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86-801: Asüna was a captive import automobile marque created in 1992 for sale in Canada by General Motors as a counterpart to Geo . It was one of two successors to the Passport marque, which had a similar intent. Preceding the Asüna marque, Passport sold a Korean ( Daewoo ) made rebadged Opel Kadett E known as the Passport Optima (which hit Canadian shores in 1988) as well as a selection of Isuzu cars and SUVs . General Motors Canada changed its branding strategy in 1988, disbanding Passport (the Optima

172-650: A police truck , fire chief's vehicle , and EMS vehicle . Suburbans are also used as taxicab livery and limousines . Gothic black Suburban vehicles are commonly used by federal intelligence services, such as the Secret Service . The Secret Service operates fully-armored versions of the Suburban for the President of the United States when he attends less formal engagements. The Suburban (as well as

258-411: A 283-cubic-inch version. GMC based their V8 on a Pontiac design. Standard Suburban model numbers continued from the previous series, but the introduction of four-wheel-drive models in 1957 added the numbers "3156" for 4WD Suburbans with panel doors, and "3166" for 4WD Suburbans with tailgates. The "Suburban" name was also used on GM's fancy 2-door GMC 100 series pickup trucks from 1955 to 1959, called

344-525: A 5-door version of the Suburban called C-1416 (known as Veraneio from 1969 onwards, which is Portuguese for "summertime"). It was based on the contemporary Brazilian Chevrolet C-14 . Like the C-14, the C-1416/Veraneio used the instrument cluster from the U.S. C/K series, although the exterior sheet metal layout is exclusive to Brazil. It was initially powered with a Chevrolet 4.2L inline-six based on

430-414: A 6.2L Detroit Diesel V8 as a higher-efficiency alternative to the 454 V8. A 3-speed manual transmission was offered through the 1980 model year, with a 4-speed manual offered through 1987. Initially offered with 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 and 400 automatic transmissions, a 4-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 700R4 became an option in 1981. For 1980, K-series Suburbans moved from full-time four-wheel drive to

516-462: A February 26, 2018, article celebrating the vehicle's 83rd year, Car and Driver notes that the Suburban's longevity is due to being one of GM's best-selling brands, its appeal to customers across the board regardless of race, gender, class, or political affiliation, and a unique loyalty to the SUV. In an interview from Chevrolet's truck/SUV marketing executive Sandor Piszar, who recalls an event celebrating

602-627: A captive import for its Caprice PPV , but designed for law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada. In 2013, GM used the Holden VF Commodore as the Chevrolet SS performance sedan for the 2014 model year. In Europe, there have been relatively few cases of captive imports, and most have been unsuccessful. The Chevrolet Venture minivan was sold as the Opel / Vauxhall Sintra (SWB) and Chevrolet Trans Sport (LWB) in

688-421: A captive import since neither maintains an Australian manufacturing presence. Holden Suburban Traditionally one of the most profitable vehicles sold by General Motors, the Suburban has been marketed through both Chevrolet and GMC for nearly its entire production. Along sharing the Suburban name with Chevrolet, GMC has used several nameplates for the model line; since 2000, the division has marketed it as

774-785: A captive import. The integration of manufacturing operations between Canada, Mexico, and the United States has been due to the hospitable trade environment created by the North American Free Trade Agreement (and before NAFTA, the US-Canada Auto Pact ), coupled with the proximity of these nations to the U.S. Vehicles made and marketed by European automakers that were eventually acquired by the Big Three automakers, such as Land Rover , Volvo , and Saab , are generally not considered to be captive imports. Automobile companies have made efforts since

860-475: A development/manufacturing presence, a captive import is a vehicle not manufactured by the specific company that imported the vehicle but sold under its brand. Usually, the vehicle manufacturer might be an affiliate of the importer. The Chevrolet Forester was sold in India by General Motors , where its manufacturer, Japan -based Subaru , does not have a sales presence, and the importation agreement started during

946-412: A large amount of mechanical commonality with its pickup-truck counterpart, sharing the same powertrain offerings. A 250-cubic-inch inline-6 was standard, with a 292-cubic-inch inline-6 offered as an option. Small-block V8s initially were 283 and 327 V8s (later 307 and 350 V8s); a 396 (402) V8 served as a big-block V8 offering. GMC Suburbans were fitted with a 305 V6 as a standard engine until 1970. Sharing

