All-new 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe debuts at Dubai Motor Show

The new Tahoe is comprehensively redesigned and delivers a sharper, more precise driving feel, more power with improved, segment-leading fuel economy, increased interior refinement and improved quietness. The new Tahoe takes over the segment in quality and comfort. Tahoe has ranked first in the J.D. Power and associates Initial Quality Survey for five years.

"With dramatically increased attention to detail in smoothness, quietness and refinement, we believe it is simply the best Tahoe yet,"

said Samer El-Khalil, marketing manager of Chevrolet SUV. "The objective was to improve upon the segment-leading qualities of the current Tahoe - off-road capabilities, safety, reliability and fuel efficiency - and raise the bar to new levels of exterior styling, refined interior, superior ride, handling and quietness. The result is a vehicle with segment leadership in all of these attributes."

Contributors to the 2007 Tahoe's segment leading capability include:

• Superior ride, off-road capabilities, handling and quietness
• Improved power and efficiency
• Refined interior with thoughtful convenience built in
• Distinctive, sport exterior design
• Enhanced safety and security

Superior ride, off-road capabilities, handling and quietness

The 2007 Tahoe is built on GM's new full-size SUV platform, which incorporates features such as a new, fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and an all-new, premium interior system that bolster the vehicle's comfort, quality and capability. Wider front and rear tracks enhance handling for a more confident road feel.

Extensive attention to detail was paid by Tahoe's engineers to ensure a quiet driving experience. It starts with a new, stiffer frame, which reduces vibrations transmitted to the passenger cabin. The strength and accuracy of the full-boxed frame also enables more precise mounting and tuning of chassis and suspension components, which also helps reduce vibration. Even the tires on the large, 17-inch standard and 20-inch available wheels, were designed to reduce noise.

Noise-reducing components and materials are used throughout the body structure, including the headliner material, door seals and front-of-dash area. The engine also features a quiet-tuned alternator and an acoustically tuned engine cover that dramatically reduces engine noise heard inside the vehicle. New door seals help reduce seal "pull away" at highway speeds, which can cause wind noise. Also, Tahoe's more slippery shape, thanks to improved aerodynamics, streamlined exterior mirrors and roof rack, and tighter body gap tolerances, makes Tahoe quieter as it slices through the air.

Tahoe also features details such as spray-in expanding foam, which helps reduce noise by filling in space to eliminate sound paths. Tahoe's quietness and smoothness are complemented by capabilities full-size SUV customers depend on. The 2007 Tahoe is available with specifically tuned Z71 off-road suspension available on the Off-Road package. The Z71 suspension has carefully selected, thoroughly tested, distinct bushing, spring and material characteristic for increased capability and durability in a variety of road circumstances including desert driving.

The available Z71 Off-Road package (available later in 2006) includes a specifically designed three-piece fascia with a protective, platinum chrome skid plate. It has larger tow hook openings; larger, more prominent fog lamps; and specific grille texture and platinum chrome grille trim. Eighteen-inch wheels and tires also are part of the Off-Road package.

The new Tahoe offers additional 18 mm of ground clearance. The Autotrac electronic transfer case is standard on all 4WD Tahoe.

Efficient and powerful

A new Gen IV small-block Vortec 5.3L V-8 engine is standard in all Tahoe models. It is rated at 320 net horsepower and 470 Nm of torque, an 8 percent horsepower increase compared to the previous 5.3L engine. The 5.3L engine features Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology provide up to seven percent increased fuel efficiency when measured against a comparable non-AFM 5.3L engine. AFM can temporarily shut down the combustion process of half the engine's cylinders under certain driving conditions to save fuel. GM was the first manufacturer to offer this fuel-saving technology on SUV.

A sophisticated engine controller determines when to deactivate cylinders, allowing the engine to maintain vehicle speed in lighter-load conditions such as highway cruising. The process is seamless and virtually imperceptible. When the cylinders are deactivated the engine effectively operates as a V-4. The engine returns to V-8 mode the instant the controller determines the vehicle speed or load requires additional power. The key to AFM's efficiency and virtually imperceptible operation is a set of special two-stage hydraulic valve lifters, which allows the lifters of deactivated cylinders to operate without actuating the valves.

