The 2023 Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Specs Get ‘Pursuit-Rated’ Inspiration
The Chevy Tahoe is one of America’s premier family haulers. With its big V8 engine, spacious cabin, and dominating ride height, it ticks most boxes as the perfect star-spangled selection for transportation. The Tahoe is not what you would call a performance vehicle, weighing nearly three tons in fully-loaded models. Yet, the substantial seven-seater now enjoys special treatment, melding SUV capability with the agile speed of a police car.
The Chevrolet Tahoe RST Performance Edition is essentially the police-pursuit vehicle (PPV) version of the four-door SUV with all the creature comforts any suburban family enjoys. The RST Performance Edition utilizes a majority of its chassis, suspension, and engine upgrades from the law enforcement-minded PPV package. It also employs the same engineering team to calibrate vehicle dynamics.
The most powerful production Chevy Tahoe ever
While the Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition is a PPV-based SUV, it does not share the 355-hp 5.3-liter EcoTec3 L84 V8 found in your local sheriff’s Tahoe. Beginning with the top-of-the-line RST’s 6.2-liter EcoTec3 L87 V8, engineers help it breathe better with Chevrolet Performance induction and exhaust systems. This increases power output to 433 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque, gains of 13 hp and 7 lb-ft of torque over the standard RST package. While it keeps the same, exclusively-mated 10-speed automatic transmission, the RST Performance Edition is the most powerful Tahoe ever made.
These upgrades give the Tahoe RST Performance Edition the ability to hit 60 mph from a standstill in 5.78 seconds, compared to the base RST’s 5.95 seconds. The 133 feet it takes the RST Performance Edition to brake from that speed was cut 6.4 feet over the standard RST. Gains were achieved with 25% larger Brembo front and rear disk brakes for immense stopping power.
On the test track, Chevrolet states the Tahoe RST Performance Edition will hit a quarter mile in 14.2 seconds, compared to the base RST’s 14.4 seconds. They also improved the behemoth’s top speed, rounding out at 124 mph, a 12 mph improvement to make it the fastest retail Tahoe ever.
Even though it’s fast, the RST Performance Edition doesn’t sacrifice typical SUV capabilities. The 6.2-liter V8 still supports a maximum towing capacity of 7,600 pounds.
Corner-pounding suspension upgrades
Some of the most critical enhancements are seen beneath the surface. The RST Performance Edition borrows much of its handling qualities from the PPV Tahoe. A stiffer suspension is bolstered by “police-spec” springs, chassis configurations, and retuned dampers. Overall, the PPV-tuned ride height is 0.4 inches lower in the front and 0.8 inches lower in the rear.
Chevrolet’s engineers have also modified the Tahoe where the rubber meets the road. The entire RST Performance Edition Tahoe sits on black 20-inch aluminum wheels, wrapped in police-spec Firestone Firehawk Pursuit 275/55R20 tires.
Interior luxuries to complement the sporty feel
Although the barnstorming SUV is mechanically-equipped like a PPV Tahoe, it certainly isn’t trimmed like one. Complementing the unique drivetrain and handling upgrades, the Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition comes standard with Chevrolet’s Luxury Package. Car Buzz reports the package provides heated second-row seats, power-folding third-row seats, a high-definition surround-view camera, and a slew of active safety features. Chevrolet states the Driver Alert Package includes Lane Change Alert, Side Blind-Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Rear Pedestrian Alert.
The special edition Tahoe will also feature a black “RST” badge on the rear tailgate. Chevrolet says other sporty touches include standard sport pedals with a “performance-calibrated brake pedal feel.”
When can you get a Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition, and how much will it cost?
For those wanting PPV power teamed with well-appointed trimming, production on the Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition begins later this year. Chevrolet states the Tahoe RST Performance Edition package is priced at a starting MSRP of $8,525. The package is also only offered on the 6.2-liter V8-equipped RST models, which currently begin at $66,595, Car and Driver reports.