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1032-401: A lineup of similar "import" vehicles. Asüna was created to fulfill this demand. The Pontiac LeMans model name was dropped altogether in favour of trimline designations, selling as Asüna SE in base trim hatchbacks and sedans, and as Asüna GT as a higher trim hatchback for 1993. The Asüna lineup was rounded out by the 1993 Sunfire (Isuzu Impulse and Geo Storm twin) and 92-93 "Sunrunner" taking

1118-459: A more conventional coil-spring approach. Engine options included straight-sixes and small-block V8s . A 305 cu in (5.0 L) GMC V6 engine was also available on GMC models. This 305 was actually from GMC's medium-duty truck line. It featured high torque but had notoriously poor fuel economy. Transmissions were a 3-speed and 4-speed manual, the automatic Powerglide, and in the GMC models,

1204-620: A part-time system, allowing the front axle to freewheel. For 1981, the shift-on-the fly 4×4 system adopted automatic-locking front hubs; the NP208 transfer case replaced the NP205 in most examples. For 1987, GM redesignated the Rounded-Line C/K series as the R/V series to accommodate the launch of the 1988 GMT400-platform C/K trucks, which were being launched in the spring of 1987. For 1987,

1290-449: A quick-release design (without tools) for 1979. The Rounded-Line Suburban shared the same exterior revisions of its pickup-truck counterpart. Along with minor revisions in 1975, 1977, and 1980, the model line underwent a more substantial revision in 1981, followed by updates in 1983 and 1985. The Suburban shared several engines with the C/K pickup truck line. A 250-cubic-inch inline-six was

1376-434: A station wagon body on the chassis of a small truck. Focused on functionality, the concept was indeed to "carry all": the whole family and their gear were to find sufficient space in one truck. It shared the front sheet metal and frames of the half-ton pickup models of the same year, but featured all-metal wagon bodies differing very little in shape from contemporary "woodie" station wagons . Seating for up to eight occupants

1462-618: A strong manufacturing presence, a captive import can be a vehicle from the manufacturers' indigenous country or an affiliated manufacturer worldwide. Holden was the Australian subsidiary of American General Motors and was considered to be a domestic manufacturer in Australia until Australian domestic production completely ended in 2017. In the past, Holden has also imported the Mexican-built Holden Suburban ,

1548-990: A variant of the North American Chevrolet Suburban , along with the Holden Jackaroo built by General Motors' Japanese affiliate Isuzu in Japan . An example of an Australian captive import is the Holden Barina , which has since 1985 been the Suzuki Cultus , two generations of the European Opel Corsa , and is also the Korean Daewoo Kalos (marketed internationally as the Chevrolet Aveo ). For countries that do not have native manufacturers or

1634-407: Is because "it is cheaper to import those cars than to produce them" in the United States. The Nash-Healey two-seat sports car was produced for the U.S. market between 1951 and 1954. It combined a Nash Ambassador drivetrain with a European chassis and body and was a product of a partnership between Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and British automaker Donald Healey . After the first model year,

1720-659: Is imported from Belgium. The successor for Pontiac's seventh generation Grand Prix , the Pontiac G8 , was a modified Holden VE Commodore imported from Australia. In 2004, GM began marketing the Chevrolet Aveo subcompact, a rebadged Daewoo Kalos (now a rebadged Daewoo Gentra ) assembled in South Korea. In 2008, GM started marketing the Saturn Astra, which is a rebadged Opel Astra , assembled in Belgium. Before

1806-567: Is the agreement between Chrysler and Mitsubishi Motors , which started in 1971. Chrysler imported Mitsubishi-manufactured vehicles into the United States to fill a void in their compact lineup with cars like the Dodge Colt . Mitsubishi began selling vehicles under their name in the United States in 1982. In countries or regions where a foreign manufacturer might have a wholly owned subsidiary that develops and manufactures vehicles or

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1892-472: Is unlikely to want an import, and an import buyer is unlikely to enter a domestic showroom. Also, consumers of a specific domestic brand might feel that a captive import does not have the qualities that they want and expect from vehicles of domestic vehicles manufactured by that brand. A captive thus easily falls between two stools. This is probably why the practice of using a separate brand name, such as Merkur and General Motors ' short-lived Geo , has ceased —

