We Enlist Midnight Edition Chevys for Some Off-Road Fun
Back in Black: Special edition Tahoe and Suburban shine big at North Carolina special tactics excursion.
Any serious conversation about SUVs is bound to lead to a discussion about capability at some point.
Over the nearly 70-year history of the sport utility vehicle, things that speak to what the more passenger-focused truck variants “can” or “can’t do” have always played a part in their appeal.
But the truth is, most SUV owners never come close to using their vehicle’s full capabilities. Yet, every carmaker in the world tends to boast about how their truck is tougher than the next, intentionally fuelling that sense of pride that SUV owners have in just knowing what their vehicle is able to pull off.
True ‘Truck’ Cred
Chevrolet recently upped the ante when it comes to those bragging rights. Deviating from the more traditional media test drive, the carmaker held a more exclusive event that gave me and Chevrolet Forum the opportunity to see how the Army’s Delta Force team might use the new Chevy Tahoe and Suburban in various settings and scenarios. What better way to showcase the dependability of their full-size SUVS than allowing us to experience firsthand how the world’s most elite special ops team uses the vehicles when on dangerous missions.
One of the biggest highlights of the Special Ops excursion, which was held at The Range Complex (TRC) firearms academy in North Carolina, was a demonstration showing how the Suburban might be used on a search and seizure mission. But some of the most interesting revelations about Chevy’s full-size SUVs came when we had a chance to take the wheel of a Tahoe Z71 during a simulated night mission at the sprawling 978-acre TRC facility, wearing nothing but night goggles.
Night Viewing
The exercise certainly gave me a true feel for the Tahoe’s off-road capabilities, and this one was equipped with the Z71 package and hammering the 420-horsepower vehicle across very rugged terrain. However, it also gave me a deeper appreciation for some of the truck’s more basic features, which evoke the dependability that has long been associated with Chevy SUVs.
Take, for example, the sense of security that comes with a durable steering wheel-mounted column shifter. Sure, it might seem like a small detail in the typical everyday scenario. But imagine finding yourself in a life or death situation where you need to quickly shift the SUV into reverse, and this is happening at night when all of the vehicle’s interior lighting has been disabled to avoid being an easy target for insurgents. This is not exactly the kind of scenario where you want to entrust your next move to some flimsy, high-tech gadgetry, right?
‘[Chevy built] a dependable vehicle for a variety of customers — from families driving across the country for a vacation to elite special forces counting on their Tahoe or Suburban to be a critical tool in getting their missions done.’
Then, there’s the sheer confidence you get in just feeling how well-built the Tahoe feels overall when driving it off-road. Couple that with a few standard military upgrades like adding bullet’proof glass and the full-size Chevy SUVs essentially turn into rolling tanks on wheels, but with far more maneuverability capabilities than the average Army vehicle.
Delta Force Capable
Former Delta Force Commander Jim Reese, who runs TRC, credits the basic but trusted design of the Chevy SUVs for making them the go-to vehicles for special tactics missions.
“It doesn’t exactly take a Ph.D. to drive it,” says Reese. “For what we do, we need something that works, that can move, that when it gets hit with bullets or somebody runs into it, it still goes.”
Chevy’s Marketing Director Sandor Piszar says the fact that the Tahoe and Suburban are popular with organizations like Delta Force exemplifies why Chevy has been the best-selling full-size SUV brand for 42 years.
“We build a capable, dependable vehicle with the right technology for a variety of customers — from families who are driving across the country for a vacation to elite special forces who are counting on their Tahoe or Suburban to be a critical tool in getting their missions done,” says Piszar.
Straight Street Appeal
The Chevy Special Ops event was more specifically aimed at showcasing the Midnight Edition models of the Chevy Tahoe and Suburbans. The specialty package is really just a cosmetic enhancement, but it definitely gives the SUVs a more aggressive look. Sold exclusively in black, the special models come equipped with unique black-coated wheels, grille insert, and Bow Tie logos. Plus, there are a few other exclusive cosmetic features that make the models a perfect fit for the special ops event.
The one-day excursion also included a standard on-road driving component in a Midnight Edition Tahoe LT. There, the 2017 Chevy SUV proves that while the truck’s overall ride has certainly improved over the years, it’s still very much all SUV.
Now, if you’re more of the high-tech crossover type, that “all SUV” statement might be somewhat of a turn-off. But for those who still revel in the idea of a truck being a truck, the statement is more of a tribute to the Tahoe remaining true to its roots, which is something that shines through even more when packaged in a hot Midnight Edition as detailed in the gallery below.
