Chevrolet has sold a Suburban since 1935, and GM calls it the industry’s longest-running nameplate. Across that span the truck has gone through 12 Suburban generations, from a two-door steel wagon to a 10-speed SUV with independent rear suspension.

Each of the Suburban generations below follows GM’s own anniversary history and GM Authority’s generation guide. The years are the ones those sources give, including the mid-1955 change that splits two generations in the same year.

1. 1935–1940 Suburban Carryall, the first generation

The Suburban Carryall launched in 1935 as a steel wagon body on a half-ton truck chassis. It had two doors and seated eight. Power came from Chevrolet’s “Stovebolt” inline-six, rated at 60 horsepower.

Then, in 1937, Chevrolet added Art Deco styling, and power rose to 79 horsepower. GM’s 85th-anniversary history, reprinted by Conceptcarz, also lists 115.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats removed.

2. 1941–1946 Suburban, the second generation

The second Suburban generation arrived just as World War II reshaped Chevrolet’s truck business. Civilian production largely stopped during the war. However, Chevrolet kept building trucks for the military, including the Suburban body style, according to GM’s history.

GM Authority’s generation guide says this truck kept an inline-six. As a result, the wartime Suburban changed far less under the hood than in the way it was used.

3. 1947–1955 Suburban, the third generation

For 1947, Chevrolet gave the Suburban its first major redesign since before the war. GM Authority says the update aimed it at civilian buyers who wanted a versatile workhorse.

Its inline-six made 174 lb-ft of torque at 1,200 rpm, according to GM’s history, which gave it strong towing ability. Later, in 1954, the four-speed HydraMatic automatic arrived, as GM Authority notes.

4. 1955–1959 Suburban, the fourth generation

A “second series” redesign arrived in the middle of 1955. That is why the third and fourth generations share the year. The new truck had a wraparound windshield and lost its running boards.

This generation also brought Chevrolet’s first V8, the Small Block. In addition, GM’s history says factory four-wheel drive came for the first time in 1957. NAPCO supplied it under the name “Powr-Pak.”

5. 1960–1966 Suburban, the fifth generation

For 1960, Chevrolet adopted the C and K labels, with C for two-wheel drive and K for four-wheel drive. GM Authority also notes large oval styling cues on the new front end.

Meanwhile, in 1963, a ladder-type frame replaced the earlier X-member design. Then, for 1965, the GM Authority guide says Chevrolet offered factory air conditioning and a rear heater for the first time.

6. 1967–1972 Suburban, the sixth generation

The sixth generation gave the Suburban a third door. It had one door on the driver’s side and two on the passenger side.

According to GM’s history, the layout made cargo access easier. It also proved popular with ambulance companies.

7. 1973–1991 Suburban, the seventh generation

For 1973, Chevrolet fully redesigned the truck and offered a conventional four-door body for the first time. The wheelbase grew to 129.5 inches, according to GM’s history.

This generation then ran for 19 model years, the longest of all the Suburban generations. GM Authority lists front and rear air conditioning and third-row heating among its comforts. Late in the 1980s, it gained electronic fuel injection and a four-speed overdrive automatic.

8. 1992–1999 Suburban, the eighth generation

The eighth generation brought flush glass and composite headlamps. It also added four-wheel antilock brakes and Insta-Trac, a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system. GM Authority says it helped kick off the 1990s SUV boom.

For 1998, GM’s history says OnStar and full-time AutoTrac all-wheel drive joined the list. Holden even sold right-hand-drive versions in Australia.

9. 2000–2006 Suburban, the ninth generation

The GMT800 Suburban arrived for the 2000 model year as a 1500 or a 2500. Under the hood sat new Vortec 5.3-liter and 6.0-liter V8s. According to GM’s history, both came from the Corvette’s Gen III Small Block family.

New features included four-wheel disc brakes and StabiliTrak stability control. GM Authority also lists electronic climate control and a load-leveling Autoride suspension.

10. 2007–2014 Suburban, the tenth generation

For 2007, Chevrolet reshaped the body using wind-tunnel testing. At the same time, it dropped the traditional chrome bumpers.

Driver aids were the other big change. GM’s history lists electronic trailer sway control, Hill Start Assist and available Side Blind Zone Alert.

11. 2015–2020 Suburban, the eleventh generation

The 2015 redesign chased efficiency with better aerodynamics and a direct-injected EcoTec3 5.3-liter V8, according to GM’s history. Standard equipment included a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

By comparison with the 1935 original, the 11th of the Suburban generations seated up to nine. GM Authority lists a maximum of 121.7 cubic feet of cargo space.

12. 2021 Suburban, the twelfth of the Suburban generations

GM revealed the 2021 Suburban in Detroit in December 2019, alongside the new Tahoe. According to GM Authority’s reveal coverage, it opened the nameplate’s 12th generation. It also brought an independent rear suspension, and the wheelbase grew by 4.1 inches.

Buyers could pick a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8 rated up to 420 horsepower or a new 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel six. Every engine used a 10-speed automatic. Maximum cargo space rose to 144.7 cubic feet, up 24 cubic feet from the 2020 truck.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.