1978-480: The Chevrolet Suburban , was marketed in Australia and New Zealand as a rebadged Holden Suburban with intentions to launch the full-sized SUV in a region that was used to having small to mid-sized SUVs, and the model was discontinued in 2001. Captive imports often fail, and a shift in exchange rates can raise prices to uncompetitive levels. Some models have been criticized for marginal quality, such as

2064-665: The Datsun 180B being a big seller at the time. The Gemini was assembled in Australia at Acacia Ridge in Queensland and Holden was still the highest-selling brand. The Chevrolet LUV produced by Isuzu was also sold from 1973 for a couple of years, the only official Chevrolet branded model available in Australia at the time (and since). Ford sold the Taurus in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong in 1996, but stopped in 1999. In 1998,

2150-643: The GMC Tracker's place in the Pontiac-Buick-GMC lineup. Asüna sales could not match Geo's, and the Asüna marque was eliminated for 1994. The SE/GT and Sunfire were dropped from the GM Canada lineup and the Sunrunner and Firefly were rebadged as Pontiac models. Captive import Captive import is a marketing term and a strategy for a vehicle that is foreign-built and sold under

2236-797: The GMC Yukon XL , while since 2003 Cadillac has marketed the Suburban as the Cadillac Escalade ESV . During the 1990s, GM Australia marketed right-hand drive Suburbans under the Holden brand. The Suburban is sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Chile, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Peru, Philippines, and the Middle East (except Israel), while the Yukon XL is sold only in North America (exclusive to

2322-498: The Hydra-Matic 4-speed automatic transmission was available in GMC models and in the 1954 model year Chevrolet Suburbans. Models with rear panel doors were designated "3106," while those with tailgates were designated "3116." In 1952, the Suburban came with either a tailgate or panel doors. The front bench seat was split, with two seats on the driver's side and a single seat on the passenger side, which slid forward for access to

2408-533: The Kadett through Buick dealers in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This venture yielded ambivalent results; the Opels were generally well-regarded, and sales were decent but never substantial. In the 1970s, when Buick decided to phase out its Opels and sell small Isuzus instead, the result was a handful of cars carrying a global brand, Buick Opel, by Isuzu. Buick was not the first to rebadge Isuzus — Chevrolet did

2494-586: The Renault Alliance was sold through American Motors (AMC) dealers starting in the fall of 1982 until production ended on 5 June 1987 Chrysler acquired AMC. The Alliance was assembled by AMC as part of a tie-up with the French company. The 1985 through 1988 Chevrolet Nova and the later Geo Prizm were a Toyota design and shared the Chevrolet showroom with many captives, were built in the U.S. by

2580-474: The Sunbeam Tiger , for instance, an early 1960s example of the concept of an American Ford Windsor engine in a British ( Sunbeam Alpine ) body and chassis, enjoyed substantial success until Sunbeam became a captive import of Chrysler Corporation in North America. Chrysler could not be realistically expected to sell a car with a Ford engine, and Chrysler V8 engines all had the distributor positioned at

2666-538: The recreational vehicle market in the late 1960s. While only about 6,200 Suburbans were produced for 1967, by 1972, production had grown to approximately 27,000. Alongside the retirement of the panel truck configuration, this generation marked the final use of the GMC Carryall name. For 1973, the Suburban became part of the Rounded-Line C/K series, with both the Chevrolet and GMC divisions adopting

Asüna - Misplaced Pages Continue

2752-516: The "One Ford" business strategy was in operation, and the European market Mondeo and Fiesta were manufactured in both North America and Europe. During the same period, Dodge marketed several small Mitsubishi models, mostly sold as Dodge Colts (versions of which would later be marketed under the Plymouth and Eagle brands). Chrysler Corporation did not develop its in-house subcompacts during

2838-500: The "Suburban Carryall" until GM shortened the name to simply "Suburban." GMC's equivalent to the Chevrolet model was originally named "Suburban" as well, until being rebranded as "Yukon XL" for the 2000 model year. With the end of production of the Plymouth Fury Suburban station wagon in 1978, only General Motors continued to manufacture a vehicle branded as a "Suburban," and GM was awarded an exclusive trademark on

