As GM Authority recently covered, GM Defense has been awarded a $36 million contract from the U.S. Department of State to validate and develop a new heavy-duty Suburban model. However, the new GM Defense HD Suburban is not a Chevy.
In an interview with GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft, GM Defense spokesperson Angela Ambrose explained that the official name of the vehicle is GM Defense HD Suburban. The model was the response from GM Defense to the U.S. Department of State’s “Large Support Utility Commercial Vehicles (SUV)” program.
Moreover, despite carrying the Suburban nameplate, which has been a Chevrolet since 1935, the GM Defense HD Suburban is not a Chevrolet-branded vehicle. This distinction is important, as the new GM Defense HD Suburban will not be commercially available. Instead, it is a purpose-built, heavy duty vehicle developed for the U.S. Department of State to support the needs of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
Ambrose also tells us that it’s currently unclear whether the new GM Defense HD Suburban will have a Chevy logo on the nose. In fact, GM Defense models have equipped a GM Defense logo rather than a Chevy logo.
For instance, the GM Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), which is derived from the Chevy Colorado ZR2 pickup truck and utilizes numerous off-the-shelf Colorado ZR2 components, but comes with a GM Defense logo on the steering wheel, rather than a Chevy Bow Tie.
Despite being based around the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, the GMD ISV wears a GM Defense logo on the steering wheel instead of a Chevrolet badge
In the near-term future, GM Defense will work with the U.S. Department of State to determine exactly what is needed for the GM Defense HD Suburban, including logos. The new contract stipulates the construction of 10 purpose-built GM Defense HD Suburban models over the next two years for $36 million. The vehicles will include a variety of commercial-off-the-shelf components, including a Suburban exterior, body, propulsion system, interior, and brakes. However, the new models will also include a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension setup that is designed to perform with higher payload capacities and ground vehicle weight, per the needs of the U.S. Department of State.
Following the initial development stage, The General expects a production contract for 200 GM Defense HD Suburban models annually for nine years.
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Comments
Would be great to see those chassis components trickle in to the consumer market, it wont be long before we see accessory GM Defense badging pop up on the market for the patriotic personalizers.
After spending all that money I hate to be the one to tell them it’s still a Chevrolet
Why would you want to see the chassis components trickle in to the consumer market? What is it you think you would need?
The current platform serves the consumer market well including towing a boat. Very few people modify Suburbans and parts can be found in the aftermarket if needed.
What was he thinking, Joe schmo Off Road with his plasma table and steel squirt gun’s products will be superior to anything gm throws millions at.
It’s called the pigmobile
Pig mobile is the Secret Service code name for Donald Trump’s Golf cart.
Now a word from our village idiot
Oh, you’re so funny. HA Ha Ha. You can almost hear the laughing. And the current commander-in-chief is as sharp as a Ginsu knife and extremely competent. Right? Just one of the best huh? Absolutely! Waiting with bated breath.
A word from our village idiot? Are you talking about the Joe Biden press conference today?
You didn’t hear? They are naming all vehicles Biden rides in for now on pigone they decided that today after it was confirmed the drone strike he did in Afghanistan in August killed 7 afghan children and numerous other civilians even though he lied and said it killed isis k fighters.
Admitting a mistake was made is a liberal thing.
Admitting a mistake was made because you have no choice because the intel came out and you could no longer keep your lie up definitely sounds like a liberal thing. But hey at least it made some people feel good for what 2 weeks tops about killing the big bad terrorists. That is the people who don’t pay attention to the fact the reports came out about killed civilians less then 1 hour after the drone attack which the current administration denied and then stated publicly no it was isis k lol. Also who will be held accountable for this tragic “mistake” anyone or is oh we got it wrong good enough?
Yup a Conservative will stick with the script not matter how much evidence there is of the mistake: see DeSantis, Abbot et al. Totally agree!
Lol you mean governors who want it to be a person choice on if they should get a vaccine or not? By all means I get it you want everyone to do as they are told just like you do.
