The Holden Suburban, aka Chevrolet Suburban, was sold in Australia from 1998 to 2001 after surviving seven generations. This full-size SUV is the longest continuously used automobile nameplate in production, first built in 1934 in the US. It was also the first-ever all-metal station wagon built and had, for a time, been General Motors' most profitable vehicle.
The first generation was brief, with GM offering the Suburban as a 2-door station wagon. The second generation was almost as brief, again produced in the same build. This generation, however, was manufactured during WWII, and it figured mostly as military transport at the time. It had since undergone several restyling and design changes to become the full-size SUV that it is now.
Holden Suburban Sold in Australia
The eighth-generation Suburban is a 4-door SUV with a front-engine, rear-wheel/four-wheel-drive layout, underpinned by the GMT410/425 platform. It had its preview in 1997 at the Sydney Motor Show. GM-Holden marketed it under the Holden Suburban nameplate in New Zealand and Australia from 1998 till 2001. Throughout this period, only 746 units were sold. After 2001, GM discontinued the Holden badge, and subsequent models used the Chevrolet brand.
The Holden Suburban differed from its Chevrolet sibling in some interior elements. For instance, its dashboard is a stretched version of the Chevrolet Blazer instead of the Chevrolet Suburban.
There were two powertrains available for the Suburban:
- A (5,734 cc) 5.7L Vortec V8 petrol engine that achieves a maximum power of 190kW with a maximum torque of 447 N.m - models powered by this engine were designated as 1500 (available as base, LS, and LT)
- A (6,466 cc) 6.5L turbocharged diesel V8 engine that achieves a maximum power of 145kW with a maximum torque of 583 N.m - models powered by this engine were designated as 2500 (available as base, LS, and LT)
The seats are configured differently depending on the trim variant. The base and LS models are fitted with bench seats—the base has a seating capacity of nine, while the LS trim has eight. The higher-spec LT features bucket seats with a capacity of seven.
Some of the standard features include an LCD compass in the rearview mirror, driver's airbag, ABS, cruise control, power steering, power windows, tow bar, a trip computer, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, and dual-zone air conditioning, among others. The LT adds some features, including alloy wheels, power front seats, power mirrors, two-part tailgate, leather steering wheel, and leather trim.
Regardless of the engine, the cars were all equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission but differed in the type of transmission. The petrol engines had the GM 4L60-E transmission, while the diesel engine had the GM 4L80-E transmission. The Suburban also came with a dashboard switch that allowed the vehicle to power all four wheels simultaneously.
Conclusion
The Holden nameplate is not used in the Surburban anymore. However, GM still sells the Chevrolet Suburban in several markets. So finding spare parts would be relatively easy. To help you source high-quality and affordable auto car parts and accessories, you may contact us at Carpart.com.au, browse our classifieds, or send us a car parts request message.
- Eric Anyega