2924-637: The 1975-84 Isuzu Bellett/Gemini, itself a license-built version of the then-current Opel Kadett, as the Holden Gemini . The name was originally Holden-Isuzu Gemini, but after the first TX series, the Isuzu cobranding was dropped. Perhaps the original idea was to foster the Japanese-ness of the model at a time when customers might have seen that as a positive, the Nissan's 610 Bluebird being marketed as

3010-534: The 1990s to streamline operations and become increasingly globalized, making it more challenging to determine the national origin of vehicles and even more complicated when considering outsourcing the worldwide sources of components and parts used to make them. In the American market, captive imports "blurred national distinctions" because they were designed and built elsewhere, but have a domestic nameplate. The chief reason domestic automakers market captive imports

3096-608: The American market in the 1950s, the company signed a marketing agreement with Studebaker – Packard and became a captive brand in their showrooms. Around the same time, Pontiac dealers sold the GM's British-built Vauxhalls from 1958 until 1962. Ford , who had invented the modern captive-import system in 1948 with the British Anglia and Prefect, added its own European Ford Cortina to its North American dealer network until low demand led to its discontinuation in 1970 when

3182-697: The Argentine-built Suzuki Vitara as the Chevrolet Tracker after Suzuki stopped selling cars in Brazil, but it never achieved the same sales figures as the original car. In Japan, where foreign car manufacturers have traditionally struggled to compete in the local market, even rebadging of U.S. models like the Chevrolet Cavalier as a Toyota has failed to improve sales. In Australia, GM's Holden operation sold

3268-457: The Chevrolet badge, but is holding off on those plans because of numerous factors, including the situation involving GM's decision to retire the Holden brand in 2020. In 2015, the Suburban commemorated its 80th anniversary at General Motors ' Arlington Assembly Plant where the 10 millionth Suburban was produced. A video was posted on Chevrolet's YouTube channel about its eighty-year legacy. In

3354-411: The European market, as have Alfa Romeo and Nissan . None of these would be considered imports. With the complete ceasing of automotive production in Australia by Holden and Ford Australia in 2016, who were both considered indigenous Australian automakers, both will be switching to a wholly imported lineup. No vehicle sold by Holden or Ford after the end of Australian production should be considered

3440-603: The GM-Toyota NUMMI joint venture. The Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser , both related to the Mitsubishi Eclipse , were manufactured in the U.S. by Diamond-Star Motors , a Chrysler - Mitsubishi Motors joint venture. Although Australia's Holden often shared planning and hardware with the rest of GM's global operations, which included Opel and Isuzu, it preferred assembling its versions of such vehicles locally. Rover and Honda have co-produced models for

3526-571: The Mustang's image and unique positioning. In Brazil, the Australian-built Holden Commodore has been sold since 1998 as Chevrolet Omega, replacing the locally built car bearing the same name. Despite being well received by the press and public, sales are much worse than its locally built counterpart, simply because of its high price. However, it is used very often as official government cars. Chevrolet also rebranded

Asüna - Misplaced Pages Continue

3612-724: The Nash-Healey was restyled and assembled by Pinin Farina in Italy . The Nash Metropolitan , sold in the U.S. from 1954 until 1962, was a captive import for Nash Motors . It was designed by Nash, unlike most captive imports built by another company, and produced by Austin in the UK specifically for sale in the U.S. By entering into a manufacturing arrangement, Nash would avoid the expense associated with tooling, body panels, and components. When Nash launched this two-seater sub-compact car, it

3698-684: The Suburban Pickup, which was similar to the Chevrolet Cameo Carrier , but it was dropped at the same time as Chevy's Cameo in March 1958 when GM released the new all-steel "Fleetside" bed option replacing the Cameo/Suburban Pickup fiberglass bedsides. The Suburban name was never used again on a 1/2 ton pickup after the discontinuance of the Suburban Pickup. Although not documented because of a fire that destroyed

