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p The 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban.
q The 2015 GMC Yukon Denali and Yukon XL.
When you're engineering an all-new
full-size SUV and you pretty much
own the market, you want to make
sure that the new one is solid and
appealing. This is the situation that
Jef Luke, executive chief engineer, Full
and Mid-Size Trucks, General Motors,
and his team faced when developing
the all new Chevrolet Suburban and
Tahoe, and GMC Yukon and Yukon
XL. So speaking to the strength of the
SUVs, he points to the extensive use
of high- and ultra-high-strength steels
that are used to construct the vehicles:
• 19% <140 MPa
• 29% 180-300 MPa
• 20% 300-400 MPa
• 10% 400-500 MPa
• 17% 500-1,000 MPa
• 5% 1,000+ MPa
Does this mean that the SUVs are all-
steel, something that is now thought
to be not so au courant? No, Luke
points out that the hood and tailgate
are aluminum, as are suspension
components including the forged upper
and cast lower control arms and steering
knuckles. He says that the liftgate is a
particularly interesting component. It is
actually two pieces that are robotically
brazed with the seam running horizon-
tally across the back, appearing to be
more of a design element than a joint.
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