Chevrolet Suburban Generations Through the Years

Chevrolet Suburban Overview

The Chevrolet Suburban is America’s longest-running continuous automotive nameplate. 2025 will mark 90 years of production stretching all the way back to 1935. As you will see below, the Suburban has undergone innumerable changes over the decades as technology has improved and tastes have evolved. In many ways, the Suburban is the godfather of SUVs, its history stretching back to long before Sport Utility was a glimmer in the eye of some automotive marketing exec. The Suburban’s origins were as a rugged people hauler, and moving stuff, equal parts intrepid and capacious. If you needed the whole family to go somewhere, anywhere, the Suburban could take you there.

Throughout the Suburban’s 90 years in production, that mixture of size and capability has never wavered, and given the OG SUV’s continued popularity, we expect to see many more generations of the Suburban to come. Below we chronicle the steady evolutions of the Chevy Suburban, from depot hack to family hauler.

1st Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1935 – 1940)

• The first “carryall suburban,” was a station wagon version of the Chevy Master created in 1933 for use by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Guard as a wood-bodied station wagon built on a truck frame capable of carrying up to eight passengers. Such vehicles originated as “depot hacks,” often used in train depots and shipyards for shuttling passengers and luggage.
• In 1935, Chevrolet released the “Suburban” as a distinct nameplate.
• During the 1930s, many automotive manufacturers offered a “suburban,” a station wagon built on a truck frame, including GMC, Nash, Studebaker, and many others.
• The Suburban’s 207 cu.-in. straight-six engine produced 60 horsepower.
• The Suburban began as a two-door vehicle and would remain so into the early 1970s.
• 1937 saw revisions to the Suburban’s exterior design lending a more streamlined look befitting a consumer vehicle. Also in 1937, Chevy’s GM brand sibling got its own version of the Suburban.
• The Suburban had the option of either a tailgate or panel doors for the rear hatch.

2nd Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1941 – 1946)

• Between 1943 and 1945, domestic consumer vehicle production halted because of World War II. Suburbans were, however, built for the war effort as military transport vehicles.
• The second-generation Chevy Suburban was equipped with a 216-cu. in. straight-six, while the GMC version got a larger 228-cu. in. engine.

3rd Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1947 – 1955)

• In 1947, the Suburban received updated styling that brought a wider stance and grille, a roomier passenger compartment, and modern conveniences like a glove box and AM radio.
• These changes were part of Chevy’s new “Advanced Design” trucks and shared with Chevy’s light- and medium-duty pickups. The Advanced Design-era Suburban, many decades later, served as inspiration for the retro stylings of the Chevy HHR.
• Torque from the 216 cu.-in. Thriftmaster straight-six now reached 174-lb.-ft. at just 1200 rpms.
• In 1950, barn doors became an option for the rear hatch.
• In 1954, Chevy added the Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. The first time the Suburban featured an automatic.

4th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1955 – 1959)

• The fourth-generation Suburban brought significant changes inside and out. The exterior of the Suburban got a major overhaul with a flatter hood, trapezoidal grille, wrap-around windshield, and front fenders that were flush with the body, all part of Chevy’s new “Task Force” design for their lineup of trucks.
• Chevy added a small-block V8 to the Suburban’s engine options. The 265 cu.-in. V8 made 145 horsepower and was replaced by a larger 283 cu.-in. V8 with 155 horsepower for 1957.
• Also in 1957, Chevrolet added four-wheel drive as an option.

5th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1960 – 1966)

• For 1960, the Suburban received another visual makeover featuring more conservative styling that added oval ports over the grille and flattened the hood; again, all part of Chevy’s new C/K Series truck revisions. The Suburban’s wheelbase grew an inch to 115 inches in total.
• This generation saw the addition of an independent front suspension for improved ride quality.
• The adoption of the C/K designation for Chevy vehicles, including the Suburban, denoted 2WD with a “C” and 4WD denoted with a “K.”
• The 1960-61 versions of the Suburban again featured a “wrap-around” windshield.
• In 1962, Chevy cleaned up the frontal styling, eliminating the oval ports but adding dual headlights and trading the curved windshield for a flat one.
• Engine displacements grew throughout the fifth generation with the straight-six going from 230 cu.-in. to 235 cu.-in. and then by 1966 to 250 cu.-in. The 283 cu.-in. and 290 cu.-in. V8s were joined in 1966 by a 327 V8.

6th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1967 – 1972)

• The Suburban, along with all of Chevy’s half-ton trucks, received another big overhaul for the 1967 model year. A new three-door configuration was introduced for the Suburban with one door on the driver’s side and two on the passenger side.
• The Suburban also grew significantly in length, adding a full foot to its wheelbase, from 115 inches to 127 inches.
• Engines included the standard 250 cu.-in. straight-six as well as the 283 and 327 V8s, replaced respectively by a 307 cu.-in. and 350 cu.-in. V8s. A 396 cu.-in. big-block was also offered, replaced in 1970 by an even larger 402 cu.-in. V8.
• In 1970, Chevy offered an eight-track player and stereo radio.
• 1971 saw the addition of front disc brakes for better stopping power.