3784-653: The Suburban adopted an optional tailgate-style rear door with a retractable rear window (lowered manually or electrically). Initially offered in Custom, Custom Deluxe, and Cheyenne Super trims, the Chevrolet Suburban adopted a base Custom Deluxe, mid-level Scottsdale, and flagship Silverado trim nomenclature for 1975. GMC Suburbans were initially Custom, Super Custom, and Sierra Grande; in 1975, Sierra Classic replaced Super Custom. In 1981, GMC replaced Custom with Sierra. A rare variant for both Chevrolet and GMC

3870-422: The Suburban as a truck-based station wagon. From the rear of the passenger doors, the Suburban shared its bodywork (both its doors and roofline) with the C/K crew-cab pickup (a new configuration introduced for 1973). The 1 ⁄ 2 -ton and 3 ⁄ 4 -ton 10 and 20 payload series made their return alongside the rear-wheel-drive C-series and 4×4 K-series. Alongside the long-running twin-panel rear doors,

3956-687: The Suburban had been in "1,750 films and TV shows since 1952." Several automotive companies in the United States used the "Suburban" designation to indicate a windowed, station wagon–type body on a commercial frame including DeSoto , Dodge , Plymouth , Studebaker , and Nash , in addition to Chevrolet and GMC . The (Westchester) Suburban name was, in fact, a trademark of U.S. Body and Forging Co. of Tell City, Indiana , which built wooden station wagon bodies for all of these automobile and light truck chassis and more. Chevrolet began production of its all-steel "carryall-suburban" in 1934. GMC brought out its version in 1937. These vehicles were also known as

4042-445: The Suburban moved from a 115-inch to a 127-inch wheelbase (shared by pickup trucks with 8-foot beds). In another change, a 3 ⁄ 4 - ton C-20 Suburban was introduced for the first time. Alongside the standard rear-wheel-drive configuration, 4×4 K-10/K-20 models were also offered. In a configuration distinct to this generation, Action-Line Suburbans are configured with a single driver-side door and two passenger doors. For 1969,

4128-470: The Suburban nameplate. Growing nominally in size over its Action-Line predecessor, the seventh-generation Suburban completely abandoned its carryall past, introducing a station wagon–style body with four full passenger doors (more than a decade after its Wagoneer and Travelall rivals). As the term "sport-utility vehicle" was more closely associated with off-road vehicles (such as the K5 Blazer), GM designated

4214-583: The Suburban was joined by the shorter K5 Blazer (GMC Jimmy), a two-door utility vehicle with a lift-off hardtop. The rear-wheel-drive Suburban was also available as a panel truck for commercial purposes. Following the 1970 model year, the configuration was retired, with the model functionally replaced by the G-Series Chevrolet Van/GMC Vandura for 1971. Through its production, the Action-Line Suburban shared

4300-557: The Tahoe and GMC variants) is very popular with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a service vehicle. In the late 1990s, GM also introduced a RHD version of the Suburban, badged as a Holden , for the Australian market. Sales were low and GM withdrew the model in 2000 from Holden's lineup. In 2019, Chevrolet considered bringing the Suburban back to the region as a converted RWD import through Holden Special Vehicles but using

4386-418: The U.S. have included the Cadillac Catera , a rebadged Opel Omega , the Chevrolet Aveo , built by GM Daewoo , and the Chrysler Crossfire — an American design which mostly uses Mercedes-Benz mechanicals, but was built by Karmann in Germany. The Pontiac GTO , which was built alongside the Australian Holden Monaro , also qualifies. The Saturn Astra is another example. It is a rebadged Opel Astra that

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4472-420: The United States, Canada, and Mexico) and the Middle East territories (except Israel). A 2018 iSeeCars.com study identified the Chevrolet Suburban as the car that is driven the most each year. A 2019 iSeeCars.com study named the Chevrolet Suburban the second-ranked longest-lasting vehicle. In December 2019, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce unveiled a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for the Suburban, noting that

4558-431: The Veraneio fourth among Chevrolet station wagons never sold in the U.S. It also cited the vehicle's design as "baroque" and summed it up as "a 1960s Brazilian crossover." Autoweek noted that the Veraneio is eligible for import to the United States under the 25-year exemption. The sixth-generation Suburban debuted alongside the "Action-Line" generation of C/K trucks. Growing in size over its International Travelall rival,

