Chevrolet Tahoe Special Service 2015

• All-new inside and out – quieter and more comfortable
• New 5.3L V-8 with 11 percent more horsepower and nearly 10 percent greater highway efficiency
• Enhanced chassis features, including wider rear track and fuel-saving electric power steering

The Chevrolet Tahoe Police Special Service Vehicle is all-new for 2015, blending the design, performance and enhanced capabilities of the all-new civilian model with the police content that has made the SUV an increasingly popular choice for law enforcement. The Tahoe Special Service is the ideal vehicle for non-pursuit situations, where 4WD capability is a higher priority.

In addition to new exterior and interior designs, the Tahoe Special Service has a new, more powerful and more efficient 5.3L V-8, along with new and updated chassis and suspension features, including the brakes and fuel-saving electric power steering.

As with previous models, the 2015 Tahoe Special Service delivers fully integrated electrical systems, making it easier for the aftermarket installation of police-specific equipment such as light bars and police radios.

All-new, inside and out

The exterior design of the 2015 Tahoe Special Service is more refined and precisely sculpted. New inlaid doors fit into the body side openings instead of over the top of the body, significantly improving the quietness of the interior and contributing to improved aerodynamics – an attribute that helps it slip through the air on the highway with less drag for greater efficiency. Lightweight aluminum hood and liftgate panels also enhance efficiency.

Additional exterior features include a windshield angle raked forward more than before and flattened at the corners, for better wiper performance, as well as a larger rear door opening area, making it easier to get in and out of the vehicle through the rear doors.

Standard and available police equipment includes:

• Black assist steps
• Auxiliary battery
• Available daytime running lamps and automatic headlamp delete
• Available headlamp/taillamp flasher system
• Radio suppression (braided brass straps attached at several body locations) is standard
• Available left- and right-hand spotlamps.

Inside, the Tahoe Special Service delivers comfortable rides for officers, with enhanced ergonomics that make their rolling office easier to use. The instrument panel, for example, has a straightforward design featuring a large, easy-to-view cluster. It includes a 4.2-inch standard driver information center display in the center of the cluster, for vehicle, infotainment and other data.

Additional standard and available content includes:

• Standard rear-vision camera system
• Standard back-up sensors
• Standard air conditioning, front and rear
• Standard cruise control
• Standard rubberized vinyl floor covering with available carpeted floor covering
• Standard analog instrumentation with 140-mph speedometer
• Available wiring for grille lights and siren.

• Available inoperative inside rear door handles, door locks and windows are available
• Standard 170-amp main power supply wiring at the instrument panel and 100 amp in cargo area
• Available remote keyless entry fleet package, including six additional remotes
• Available remote vehicle starter.

A 40/20/40 individual front seat is standard and a center-seat delete feature is available. It removes the center 20-percent section from the seat, allowing additional room for police equipment. Front bucket seats are also available.

Stronger foundation, enhanced chassis

The 2015 Tahoe Special Service is engineered to deliver a quieter, more-controlled ride and improved steering and braking feel. It all starts on a stronger, fully boxed perimeter frame, which supports payload and trailering capability that body-frame-integral crossovers can’t match.

An updated coil-over-shock independent front suspension design features cast iron upper and lower control arms.

At the rear is a five-link coil-spring suspension design, which enables optimal ride and handling through more precise tuning. Lateral stiffness was increased at the frame-side joint of the lateral link with the addition of a cross-axis ball joint, for a greater feeling of steering precision.

Additional chassis and suspension features include:

• A wider rear track that contributes to a more planted stance and more confident handling
• Stronger body structure with more high-strength steel for a more solid feel and a quieter cabin
• Shear-style body mounts, which reduce body shake and enhance the feeling of structural stiffness, improve damping performance when compared with previous compression mounts
• Standard 3.08 axle ratio
• New, electric variable-assist power steering system enhances fuel economy and tailors steering assist to vehicle speed
• New four-wheel-disc brake system with Duralife™ brake rotors that offer up to double the service life

• Revisions that improve pedal feel for more-confident braking performance.
• Standard automatic locking rear differential that provides greater traction when needed and greater driving comfort when it’s not
• Standard electronically controlled transfer case on Tahoe Special Service
• Available Max Trailering Package, featuring a 3.42 axle ratio and integrated trailer brake controller.

Tahoe Special Service wears P255/70R17 all-season blackwall Goodyear tires mounted on 17 x 8-inch steel wheels; 18-inch aluminum wheels are available. It also comes with a heavy-duty transmission and engine oil coolers, as well as StabiliTrak electronic stability control with proactive roll avoidance, traction control and hill start assist. 

A skid plate package is standard and includes a front underbody shield from behind the front bumper to the first cross-member protects vital vehicle components such as the oil pan and other drivetrain parts.

Additional standard equipment includes a 26-gallon fuel tank, 170-amp alternator, a 660 CCA battery with run-down protection and a 730 CCA auxiliary battery.  

More powerful and more efficient

The new EcoTec3 5.3L V-8 engine is rated at 355 horsepower (265 kW) and 383 lb-ft of torque (519 Nm) – 11 percent more power than previous models – and features state-of-the-art technologies including direct injection, cylinder deactivation, continuously variable valve timing and an advanced combustion system. They’re designed to make the most of power, torque and efficiency across a broad range of operating conditions.

The technologies also contribute to EPA-estimated 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway (2WD) – a nearly 10-percent increase in highway mileage over the previous models and 7-percent greater city mileage. The 4WD is EPA-estimated at 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.  Improved engine mounts, electronic throttle control, adaptive exhaust systems, improved aerodynamics and other technologies help the engines operate in four-cylinder mode longer with Active Fuel Management, contributing further to efficiency.

A Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission is paired with the new 5.3L engine and contributes to efficiency with reduced engine speed on the highway. It also features TapShift control, tow/haul mode, hill start assist and auto grade braking.

Safety and crash-avoidance features

Chevrolet Tahoe has a strong body structure designed to absorb crash energy and provide a protective “safety cage” around occupants. Standard head curtain side air bags with rollover protection for both seating rows and seat-mounted side-impact air bags for driver and right front passenger adds to the safety components of the Tahoe PPV. The roof-mounted head curtain air bags provide increased rollover protection and occupant containment.

Additional safety features include:

• Standard OnStar and Bluetooth connectivity

• Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control system helps reduce the risk of rollover crashes by keeping the vehicle in the driver’s intended path by applying throttle, brakes, or a combination of both
• Standard four-wheel-disc brake system with ABS featuring smooth, quiet operation, longer pad life and more resistance to brake pulsation
• Pretensioners minimize forward movement during a collision and are standard on the front safety belts. Load-limiting retractors cinch the belt more tightly
• Standard tire pressure monitoring system.

A new driver alert package is available and features forward collision alert, lane departure warning, safety alert seat and power-adjustable pedals.