2024 Chevrolet Suburban Diesel SUV Review

• The seven-seat 2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country 4WD can be optioned with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six, offering more impressive fuel economy than the standard gasoline V8.
• In the High Country trim, the Suburban can easily compete in price with the base Cadillac Escalade from the same platform.
• A few options looked at, including Super Cruise, the diesel Suburban is capable of eating up hundreds of highway miles at one speed, while also towing a large object weighing up to 7,800 pounds.

A diesel engine under the hood of one of the train-shaped pickup trucks that have become the standard family hauler for the past decade is a reasonable option these days. But a diesel under the hood of a spacious and luxurious family SUV is a little hard to find, especially since SUVs of this type and price are already electrified.

The Chevy Suburban has been a part of our landscape long enough for it to need little introduction—at least its main idea. But the latest iteration of Chevy’s trailer lounge exists in an era of smaller passenger cruisers beneath it—and six-figure luxury yachts priced above it.

And the current Suburban’s dimensions are still surprising for something one would see used as a daily driver, making it look like an artifact from the late 1990s when landboat ownership was given status in the suburbs.

This makes the diesel High Country seem like an outlier in the era of fast SUV electric systems. But as we have discovered after staying for a week, there is still a place for it in the American environment.

The current model, which entered its twelfth generation in 2020, did not seek to recreate the Suburban formula that has remained stable throughout oil crises, Watergates, more oil crises, a Star Wars or three, two more Gulf wars, more . Star Wars, and several waves of Pokemon craze.

Borrowing a platform from Chevy’s truck lineup, the base Suburban offers seating for up to nine passengers depending on the seating arrangement you choose, plus enough rear cargo room to serve as a hotel shuttle.

In terms of road presence, the Suburban is pretty close to most SUVs you can buy from General Motors if you don’t want the look of driving an Escalade, with all its pilot-blinding chrome accents above.

It also makes you look like a Secret Service agent, especially if you choose one in the Midnight Blue Metallic color.

While the base Suburban starting at $61,195 has a 5.3-liter V8 as standard, sending power to the rear wheels only, the four-wheel-drive model in the top High Country trim is paired with a 6.2-liter gasoline V8. , with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque on tap.

But the Suburban can too will be optioned with the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline six-cylinder, offering a $1,500 discount over the 6.2-liter V8. With 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, this is also a version that will deliver 26 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg in the city for 22 mpg combined, at least according to EPA figures. These are more reasonable numbers than you’ll see in a V8.

But is this the version to get if you’re buying a Suburban or, as the rental car agencies say, “Suburban or OK?”

That’s what we tried to find out by spending a week in the diesel-flavored High Country.

First things first: This engine is purposeful, rewarding inputs with paralyzing slowness. The intense flow of sound calls for a gentle, unhurried driving style, and with nearly 19 feet of Suburban fuselage behind us this is one of those cars that requires clever maneuvering in traffic, and not just because there might be a small car of funny and hides a regular car in front of you at a stop light that you might not see. “Is that a DKW Junior Deluxe?”

The Duramax diesel does not feel powerful enough, so high highways can be taken without flooring the floor, although this engine pulls the car a little. On the highway is where the diesel Suburban feels at home, eating miles without the fuel gauge moving even a millimeter.

With a long wheelbase and four-wheel-drive chassis, the ‘burban settles into the top gear of its 10-speed transmission and cruises quietly while the diesel hum continues to be easily heard. But it’s not uncomfortable, and the interior is insulated enough for a quiet ride with more than 600 miles between fill-ups.

The 4WD system makes the steering feel light and a little numb, compared to the RWD model, so the suspension feels a little stiff, but it’s well within the comfort zone. Just like a big truck, the Suburban feels more relaxed when towing or hauling something rather than cruising empty, so you’ll need a passenger or boat for full use. And really, if you’re looking at one of these, you’ll probably be pulling something with a Suburban.

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The 10.2-inch touchscreen is standard and smaller than the rest of the luxury interior that’s still tucked away in the more professional Escalade.

So the case for diesel Suburban ownership probably starts with the fact that you himself something that needs to haul hundreds of miles frequently, and you also need to bring the crew and all their cargo on these trips.

The High Country is perfect for this task, offering two seats in the middle row that easily slide and slide forward to allow ingress and egress from the third row. Second-row passengers have a 12.6-inch screen to keep them from kvetching on long trips, and they’re also separated by an aisle that’s wide enough to allow access to the rear seats.

Yes, it’s the width of a Suburban, but unfortunately it doesn’t come with a flight attendant and a recreational vehicle.

For the pilot and front pilot, the Suburban offers a modern and simple infotainment screen, with many visible buttons including the transmission controlled via switch-style buttons mounted on the top, right side of the instrument cluster.

It’s an unobtrusive system and works with a satisfying click, making us thankful that GM hasn’t gone the route of multiple rotary knobs or one-of-a-kind robot systems.

Speaking of robotics, GM’s Super Cruise is perhaps the most sophisticated Level 2 system on the market today, allowing for hands-free driving and automatic lane changes.

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A true third row allows the Suburban to carry seven over long distances, if selected with this seating configuration, but the total can go up to nine on the base model with a front bench seat.

The Urban High Country we drove was optioned up to an impressive $92,750 that carried nearly $10,000 in options that included Super Cruise as part of the Advanced Technology Package, along with $1,745 folding boards and Enhanced Automatic Park Assist for $1,995. While this overall price is no longer surprising in the world of SUVs of this size, it’s worth noting that the base Suburban still starts at a cool $61,195.

So we are definitely in Escalade territory as we walk through the High Country. If you find yourself seriously looking at this trim, chances are you can afford an Escalade just as well, although you probably don’t want the level of bling.

And with an interior that’s upscale but not quite the professional level of a Cadillac in the GM SUV Fashion World, the Suburban still manages to deliver many of the toys you’ll find in an Escalade, along with a more standard interior.

Will there still be demand for diesel passenger cars in a few years? or is this one of the last shows of such a formula? Give us your feedback in the comments below.

Jay Ramey grew up around the incredible European cars, and instead of looking for something reliable and comfortable for his personal use he has been drawn to the more interesting side of the reliability spectrum. Despite being obsessed with French cars for the past decade, he has somehow managed to avoid owning a Citroën, judging them too ordinary, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.