Rumblings that the next-gen Chevrolet Suburban would ditch the solid rear axle for an independent rear suspension began percolating last year when spy photos showed prototypes wearing the new setup on various occasions. And now, new spy photos further confirm beyond any doubt the 2020 Suburban independent rear suspension rumors. Notably, an independent rear suspension is expected to deliver various benefits for the driver and passengers of the 2020 Suburban.
A convoy of GM SUV prototypes undergoing testing in March 2019 clearly shows an independent rear suspension setup. 2020 GMC Yukon (close) and 2020 Chevrolet Suburban (far).
The current Suburban, introduced for the 2015 model year, utilizes a solid axle with five-link location and coil springs. Solid rear axles are common in pickups and SUVs that ride on body-on-frame truck platforms. The configuration is relatively simple to design and is significantly less expensive to implement for automakers compared to an independent rear axle, but comes at the expense of comfort levels.
That’s because a vehicle with a solid rear axle shows greater levels of body disturbance when one of the two rear wheels comes into contact with an imperfection on the road, such as a pothole. Even so, a solid rear is vastly beneficial in racing and intensive work-load applications, as it helps keep both wheels in full contact with the ground, especially on flat and even roads. But what makes the suspension technology great for work doesn’t translate to high levels of comfort, especially on imperfect road surfaces.
Enter the independent rear suspension, which helps keep both tires firmly on the road, especially over uneven surfaces like pothole-ridden roads. It also allows for camber adjustments, something that’s not possible with a solid rear axle. The result is far greater passenger comfort and a better handling experience for the driver when compared to a solid rear axle.
That said, the 2020 Suburban independent rear suspension will likely come at a price due to its complexity. For the Suburban, the cost is easily hidden in a large, expensive and – more importantly – highly profitable SUV. And that makes us wonder whether GM will absorb the cost of the new independent suspenders, or pass it on to the consumer by raising prices of its all-new SUVs.
Expect to see the 2020 Suburban make its global debut in the first half of the 2019 calendar year, and go on sale later this year as a 2020 model. An all-new 2020 Chevy Tahoe will continue as a shorter variant of the Suburban. The same architecture, known as the T1 platform, will also derive the 2020 GMC Yukon and 2020 Cadillac Escalade.
Comments
We’ll have to wait and see if putting an independent rear suspension on the Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade will be worth it in the long haul, but it looks promising. Very excited to see them unveiled very soon.
As the majority of owners NEVER pull anything this is long over due! Thank goodness the competition drove GM to do this…
Plenty of Suburban owners use their SUV for towing, perhaps over 50% of Suburban and Tahoe owners I believe. If I purchase a Suburban as a frequent tow and family vehicle, the IRS will certainly help improve towing and hauling abilities.
Now only if Machete Mary Barra could be *independent* of GM life would be wonderful and GM might stand a chance.
Yes, yes, yes!
The day can’t come soon enough.
Looking forward to seeing more on this. Hopefully this improves 3rd row seating and storage for both the short and long wheelbase models at a competitive price. Tahoes have needed stability improvements while trailering for awhile now and an IRS has got to help.
The only reason GM is doing this is for rear seat room. The ride and handling are a benefit , however IRS is inherently horrible when it comes to towing. I hope GM finds someway to keep the towing prowess of the Suburban and its siblings.
We can get a truly lower flat floor.
Woooww i was waiting for this a long time Ford and everyone else had it ??????
Will I be able to convert my solid axle to independent ????I wish
I know that GM has become the follower rather than the leader,but 20 years. That seem like an awful long time to catch up with the competition in just on area. ,
but will they have a pano roof like the competition or remain well behind the times
the new Silverado is cheaper to produce due to material choices, new parts and a innovative new frame. The new suburban should get the same new savings in steel choices and material cuts to offset the cost of an independent new suspension.
I cannot understand why the manufactures still use body covering for their test vehicles. Ford now seems to use a rap that tries to make your eyes cross. The manufacture’s perhaps want to make it so obvious to feed the hype to come. Nowadays wraps can be anything you want to print. Why don’t they just print and wrap a picture of the current model or make it look like an F150 on a future SIlverado with new sheet metal. Many may not even notice. I don’t think the auto media would want it for not getting the first picture.
The IRS is long overdue. Hopefully they will stretch the wheelbase, especially on the standard size models. And get rid of the 5.3-liter engine because it can no longer compete against the Ford or Lincoln. The 6.2-liter engine makes more sense in the new trucks. And all the active safety features needs to be standard across the board, not limited to the highest priced trim levels in the lineup. Hopefully the RST models will have the LT4 engine.