM’s “premium import and lifestyle platform” announced a couple of years ago. The Corvette, Celestiq, Hummer EV pickup truck/SUV, and the Yukon are also available via the dedicated platform for the Chinese market. The Durant Guild opened its first showroom this past summer in Shanghai, with more to follow in big cities across the country by the end of the year.
21