4644-409: The brand's phaseout, Pontiac also returned to the captive idea by selling Holden vehicles, first the Holden Monaro as the Pontiac GTO and then the Holden VE Commodore as the Pontiac G8 . Pontiac dealers also briefly received a version of the Kalos/Gentra/Aveo, which was sold in Canada as the G3 Wave and in the U.S. as the G3 . In 2011, GM once again used a Holden model, the WM/WN Caprice , as

4730-420: The company introduced its domestic Pinto replacement, and its European market Ford Capri to its U.S. Mercury line in the 1970s. Although the car had features to make it great, the marketing was flawed with a mismatch to the models traditionally sold by Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Ford returned to importing the Mk1 Fiesta in 1978 when the company developed the North American market Escort/Lynx twins until 2013 when

4816-481: The competitiveness of the domestic brand by filling a perceived target market not currently served by its model lineup that is either not practical or not economically feasible to fill from domestic production or a mutually beneficial agreement that helps automakers without a strong distribution network or a presence in a specific country to benefit from the distribution network and stronger brand image of an established automobile manufacturer in that location. One example

4902-433: The dual-range Hydra-Matic from 1960 to 1962. A 15-passenger conversion was done by Stageway of Fort Smith, Arkansas. These modified Suburbans had three doors on the right, a 171 in (4,343 mm) wheelbase, were 273 in (6,934 mm) long, and weighed 6,300 lb (2,858 kg). One-ton (C-30), 10-foot (3 m) panel truck models were no longer available after 1966. In 1964, Chevrolet in Brazil introduced

4988-424: The first-generation Suburban, in 1933, the Chevrolet Master had offered a station wagon body built on the 1/2-ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood and could seat up to eight occupants. The actual first-generation model was offered by Chevrolet as a "Carryall Suburban" – a utility vehicle featuring

5074-411: The foreignness of the car is thus discreetly made less apparent. Another factor concerns servicing where captives often do not share components with their domestic counterparts - this often leads to parts incompatibility and/or backorders. Another view is that the practice could be seen by the public as simply dishonest, causing complete rejection. Certainly in cases when identical models are available at

5160-418: The gasoline engines of the model converted from carbureted fuel delivery to electronic fuel injection (using throttle body injection /TBI) . For 1988, the 5.0L engine was dropped from the line, with the 5.7L V8 becoming the standard engine. In a trim revision, the R/V line adopted the nomenclature of its GMT400 successor, with all vehicles adopting the 1500/2500/3500 payload series (previously used by GMC) and

5246-474: The hood styling was more conservative, with hoods that eliminated the large ports. In 1964, the front glass area was updated to a flatter windshield and larger door glass. 1,150 lb (520 kg) of cargo could be carried in the back. This model series introduced a factory-equipped 4WD ("K") option for the first time. The 2WD ("C") models introduced a torsion bar -based independent front suspension and trailing arm and coil spring rear, but by 1963, returned to

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5332-402: The late 1960s (which GM and Ford Motor Company had done with the Vega and Pinto), where they partnered with an overseas manufacturer with Mitsubishi and Hillman. The "Plymouth Cricket" (a rebadged Hillman Avenger ) was introduced to the U.S. market in the early 1970s to counter the growing demand for small cars, but not successful. General Motors marketed its German-built Opel models like

5418-460: The late-1990s, but was not only not to European tastes, but also gained a bad reputation due to poor results in safety tests. The practice has been revived by PSA Peugeot Citroën with the Peugeot 4007 , Peugeot 4008 , Citroën C-Crosser , and Citroën C4 Aircross , which are rebadged versions of the Mitsubishi Outlander and Mitsubishi ASX , respectively. However, the introduction of the Ford Mustang to Europe in 2015 has been successful, owing to

5504-417: The most ever for an automobile of any type. The star, placed at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, also carried the Chevrolet "Bowtie" symbol instead of the entertainment symbols (film, stage, television, radio, musical instruments, and recording artist), another first for the Walk of Fame. There have been a total of twelve generations of Chevrolet Suburbans since its 1934 debut. Prior to

5590-435: The name in 1988. The Chevrolet Suburban is one of the largest SUVs on the market today. It has outlasted competitive vehicles such as the International Harvester Travelall , Jeep Wagoneer , and the Ford Excursion . The latest competitor is the extended-length Ford Expedition EL , which indirectly replaced the Excursion. The Suburban as of today is a full-size SUV (upgraded to extended-length from 1967 onward to make room for

