General Motors unveiled the 2023 Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition at the 2022 North American International Auto Show earlier this month. The full-size SUV with sporting intentions cradles the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine. Attached to that V8 Small Block are a performance cold air intake and cat-back exhaust. The setup ended up being rated at 433 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque, gains of 13 horsepower and 7 pound-feet of torque for some extra pep. That L87 is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it’s no supercharged LT4.
GM considered dropping the supercharged 6.2L V8 LT4 powerhouse into the engine bay of the Chevy Tahoe, but the automaker ultimately abandoned the idea, sources familiar with the matter told GM Authority.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe RST Performance Edition
The Tahoe’s corporate cousin and platform mate, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V, does offer the supercharged eight-cylinder LT4, however. Under the hood of the ‘lade, LT4 is rated at a whopping 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque. Interested customers can expect to shell out at least $149,990 for the high-performance luxury SUV, making it the vehicle with the highest starting price in GM’s current vehicle portfolio.
With that in mind, it’s entirely possible that a high price played a major role in GM’s decision to not offer the LT4 in the Tahoe. Including the supercharged engine, along with the slightly modified exterior and slightly upgraded chassis, could very well have driven the price that potential product, let’s call it the Tahoe SS for now, to over $100,000 starting. At that price point, interested buyers would probably end up turning to the Escalade-V instead. For just $50,000 more in the six figure range, why not opt for a Caddy instead of Chevy?
Supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 engine in the Cadillac Escalade-V
Instead, GM decided to trot out the Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition package, which is quite a bit more affordable than the Escalade-V or a hypothetical Tahoe SS. Specifically, the 2023 Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition package adds $8,525 to the price of the “regular” Tahoe RST with four-wheel-drive, meaning this variant costs between $75,000 and $80,000. Production of the Tahoe RST Performance Edition will kick off in the fourth quarter of 2022 at the GM Arlington plant in Texas.
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Comments
Doesn’t GM realize we are in a Recession? Who in their right mind, can afford all this new Tech? GM needs to bring the prices down on the whole Truck line. There is no way in Hell, any of these should cost what they do. Were keeping our 2012 Tahoe LTZ, till it falls into the ground. Just keep it maintained and safe. We can’t justify spending more for a SUV, than our home cost.
My biggest complaint about the current gen BOF SUV’s is their price. Couldn’t we get a 3 bench stripped down model with the 2.7 turbo for Under 40K????
yeah, its called a Traverse Steve :p
Your comment defines what can be called a ‘technical’ recession. However, with the unemployment low, companies still making profits, etc.; a recession has not been called by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The NBER defines recessions as significant declines in economic activity that last from a few months to more than one year. They don’t only look at GDP, but also gross domestic income (GDI) along with 4 other factors. Now, with the Fed raising rates another 75 basis points again along with the other increases due this year we may really get into a recession. And what scared the stock markets is that our Fed raised rates 75 basis points, but central banks across the world raised rates by a total of 700 basis points this past week. Basically, most developed countries are worse off than the US as far as inflation goes.
OK, you can sugar coat it all you want to but we are officially, no matter what theDemocRATS and their buddies in the Media want to admit, in a “recession” whether it is technical or not it is here. Period.
Unemployment stats ? Puleeeze ! That is the most falsified statistic of all time that both sides utilize to their advantage since it never, ever counts those whose unemployment benefits have expired and are still unemployed. GDI is still another easily faked stat that only tracks pay and only in certain areas of employment…..it is possibly even worse than unemployment stats.
Do you recite this technical jargon as you’re paying 30-60% more for your groceries at your local Publix?
How about when you’re paying you bills?
How about when you’re paying other people’s school loans?
If you have an issue on school loans getting paid, I’m sure you have the same anger back in Spring 2020 when the feds paid $4 Trillion to the great folks over in Wall Street/ Corporations. You know… the ones that decide and sets the prices that you, and all are complaining about today.
Students agreed to the terms of the loans with their signatures, just like everyone else does when they apply for loans…no need for a lookey-over-there-ism. There’s certainly a lot of wrong that has been done in government, and this student loan stunt is a biggie.
Additionally, universities have billions in savings and endowments. If they want students to apply at, and graduate from, their colleges, maybe they should dip into their extraordinary amounts of money to pay those loans out of compassion.
Why it falls onto the average taxpayer makes absolutely no sense……unless, of course, it buys a few votes.
Maybe I can get Joe to pay off the loan on my cabin property, no? It’s a loan, and it’s a burden on me…
You do know that a recession needs to happen in order to control the price gauging that we are dealing this year? Let the market take care of it, no?