7th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1973 – 1991)

• In 1973, the Suburban joined the rest of Chevy’s truck lineup in adopting the new “Rounded Line” design, ironically dubbed considering the look was blockier than prior designs.
• The Suburban finally adopted a four-door body design starting with the seventh generation.
• The 1973 Chevy Suburban continued to offer the 250–cu. in. inline-six as the standard engine, with options for the 307- or 350-cu.-in. small-block V8s with an extra stout 454 cu.-in. big-block V8 was also added to the mix.
• The seventh generation featured comfort features like front and rear air conditioning as well as heating for all three rows.
• In 1981, The Suburban lost around 300 lbs. and featured a restyled grille with square headlights. This is what many of us see when we think of old-school Suburbans. Another facelift arrived in 1989 to better align with Chevy pickups that had been restyled a year prior.
• Mid-generation, GM switched from carburetion to fuel injection.
• The engines kept getting bigger as the years went on with the addition of 305- and 400–cu. in. small-block V8s. A 5.7L Oldsmobile diesel was also added in 1978, replaced in 1982 by a 6.2L Detroit Diesel. By 1987, the 350 cu.-in. V8 had become the base engine for the Suburban.

8th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (1992 – 1999)

• The 1992 Chevrolet Suburban featured rounded, modern styling cues and more prominent fenders lending a wider, beefier look.
• The base engine across the lineup was a 5.7L (350ci) V8, but you could go all the way up to the (454ci) 7.4L for the 2500 series. The diesel option grew to a 6.5L turbodiesel.
• Anti-lock brakes were added while the manual transmission was dropped entirely.
• In 1996, GM introduced Vortec engines, improving both power and efficiency for both of the Suburban’s V8s.
• In 1998, the then-current 4WD was supplemented with a new AWD offering.

9th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (2000 – 2006)

• Another generation, another exterior refinement. Lines got more rounded, especially up front around the headlamps and bumper.
• The long-running 350 and 454 V8s were retired in favor of the new LS3 5.3L Vortec V8 and 6.0L Vortec V8 for the 2500 Series.
• An even larger 8.1L Vortec V8 engine was added in 2001 for the 2500 Series.
• In 2003, the Chevrolet Suburban received creature comfort upgrades such as tri-zone climate control, available second-row captain’s chairs, a DVD entertainment system, and XM satellite radio.
• 2004 safety improvements included a new passenger “buckle up” warning as well as new Hydroboost brakes for half-ton models.
• Touchscreen navigation became optional in 2005.
• Sadly, the classic rear barn doors were discontinued late in the ninth generation.

10th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (2007 – 2014)

• The tenth-generation Chevy Suburban arrives for the 2007 model year with a more aerodynamic design, including a sharply raked windshield and more rounded front end.
• Aesthetic changes included the front grill moving away from chrome in favor of body-matching fascia.
• The 5.3L and 6.0L Vortec V8s were carried over from the prior generation, as was the 6.2L Detroit diesel, with the 8.1L being discontinued.
• The 75th Anniversary Edition Suburban was released in February of 2010 with features like blind spot warnings, a heated steering wheel, Bluetooth phone connectivity, heated and cooled seats, a rear-view camera, and rear parking assistance with many of those items making their way to the regular production version throughout the tenth generation and beyond.
• The Suburban 2500 Series was also discontinued during the tenth generation with 2013 as its final model year.

11th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (2015 – 2020)

• The 2015 model year Suburban presented updated styling that included a return to a chrome-heavy grille and a boxier body.
• The eleventh-gen Suburban reduced engine options to just the new 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 engine producing 355 hp and 383 lb. ft. of torque. The GMC Yukon Denali was given the option of a larger 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 making up to 420 horsepower.
• The robust Suburban was rated for up to 8,300 lbs. of towing capacity and offered up to 121.1 cu.-ft. of interior cargo space.
• High-end tech features included Blu-ray and DVD players, a power tailgate, Chevy’s MyLink connectivity, an eight-inch touchscreen, keyless entry, six USB ports, power outlets, wireless phone charging, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

12th Generation Chevrolet Suburban (2021-Present)

• For its twelfth generation, the Suburban arrived for the 2021 model year with minor cosmetic updates that included a new grille design and revised headlights.
• A new independent rear multilink suspension improved rear seat ride quality, replacing the more traditional live axle and leaf springs of prior generations.
• The Suburban continued to grow in size, gaining just over four inches to its wheelbase to 134.1 inches and two inches in overall length to 225.7 inches.
• Modern tech and convenience features included a new push-button gear selector, optional Air Ride Active suspension, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen (later upgraded to a 12.3-inch touchscreen).
• A 3.0L inline-six Duramax turbodiesel, good for 277 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, was added to the list of available engines while the basic 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 returned and a larger 6.2L version replaced the 6.0L V8. Borrowed from the Camaro, the 6.2L V8 makes 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque.
• For more on the current twelfth-generation Chevrolet Suburban check out our review, here.

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