http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...302159908/1156



CHICAGO -- General Motors Co. is developing a next-generation Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. They and other full-sized SUVs will be on the road in about three years.

Just last summer, the future of those vehicles -- GM's big moneymakers when gasoline prices were low -- was in doubt. The automaker put development of those vehicles on hold as it dealt with Chapter 11 bankruptcy issues, the recession and potential buyers worried by unstable gasoline prices.

The models will continue to be on GM's rear-wheel-drive, full-sized truck platform rather than the Lambda large crossover platform, which GM reportedly had considered.

"The SUVs are aimed at people who need more than two rows, and they need capability," said Rick Spina, GM's global vehicle line executive for full-sized trucks. "They are very fond of their SUVs, and we will continue to serve them."

Sales of GM's full-sized SUVs have tumbled. The automaker sold 184,000 full-sized SUVs in the United States last year, down 25 percent from 2008. But a few years earlier, sales were much higher: In 2006, GM sold 410,778 full-sized SUVs.

"Sales are picking up, plus there aren't too many players in the game," said Spina, who was interviewed last week at the Chicago Auto Show.

GM exported 40,000 large SUVs last year, giving it another reason to develop the next generation.

"That is big export dollars and pretty good business," Spina said.

He said each GM brand that has a full-sized SUV -- Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC -- will get next-generation vehicles.

 

I think this was a good move. IMO, a Lambda-based Escalade would have been too similar to SRX.

 

Agreed. I definitely think the Escalade market would much prefer a big BOF truck. And if the market is still there for a traditional Suburban it seems like a no-brainer.

 

Very glad to hear this.

 

I think most of them couldn't care less about how it's constructed. Some of them care about towing, and in that case BOF is the simple means to that end, but seriously -- if you have the option between two vehicles of the same size and luxury, that offer the same power, same hauling/towing capacity, same everything, but one is BOF and one is unibody, do you care? Even if you do, most people don't. Most people have no idea that a difference even exists, let alone what that difference might be or what the pros and cons are.

 

Well for one, I don't believe Lambda is currently engineered to accept a V8. Even if it was theoretically revamped to take a 6.2, there is something about the look and feel of a truck-based SUV as opposed to a car-based vehicle like the Traverse/Enclave. As was mentioned before, the Escalade would feel less like a truck and more like a large sport wagon in the SRX mold.

As soon as it was determined that there was still a market for a traditional Suburban, Escalade had its direction determined.

 

Okay, but that's more specific than what I was saying. As far as I know, there's no reason a unibody vehicle couldn't look just like the Escalade, and the there's no reason a BOF vehicle couldn't look just like the Lambda cars either.

Any differences in the way the vehicles feel are surely due to suspension tuning and the live rear axle, not to the BOF vs. unibody distinction.

 

I'm not sure you could get the tall truck 4x4 look of the GMT-900 in a Lambda vehicle, though I could be wrong. I guess that's what I'm getting at - part of Escalade's "bling" factor comes from the 4x4 truck look and capability.

 

Lambda was designed to accept a V8. I have no idea if the Lambda derived Escalade would have had one or not.

Lambda is a pretty heavy architecture, and I'd doubt that a Cadillac version would have done anything other than gain weight. Maybe when all was said and done, a truck based Escalade with a Gen V smallblock, delivered comparable FE numbers as a heavier (than now), Lambda with an overburdened V6.

 

I remember reading in here about a non-intercooled, supercharged 6.2L called the LS8 that was destined for the Escalade. That would likely put out around 500ft-lbs of torque. VERY FEW unibody vehicles have been designed to handle that kind of output in a vehicle that would likely weigh well over 2 tons. Maybe the V12 Mercedes cars and the GT500.

 

Over 2 tons? The big full size, BOF utes are knocking on the door of 3 tons!

 

Knocking at the door? pffttt... a 4wd 3/4 Suburban comes in at 6300lbs...

 

I think this is a good move. Escalade customers don't care about BOF. RWD and a big V8 are more important.

 

The GMT900 trucks are really awesome vehicles..and I really don't think Lambda gets that much better gas milage. Glad to see they will have a new generation.

 

Between the two of us, you're the only one that's talking about Lambda. I'm talking about unibody construction, regardless of specific platform.