5676-494: The name of an importer or by a domestic automaker through its own dealer distribution system. The foreign vehicle may be produced by a subsidiary of the same company, be a joint venture with another firm, or be acquired under license from a completely separate entity. The brand name used may be that of the domestic company, the foreign builder, or an unrelated marque entirely (this is one type of " badge engineering "). Captive import arrangements are usually made to increase

5762-459: The period when the manufacturer of Subaru , Fuji Heavy Industries , was affiliated with General Motors . A vehicle manufactured in a country where the manufacturers' indigenous nation has a free-trade agreement with other countries in the same region, such as the European Union for Europe , NAFTA for North America , or ASEAN for Southeast Asia , and manufactured in a plant wholly or partially owned by that company should not be considered

5848-455: The pre-1962 "Stovebolt" engines. Later, it used the 250 cu in (4.1 L) engine from Chevrolet's Brazilian mid-size sedan – the Opala . The original version of the Veraneio was kept in production, with another grille and interior, until 1988 (1989 model year), but it was eventually replaced with an updated version based on the Série 20 family. The second generation of Veraneio was produced from 1989 to 1995. In 1997, GM introduced

5934-411: The public during the tenth-generation model's tenure after 2013 because of slow sales. However, for the 2016 model year, a one-ton model debuted as an exclusive to rental, fleet, and government services as the eleventh generation in 4WD and with LS and LT trim options, but soft sales would result in Chevrolet discontinuing production on this model after 2019. In recent years, the Suburban has been used as

6020-414: The rear of the engine, unlike the front-mounted distributor of the Ford V8, making it impossible to fit the Chrysler engine into the Sunbeam engine bay without major and expensive revisions. Thus this niche of the automotive market was left to be filled with legendary success by the Ford engined Shelby Cobra . There may be a deeper, structural issue at work, however. It could simply be that a domestic buyer

6106-406: The rear two rows of seats. The second row was a "2/3" seat, requiring occupants to move past the front passenger seat, as well as the second-row seats to access the third row. This was the last series to feature " canopy express " models. The design of the 1947 Suburban would inspire the design of the Chevrolet HHR over half a century later. Updated engineering and styling on Chevrolet trucks

6192-441: The records, the production of Suburban Pickups is understood to be 300 or fewer each model year it was offered from 1955 to 1958. The styling of the 1960–1961 model year took cues from the late-1950s Chevrolet vehicles and had large oval ports above the grille. An independent front suspension was new for 1960. The cab featured a "wrap around" windshield, while tailgate and panel door rear openings were available. From 1962 onwards,

6278-453: The same time with only the badges differentiating them such as what happened under the failed Button car plan in Australia during the 1980s. Not every vehicle that appears to be a captive import really is. A foreign-designed or badged vehicle assembled in the market where it is sold does not fall into this category. Such vehicles are frequently the result of joint venture or strategic alliance arrangements between automakers. For example,

6364-674: The same with their LUV pickup truck in 1972. The Daewoo -built line of LeMans -branded small cars were marketed by GM in several nations and through Pontiac dealers in the U.S. starting in 1988. They shared nothing with the original 1960s LeMans models. In the late 1980s, GM consolidated most of its various captive imports of the time under the Geo brand, which was exclusively handled by Chevrolet dealers. The cars, built variously by Toyota (the Prizm ), Isuzu ( Spectrum , Storm ) and Suzuki ( Metro , Tracker ). Examples of captive imports in

6450-399: The spate of Daewoo models marketed under domestic General Motors marques during the 2000s, or for being a bad match for the local driving environment. The commitment of domestic sales and service staff to an unfamiliar vehicle has been questioned, particularly if the import is seen as reducing sales of other, more profitable vehicles in the lineup. Others fail due to no fault of their own;

6536-494: The standard engine through 1979. The model line was offered with a 307- (1973 only) and 350-cubic-inch small-block V8s; a 454-cubic-inch big-block V8 was optional in C-series Suburbans. For 1976, the 350 V8 was joined by 305- and 400-cubic-inch V8s; the latter was discontinued for 1981. For 1980, V8 engines became standard for the model line, with the 305 returning as the standard engine for 1981. For 1982, GM introduced

