General Motors has a new full-size SUV on the way. The first customer to test one says it “had good acceleration, handled better in the turns, and the heavy-duty anti-lock braking system was far superior” to his prior vehicle – one modified heavily with aftermarket parts. “You could really feel the stability and performance in the redesigned chassis,” he said.
He didn’t take an AK-47 to it. But it’s built to handle that, too.
The customer? Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gentry Smith, testing the SUV on behalf of the U.S. State Department.
The vehicle? A 2023 Chevrolet Suburban if you don’t look too closely. But Clark Kent is just a journalist if you don’t look too closely. This is not a regular Suburban, and Clark’s not just on the city desk.
Designed From the Ground Up for Duty
The State Department has taken delivery of a first-of-its-kind Chevrolet Heavy-Duty armored Sports Utility Vehicle (HD SUV).
It takes the place of the armored Suburban models used to transport State Department personnel worldwide.
Until recently, the State Department says, it had “fulfilled its Suburban armored vehicle requirement through small third party up-armoring vendors.” That involved purchasing commercially-available Suburbans, “disassembling a new vehicle, welding in armored panels, installing ballistic glass, and then reassembling the vehicle. These heavily modified vehicles never performed the same as an original model.”
The department says they were less maneuverable than standard commercial vehicles, and “systems that were designed for standard vehicles did not wear well with the additional weight in the harsh austere environments where U.S. diplomats serve.”
This time, State has worked with GM Defense to design a heavy-duty armored vehicle from the ground up.
It looks much like a traditional Suburban, though heavier window trim hints at the thick ballistic glass it conceals.
The exceptional SUV costs more than the Suburban you can buy on a Chevy dealer’s lot today. That one starts at $57,200 and climbs into the mid-$80,000-range fully equipped.
We don’t know how many GM will sell. Other federal agencies can buy the armored SUVs through the State Department’s contract, according to GM Defense.
Neither the State Department nor GM Defense has issued specifications for the trucks, though a photo of Smith examining the engine bay may show the 6.2-liter V8 found in the most potent versions of the Suburban you can buy from Chevy dealers today. In that form, it puts out 420 horsepower.
Specs? Shhhhh. But a Sweet Warranty.
The only detail State will give on its new rides is the warranty. The department notes, “Long-term value is expected through a five-year-50,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty and extended vehicle lifespan.” That’s a significant step up from “the current two-year 2,000-mile warranty typical of the multi-stage aftermarket armoring process.”