What evidence is that? Let’s hear it what evidence is out there you are referring to?
It’s still a Chevrolet Suburban. And put the Bow Tie on the front..front and center…..
they should put the 6.6 duramax in it
It will be dumb not to badge the thing out like a production Suburban since they’ll show up in news shots of VIP and presidential events and that’s all free advertising.
Shouldn’t the article say “gm DEFENSE” rather than “GM Defense” as that’s the way it’s presented by the automaker themselves on their signage and their steering wheel. I think we need to respect their decision to transisition.
You don’t usually type the name of a company the way it’s stylized in it’s logo.
So if I remove the badges from my Silverado, it’s not a Chevy anymore?
No. If you slap on GMC or Cadillac body panels and badging, it’s still a Chevy.
The currently available consume Suburban is based on the Silverado 1500, with independent suspension, is it not? So a tougher Suburban will be based on the 2500 or maybe 3500. There should be aftermarket components available to turn a Chevy Suburban into one of these, without bullet proof features. It could be they may not want to call it a Chevrolet because the mileage is likely to be terrible – the priorities are strength, reliability, security, performance – and that doesn’t conform to Chevy marketing about what it is doing to fight climate change.
Looking at a video of a ’57’ chevy Bel Air i noticed it didn’t have a bowtie but a wide ‘V’ and I thought chevy should switch to that as its not as cheesy as the bowtie which I think is a turn off.
Look at the crest in the grille bar. You’ll find a bowtie in it.
Does it really matter as most people will never see or notice a lack of a Chevy badge and still think Suburban or Tahoe anyways.
You know GMC called the Yukon XL Suburban so the name has been on something other than a Chevy before so what’s the big deal. And Chevrolet is what, 80% of GM’s (oh, excuse me, gm’s) sales so every gm vehicle is a Chevrolet DNA anyway just dressed out a little different.
Why not a GM Suburban? Dang, there I go again, gm Suburban.
Yes, and both Dodge and Plymouth put the name on station wagons.
All those NASCAR cars shouldn’t be called Camaro, Mustang and Supras. They have less in common with their namesake than this Suburban
If [GM Defense] Builds that RIG: they’d BETTER Remove [ALL] the Chevrolet Suburban lines & “RE-DESIGN THE BODY to create their own body-lines”! Otherwise their blackmailing the Suburban model name plate, what it represents.
Why leave the Suburban name in vehicle? Leave all emblems off.
Put a bowtie in the glovebox. Right beside the RPO sticker for replacement parts.
Such caught up in names, it’s like Ford naming their police vehicles “PI” “Interceptor Utility” and “Responder Hybrid” despite being a Taurus, Explorer and Fusion.
We’ll know it’s a Tahoe/Suburban by looking at it but would probably have “GM Defense” where the Chevy emblems would be.
They’re sounding like the Ford fleet guys, who get all bent up when someone calls their vehicles “Explorers” and not “Interceptors”. Despite being an Explorer with some options and a sticker on back…
Anyway if someone’s gonna spend $36 million of MY taxpayer money on a limited run of custom Suburbans, at least spend it on something functional. And not on branding for a vehicle that won’t need it!
That’s 36 million for 10 copies @ 3.6 million a piece. Then 200 vehicles a year for nine years 1800 vehicles in total.
I wonder what the per vehicle charge will be after development.
The name of this lower case GM vehicle is being left in abeyance to give the Taliban some
time to come up with a name that they like since, sooner or later, Biden will be turning them
over to them.
The name of this defense vehicle with the sissy lower case identification is left in abeyance so the
Taliban has time to come up with their name for it.
No doubt, given enough time, Biden and his keystone cops will eventually lose control of them
and the Taliban will probably acquire them to go with the rest of their American fleet.
So far I see 35 comments have been made, Take out the comments and crying about the Office of President of the USA and it brings the number down. Then from the comments that are left I wonder how many of you actually own a Suburban. I do. It is a shame some people will always bring politics into every discussion.