Contrary to your belief, the market is red hot because people are buying with low interest rate credit, not in cash, so it facilitates a sale. CEOs knows there is money to be made because as long as people keep buying, prices will remain high.
Sorry, nothing GM makes is worth over $100k, not even the C8 Corvette. And these planned EVs are worth even less.
The rich and wealthy are the ones who pay the ridiculous prices. I’m good with my 21 RST Hoe. Once warranty expires I’ll throw a supercharger on it for far less.
Same Ol’ Game Being Played While Consumers Are Dealing With Constraint Here…Constraint There…Orders Failing To Be Built…Built Without This …Built Without That….Parts Not Being Supplied… Not Enough Chips…BUTTTTTT….We Have Everything You Need For A $100,000. Vehicle!!!
And that, Sir, is the classic definition of piss-poor management.
Mary’s leadership has truly been horrendous on so many levels. Feels like this high-end management gig is way above her.
I’m certainly not praising the mess Wagoner and others left behind, but this current leadership team has been awful, no matter how much blind praise the automotive media heaps on them.
I don’t think you are looking at the same results as everyone else. There is no “piss poor management”, GM is profitable compared to the others, they are managing inventory better than the others (have you not seen the amount of Fords stacked up just sitting and waiting?). They give people vehicles and a few of the unimportant options they retro fit later when they are available. It is either that or they sit, so they are doing it right. Money is moving, inventory is moving, they are just held back from the supply chain that others are as well. So not sure where that comment is coming from, I think it is more from a I hate a women running a company and don’t want electric vehicles rather than an actual look at how the company is doing. Maybe read an article first…
Totally agree they can’t build a complete truck now nickel and dime the trucks not give them the options they want give the customers back $25 here $50 there for $80,000 truck what a joke
One more comment to make I bet there’s no parts issues with the electric vehicles You know where their priorities are
GM also kicking out EVs pretty quickly while backorders are large on ICE vehicles. Latest email from GM is the there are still 596,000 parts backordered for vehicles on the road now.
Total Backorder Lines 596,478
Uncovered Backorder Lines 431,607
Of course it never got the “Green Light”. One the CEO is on a “Green” electric kick, and two, there’s still another shade of gray to be painted until they reach the magic 50.
GM is tight with NA 6.2 let alone the LT4. A NA 6.2 is not that special you should be able to put in anything you want but gm wants to upsell trim levels any way they can.
Unless the SS is over 8500lbs, it is subject to CAFE. It is not over 8500lbs. What is hard to understand here, tossing a <13MPG vehicle into the average pulls it down. The V-slade is going to be hard enough to counterbalance. A mass market SS would kill gm's CAFE. So easy solution is don't make one. And in fact, I'll bet they limit production of the RST with its 16mpg rating. If you really want a SS, get an add on supercharger and then gm's CAFE isn't impacted.
It is much easier to do it at the factory Also much cheaper If they are worried about corporate average fuel economy they should build more malibus
People would have to buy them. Bu’s sitting on lots don’t count. Why do you think the 2.7 is the engine they try to get people to buy in trucks? Another option would be to pay the fine and plan for it. Add another 50K to the price like they did with the slade.
@mkavt if you see a truck on a lot it probably has a 2.7. As far as fuel economy if you puppy it around town you will be ahead, on the hwy., especially at 75 not how they rate them at 48mph you won’t , tow something ask any made of old beer can, hair dryer equipped proud owner.
I agree. I have said this since the original COPO days. If GM makes it to put in ANY of their vehicles, it should available to be put it ANY OTHER vehicle they build. The tech is already there. If Joe Consumer wants to pay for it, they should be able to order it. The CAFE ratings will all work out in the end. it’s all just smoke and mirrors. It really doesn’t matter who is uncharge, the bean counters are thrones who are really in charge. Oh for the “Old Days”.
You do realize it is not just CAFE that is the red tape, any change like that has to go through other regulatory hoops and then it has to be certified as well as crash tested. I read that even changing transmissions that crash testing needed to be done when something changes with in a vehicle. It is nice but the good old days there was way less red tape to go through, you aren’t seeing those again.
once again, gm disappoints. If i wasn’t a fanboy i’d switch to another brand a long time ago
I’m torn on the RSTP. On one hand, it looks the business. The 6.2L sounds great, and I appreciate the suspension being a simple and robust setup, vs some crazy electronic adaptive insanity. I appreciate that for 23 you can get adaptive cruise control, they really should make a bigger deal of that.