A more steeply raked windshield and smoother roofline improve the aerodynamics of Tahoe, resulting in a best-in-class 0.363 cd, which enhances fuel economy on the highway. Additional contributors to efficiency include a lower, wider front air dam, tighter tolerances and gaps between the fascias, lamps and grille openings, and improved front-end sealing that nearly eliminates air leak paths. These features all contribute to enhanced fuel economy and improved driving quietness, compared with previous models.

Refined interior and thoughtful convenience built in

The '07 Tahoe is available in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. Ttwo-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models are available. All models come well equipped with enhanced safety, comfort and convenience features. New and substantially revised features include:

• Power-release fold-and-tumble second-row seat
• Remote vehicle starting system
• First- and second-row heated seats
• Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
• Rearview camera system
• Touch-screen navigation system
• DVD rear-seat entertainment system with larger, 8-inch screen and enhanced features

Refinements throughout Tahoe's spacious interior create an environment that exudes quality and precision, as well as comfort. A two-tone color scheme is executed with new, softer and low-gloss materials for the instrument panel and other trim pieces. Additional details include LED backlighting for the instruments and chrome accents on instruments and vents. Flush-mounted accessories and controls, such as the climate control/radio center stack create a seamless, "single unit" appearance. Also, there are almost no exposed metal hardware or latches, as all models feature enclosing "close outs" around the seat bottoms and door sill trim plates.

Distinctive, sporty exterior design

The amenities and performance features are wrapped in a stylish new package that conveys the sporty, ready-for-anything reputation of Tahoe. An all-new exterior design is leaner and more agile looking, with large wheels and the wider track enhancing Tahoe's powerful, capable stance. The improved aerodynamics also contributes to the sleek look, with a more steeply raked windshield and smoother roofline accentuating the exterior length.

The body-colored grille surround is inset with an argent texture mesh. Fog lamps and headlamps feature jewel-like optics. The lower fascia, incorporating the front license plate holder and integrated tow hooks, is aggressively styled with a skid plate look that enhances Tahoe's rugged, off-road appearance.

Tahoe's front end reflects its sporty, outdoor character. It includes the fast-rake windshield; a bulging power dome hood; a prominent new fender design, with integrated wheel flares; a distinctive new grille and headlamps; and a full-wrap fascia. The wraparound fascia, which eliminates the conventional bumper-to-body gap, is one of the numerous attributes that gives the Tahoe a more refined look. It also enhances aerodynamics.

Also complementing Tahoe's sporty appearance is a new family of 17-inch and 20-inch wheels. Seventeen-inch wheels and tires are standard, with 20-inch factory-installed wheels available. The larger wheels fill Tahoe's wheel houses, giving the vehicle a confident stance.

Tahoe is offered in nine exterior colors: Greystone Metallic, Dark Blue Metallic, Sport Red Metallic, Bermuda Blue Metallic, Black, Summit White, Gold Mist Metallic, Antique Bronze Metallic and Silver Birch Metallic.

Enhanced safety and security

The 2007 Tahoe has a comprehensive package of standard and available safety features. New features, including roof-mounted head curtain side air bags with rollover protection for all seating rows, complement the stronger chassis and body structures to provide excellent passenger protection.

For further protection, the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with new roll-over mitigation technology is standard on all models.

Crash avoidance also is bolstered through enhanced driver control dynamics, such as wider front and rear tracks, as well as more responsive suspensions - including a new coil-over-strut front suspension design and new rack-and-pinion steering.

Tahoe's additional safety features include:
• Standard dual-stage frontal air bags with GM's passenger sensing system
• Available roof-mounted head curtain side air bags with rollover protection for all seating rows
• Standard front seat safety belt pretensioners (with rear-crash activation)
• Available remote vehicle starting system
• Available power-adjustable pedals
• Tire pressure monitoring system standard on all models
• Standard four-wheel disc brakes with Bosch 8.0 four-channel ABS
• Available 4WD with Autotrac automatic transfer case

Available technology, including Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist and a rear-view camera system, enhance safety at all corners, helping - in addition to the numerous crash and roll-over sensors - to give the Tahoe 360 degrees of protection.

Tahoe's chassis and body structure are designed for improved crash energy management. The front frame section has improved crush dynamics that provide the equivalent of 450 mm of additional crush space, when compared with the previous-generation models - in a vehicle that is only approximately 76.2 mm longer. The frame also is designed for improved vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility in the event of a crash with a smaller vehicle.

The 2007 Tahoe will be built at Arlington Assembly, in Arlington, Texas, and will be available in the second quarter of 2006.