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Finally, a Suburban that looks even bigger than before! Just in case you thought gigantism is no longer an effective marketing tool.
Photo courtesy of General Motors Corporation
The Suburban takes to the HD hardware and sheet metal, but the real substance here is under the hood with the new 4.5-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8.
Photo courtesy of General Motors Corporation

Chevrolet Suburban HD Z71 Concept

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What is it?
Chevrolet Suburban HD Z71

What's special about it?
Chevy calls the Suburban HD Z71 the culmination of a "what-if exercise" that melds the popular Suburban with the popular Z71 off-road package — a combination not currently offered by the factory — and partners it with a new fuel-saving diesel engine. "What if"?! How about, "Why not?!"

Most of what makes up the appearance package of the four-wheel-drive HD Z71 comes right from the factory. The front-end sheet metal and trim is, for instance, a direct lift from Chevy's HD pickups, while the rear fender flares are custom panels that mimic the flares on the HD pickups. The 20-inch wheels, roof rack and race-style fuel-filler door are all prototype parts, but the chrome hood louvers and the close-out panel for the trailer hitch are already in Chevy's accessory catalog.

The big news, however, is under the hood, where GM's new 4.5-liter Duramax V8 intercooled turbodiesel makes its first public appearance in a vehicle. The aluminum DOHC cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder feature integrated exhaust manifolds, which in turn spin the turbocharger nestled in the valley between the cylinder banks. This makes for an exceptionally compact engine that will fit in the engine bay of trucks much smaller than the Suburban.

GM has already announced that the 4.5-liter Duramax will deliver at least 310 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque and also meet forthcoming low-emissions standards for diesels once it enters production for 2009. Developed in-house by GM, it will be produced at the company's plant in Tonawanda, New York, and will be available in all 50 states.

The immense promise of this new Duramax will surely make it instantly popular when it goes on sale in the 2009 Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and Hummer H2 SUV. How long will Chevy be able to resist turning this "what if" into a reality?

What's Edmunds' take? The Sub wears the HD duds well. But the engine is what's really exciting. — John Pearley Huffman, Contributor