I have one big issue with it. Expedition Stealth Performance. It’s a little more money, but weighs less, more hp, a lot.morr torque, and a lot faster. We have a regular Expy Stealth for my wife, and its an awesome vehicle, pretty quick for what it is, handles decently well for its size, etc. The Stealth Performance is a couple hundred dollar tune away from 500 plus hp, and while the 6.2 with a blower has a higher potential of performance, it’s tough argue with escalade v matching Performance out of a tune on the ecoboost.
I was really pulling for a Tahoe SS for my next vehicle in 2 or 3 years to replace my tbss. I think I could stiff justify the RSTP and a Maggie to myself. But it gets harder and harder to with what you can get out of the ecoboost with a tune and maybe downpipe and intake. If you want tongo nuts, you run e85 and make a ton of power.
An LT4 powered Tahoe would have required an LT5 or Blackwing powered Escalade-V to keep the Cadillac on top, cause some of the current Escalade-V customers would have gone with the Tahoe SS instead instead of paying 150k + dealer markup for basically the same truck.
Truth here. They could have used a larger pulley to detune the tahoe ss, but it’d be nearly impossible to sell an escalade v for almost double, even if they had defined it to like 600hp.
Honestly, unless you’re just a baller, it’s tough to justify it over a 6.2 tahoe with maggie.
Also, escalade v already makes blackwing level power. Throttle House has a whole intro joke segment about it.
Yes the LT5 would have been sweet more horsepower than the LT 4 But that motors been discontinued
Yes, but they discontinued the LT5 cause GM wasn’t planning to use it in any other vehicles. The LT5 is the only reason why the GT500 makes 760Hp, to keep an edge over the Camaro if GM ever decided to make an LT5-powered Camaro.
Yes George very true would’ve been nice to see that motor in a Camaro . I was waiting for them to come out with the Tahoe SS that never happened I went with the trailblazer SS that was pretty snotty
GM could easily build a d@mn Tahoe for $75k with a blower. They just don’t want to because “idiots” right now are paying high prices but just wait……the big old recession is coming and these high priced vehicles with ballooned monthly payments will be in default because people can’t afford them anymore.
I am just sitting and waiting and smiling. Then I’ll snag up something when $h!t settles back down. I can patiently wait.
The problem is why can dodge have a srt snd hell at version of every model just about but Chevy just puts a high flow exhaust.. mark it up 15k-20 and call it good
They could have out the lt4 in for less than 100k. You can buy an lt4 and 10l90 crate package for 25k. That means you could buy an RSTP, buy a lt4 and 10l90, and put it in for under 100k and have an extra 6.2L and 10 speed.
They didn’t do it because it’d cut into 150k escalade v sales. They could have easily sold a 85k loaded out tahoe SS, but then they’d have a very hard time finding people craY enough to pay nearly double for escalade V.
Moot point, because a tvs2650 kit for the RSTP would set you back under 10k and while it may not be a true lt4… it’s probably close enough. Set of longtubes, blower and tune… you’re above escalade v performance.
$100k for a Tahoe ss mine as well go for the $150k esky no big deal LOL wtf! What a comment by GM authority…$50k more no big deal…
I am just not a Caddie – bling kind of guy. I currently drive a Yukon Denali / Callaway and love it. Before I’m forced to go electric I want one more gas truck and if GMC will not offer it I’ll go with another Callaway or other similar. GM need to pick up their game like Dodge has done.
Did you order direct through Callaway? I’ve reached out to a few local dealers (Indiana) and I haven’t been able to find an authorized dealer for the new gen Tahoe & Yukons.
Here is GM’s dirty little secret it cost’s them 10,000 dollars for there Tahoe Yukon’s Escalades they get all profits after that figure.So they are getting away with greed by making us scrape up the coins to buy the trucks. Look at the Camaro they won’t let the car go out with a bang by putting the Vette motor in cause they can’t make a profit at 100,000 which they will charge or more cause they know no average Joe is gonna be able to scrape up the dough for it . GM and the other makes are disgusting with these practicing!
Wow talk about a home run On every unit sold Always wondered how much it cost to build one of those
I wonder if the retooling cost every time a new model comes out is in there too the vendors that supply parts and all of that
“…just $50,000 more…”
Heh. And go try and configure that Escalade V under $160k – and after that use their inventory tool and look at the additional markups in play at Caddy dealers.
I guess with inflation the days of “just $50,000 more” for an engine option are coming soon, but I think 70% of the starting price of a new base Corvette is quite an engine option.