6622-414: The styling revisions of Action-Line pickup trucks, the Suburban introduced front disc brakes for 1971. Automatic-transmission vehicles received an optional tilting steering column. For 1972, the optional rear-seat air conditioning was redesigned with a smaller housing (previously fitted with a housing that ran the full length of the roof). The Action-Line Suburban was produced alongside the rapid growth of

6708-571: The then-current North American pickups to the Brazilian market, replacing the long running C-series. The Brazilian version of the Suburban was also converted to the current generation at the time and lasted until 2001 as the "Grand Blazer", succeeding the Veraneio. The 4.1L inline-six engine with 138 hp (101 kW) was offered on both models with option for a MWM 4.2L turbodiesel unit with 168 hp (124 kW). In 2015, Autoweek ranked

6794-600: The then-new K5 Blazer that debuted in 1969) with three rows of seating, a full pickup truck frame, and V8 engine . It is one of the few station wagons available with all bench seating rows. The Suburban is the same height and width as the Chevrolet Tahoe , except that the Suburban is 15–20 inches (380–510 mm) longer. The extra length provides a full-sized cargo area behind the nine-passenger seating area. From 1973 to 2013, it had been available in half-ton and 3/4-ton versions. Chevrolet discontinued this option for

6880-779: The truck division's 100th anniversary when they asked about what they named their vehicles, "It's a funny question, but it really is an intriguing point," Piszar says. "People name what they love. And they love their Suburbans." On December 5, 2019, the Chevrolet Suburban became the first vehicle to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for its excellence in film and television, having appeared in more than 1,750 films and television series since 1952, and can also claim to have appeared in at least one television series every year since 1956, and at least one film every year since 1960,

6966-427: Was available, with three in the front row, two in the middle row, and three in the rear row. Either the side-hinged rear panel doors or a rear tailgate /lift window could be selected for cargo area access while only having two doors for passenger access. Suburbans were built in model years 1941, 1942, and 1946. It was also produced during World War II as a military transport vehicle. Seating for up to eight occupants

7052-568: Was available. Models with rear panel doors were designated "3106," while those with tailgates were designated "3116." The Chevrolet versions were equipped a 216-cubic-inch 6-cylinder engine . The GMC version was equipped with a 228-cubic-inch 6-cylinder engine . It shared much of its mechanicals with the AK Series trucks. This model generation was based on the Chevrolet Advance Design series of pickups. Beginning in 1953,

7138-550: Was not introduced until March 25, 1955, in the middle of the model year that GM called the Chevrolet Task Force/GMC Blue Chip series. All Chevrolet and GMC truck models received new styling that included a flatter hood, front fenders flush with the body, and a trapezoid grille. The trucks' V-shaped speedometer was shared with passenger car models. Engines included I6 and the small-block V8s. Chevrolet used its 265 V8 engine, later evolving it to

7224-663: Was rebadged for 1992 as Pontiac LeMans ). Isuzu was grouped together with Saab and GM's new, import-fighting Saturn division to form Saturn-Saab-Isuzu dealerships. The Geo marque was introduced in Canada in (model year) 1992, offered at Chevrolet - Oldsmobile - Cadillac dealerships (which had been selling the Geo-rebadged Suzuki) marque's products as Chevrolets from 1987 until the marque's introduction). Sales of Geo vehicles were relatively successful, prompting Pontiac - Buick - GMC dealers to request GM Canada to provide

7310-481: Was the Estate option package, offering woodgrain exterior trim (in line with sedan-based wagons); the option was offered through the 1979 model year. Though technically fitted with only with a front bench seat as standard equipment, the Suburban was offered in multiple interior configurations, offering up to nine-passenger seating. Bucket front seats became a front-seat option in 1978, with the third-row seat changed to

7396-471: Was the first time an American-designed car had been only built in Europe and never assembled in the United States. Unlike typical European cars of the era, its look was "American", and it had a design resemblance to the large or "senior" U.S.-built Nashes. It became one of the few small cars to sell well during the most bulk-obsessed period of U.S. automotive history. When Mercedes-Benz was seeking entry into

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