The new 2012 is big but the perfect vehicle for active lifestyle singles, couples and families that need the larger size to take care of their everyday needs and weekend fun.  With three rows of seats you can seat up to eight people with the latest in comfort and high-tech features that today’s consumers want to enjoy during their drive.  You can easily pull out the third row seats and use the LTZ’s power folding and lift second-row seats to flatten the rear section to haul 8X4ft. sheets of plywood, and up to 1,652lbs. of payload.  The LTZ model also comes standard with a power opening/closing rear liftgate and liftglass for easy loading and unloading of cargo.  For fun during the week or on the weekends attach a trailer to tow up to 8,500lbs.   The new 2012 Chevy Tahoe 2WD Tahoe offers even more for your comfort, personal needs and safety. In LTZ trim the 2012 Tahoe is the deluxe full-size sport utility for the road, and off-road with the optional 4X4 system.

New this year is a Hard Drive navigation radio with AM-FM-XM stereo and C D player, USB port, Time Shift Recording capability and optional Sirius XM weather service; a leather-wrapped/heated steering wheel is standard on the new LTZ and the standard StabiliTrak stability control system now includes electronic trailer sway and hill start assist.  For improved safety the gets side blind zone alert standard.

Tahoe features the global face of Chevrolet, with a large Chevy gold bowtie, centered twin-port horizontal grille.  The grille surround is inset with an argent texture or available chrome finish.  Foglamps and headlamps feature detailed optics.  The lower fascia, incorporating the front license plate holder and integrated recovery hooks, is aggressively styled with a skid plate look that enhances Tahoe’s rugged off-road appearance.  Standard running boards make entry and exit easy.  Also coming standard on the exterior on the LTZ are power heated outside mirrors with turn signal and curb tilt, 20X8.5 inch polished aluminum wheels, luggage rack side rails, body-color body side molding, power liftgate with liftglass and trailering equipment.

Interior highlights inside the LTZ include almost no exposed metal hardware or latches enclosing ‘close-outs’ around the seat bottoms and door sill trim plates, the largest in segment center console storage bin, a large glovebox and numerous storage compartments, three rows of seating with second-row three-person bench or two bucket seats that recline and are removable with a standard power-assist release, a third row that features 50/50-split design and is easily removable; power-adjustable front driver/passenger/leather appointed bucket seats; heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats with their own temperature settings; heated and leather-wrapped/tilting steering wheel; dual-zone automatic climate control, Sirius satellite radio; Bose Counterpoint Surround Sound system with Bose nine-speakers; navigation radio with touch screen operation; Bluetooth phone connectivity; power adjustable pedals; and a remote vehicle start system.  Also standard inside power windows/door locks, cruise-control, auto dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers/washers; rear wiper/washer, dual map lamps, two lighted vanity mirrors, grab handles at each passenger door, thick-cut pile carpeting and front/middle/rear floor mats.  You can say that the Tahoe’s interior cabin is a duplicate of your family room with the optional sun & entertainment package that includes a power sunroof and DVD video system for the middle and rear seat passengers including two wireless headphones and remote control.

All Chevy Tahoe’s are powered by a Vortec 5.3 liter that balances power and efficiency.  Variable valve timing helps the 5.3 V8 optimize performance, efficiency and emissions pumping out 320hp and 335lb.ft. of torque.  GM’s Active Fuel Management (AFM), cylinder deactivating technology helps improve fuel economy in certain light-load driving conditions by 6%.  AFM temporarily deactivates four of the engine’s cylinders under light throttle and seamlessly reactivates them when full power is required.  The transition takes less than 20-milliseconds.  A heavy-duty timing chain delivers quiet operation and long lifte-up to 200,000 miles of operation.  The cast iron block/aluminum heads V8 is also E85 capable and matched with GM’s smooth-shifting Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting ability.

The Tahoe is built on GM’s full-size SUV platform, incorporating a fully-boxed frame, coil-over shocks up front and a leaf-spring rear suspension with precise power-assisted rack & pinion steering guiding the Tahoe where you want it to go.  The wide front (68.2 inches) and wide rear track (67inches) enhance both stability and handling for a more confident road feel.  A stiff frame reduces vibrations transmitted to the passenger cabin, while the strength and accuracy of the fully-boxed frame also enable precise mounting and tuning of chassis and suspension components.  The Autoride suspension is standard on LTZ and features a segment-exclusive bi-state, real-time damping system that provides a refined ride with greatly reduced body motion.  The system consists of a semi-active two-position damping control system that responds in real time to road and driving conditions based on body and wheel motion sensors.

Slowly and safely stopping the new Tahoe LTZ are large, power-assisted steel disc brakes with standard ABS, Traction Control and StabiliTrak electronic stability control all working together to keep your on your chosen track on wet or slick pavement.  Up front are 13 inch vented discs clamped with big, dual-piston calipers while 13.5 inch solid discs in the rear are clamped with large single-piston calipers.  The new Tahoe LTZ rides on large, 20X8.5 inch polished aluminum wheels wrapped with 275/55R20 inch Bridgestone all-season radials with a smooth and quiet ride with excellent traction.

Standard safety features include 6-month ONSTAR directions & connections with automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation and ONSTAR direct link, side blind zone alert, tire pressure monitor, 3-point safety belts for all seats plus front load limiters/pretensioners, rear vision camera, driver/front passenger front and seat-mounted airbags, head curtain side airbags for all rows plus rollover mitigation, LATCH system for child seats, front/rear crush zones, and steel beams in each door.

In by inch and pound for pound the new 2012 Chevy Tahoe LTZ remains one of the best choices for consumers, both personal and business, looking for a full-size, up to eight seat sport utility vehicle.  There isn’t much that the Tahoe can’t manage whether it is people moving, recreation cargo moving, etc.  Chevy runs deep and remains one of the longest running sport utility vehicles on the road.

COPYRIGHT: 2012: HARVEY SCHWARTZ

SPECIFICATIONS

• Price: Base Tahoe LS $38,755 As-Tested Tahoe LTZ 2WD $56,550
• Engine: 5.3-liter V8 320 hp @ 5400 rpm/ 335 ft-lbs torque @ 4000 rpm
• Transmission: 6-speed Automatic w/ tow mode
• Drive: 2WD (rear-wheel-drive)
• Wheelbase: 116in.
• Total length: 202.5in.
• Total width: 79in.
• Total height: 76.9in.
• Track: f/r-68.2/67in.
• Ground clearance: 9.1in.
• Approach angle: 17-degrees
• Departure angle: 21.9-degrees
• Curb weight: 5,448lbs. 4WD
• Headroom: f-m-r-41.1/39.2/37.9in.
• Legroom: f-m-r-41.3/39/25.4in.
• Cargo volume: behind front seats-108.9/behind 2nd. row-60.3/behind 3rd. row-16.9cu.ft.
• Towing: Up to 8,500 lbs. with proper configuration
• Fuel tank: 26.0 gallons
• Turning circle: 39.0ft.
• EPA mileage: 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway