When you are looking for a complete travel solution for your family, the Chevrolet Tahoe certainly fits the bill. It can effortlessly accommodate your family, your pets, all the luggage and still have space to set up a tent with a refrigerator in the boot if you want to. Not only does it offer oodles of space but it is luxurious to the hilt too. So a luxurious, spacious city dweller then, you conclude. And that would be incorrect. And that is where the confusion sets in.
You see the Tahoe comes in the luxurious LTZ variant and the brute, off-roading specialist Z71 trim. So which one should you pick? We spend some quality time with both the trims and put them through the test.
Both the trims are quite similar in looks. The huge grille with the Chevy bowtie nestled between the two stylish headlamps give the Tahoe a strong presence on the roads. The Z71 comes with two tow hooks next to the fog lamps and a skid plate that reveals its penchant for adventure.
On the inside, the LTZ with its brown leather finish exudes luxury while the Z71 comes with a beige-black combination. Both come kitted with convenience features like remote engine starter, a 10-speaker audio system that is controlled by an 8-inch touch-screen infotainment system. Interestingly this touch-screen panel slides up at the touch of a button to reveal a secret compartment that can be used to stash your valuables. Both trims have a whopping 13 charging locations including six USB ports and a 230V three-prong outlet. Your phones, tablets, laptops and even that refrigerator in the tent can be charged comfortably. It’s like a house on wheels. Add to that a flip down blu-ray screen for the rear passengers and you could have trouble getting people out of the Tahoe.
Under the hood both the trims feature the same 5.3-litre V8 that produces 355hp@5600rpm and 518Nm@4100rpm. They come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Features like Variable Valve Timing and Active Fuel Management help increase the fuel efficiency, which is important for an SUV this big. The LTZ has a heavy throttle and is a bit slower to get off the line as compared to Z71.
The off-roader has a much lighter throttle and that helps when you are tackling dunes at Sealine. This is where the Z71 comes into its own. The lighter throttle means that you have all that torque early at your disposal and the dunes do indeed get bashed. The high-strength skid plate and the 24-degree approach angle meant that there was no dune where we had to be worried about the Tahoe nose getting into trouble. The Z71 also comes with a digital Center of Gravity meter that simply shows how much of a soup you are in. But we didn’t get a chance to tackle such monstrous dunes and put that feature to use. All we did were to deflate the tyres (guided by the onboard tyre pressure monitor gauge), point the Z71 in the right direction, use a bit of throttle control and we were sailing over anything and everything.
The light steering of the Tahoe is a big help when cruising on the roads of Qatar. This Chevy offers excellent ride quality and factors like the acoustic-laminated windshield and triple-sealed inlaid doors ensure that most of the road noise is filtered out.
So which Tahoe should you pick? The LTZ is for those who want that dash of luxury, specifically on the inside. As for those keen to explore the endless Qatar dunes, the Z71 won’t disappoint you. Head over to the swanky Chevrolet showroom and get yourself a good Ramadan deal.