2015 Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon Revealed in New York

General Motors just revealed the next generation of its SUVs under both the Chevrolet and GMC brands in New York City.

Despite the shift to crossovers, SUVs remain a pivotal part of GM’s business. The Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon are new for 2015 and include a host of added features.

“There are several new features and enhancements at the core of the all-new 2015 Suburban and Tahoe that will extend the legacy Chevrolet has built as the segment leader,” said Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet global chief marketing officer. “Customers will experience greater refinement, efficiency and safety with the same capability that has made Chevrolet the go-to brand for full-size SUVs.”

The next generation of GM’s burly people haulers comes with a list of new content that includes an eight-inch infotainment touch screen that comes standard on the Yukon and is an option on Chevrolet models. With this generation, entry and exit become easier and the second row gets approximately two extra inches of legroom. All nameplates can also come with a Blu Ray rear seat entertainment system. Keyless entry and push-button start have also been added.

Controlling the third row seats is also much easier with the new generation. Both the second and third rows will fold completely flat at the touch of a button. The more premium Yukon can also come equipped with a power rear liftgate with multiple programmable height settings.

GM is also emphasizing its Denali brand, which sells so well that GM considers it to be a sub-brand by itself. The Chevrolet and GMC products carry exterior styling even more distinguished from one another than before. In many ways, that continues in the cabin, too. While the two look similar, real wood inserts, high-grade leather and aluminum panels distinguish the Yukon Denali, as do a new family of wheels available in 18- 20- and 22-inch sizes. The Tahoe cabin looks very similar, but isn’t made of the same premium materials.

It isn’t just a question of setting the two brands apart, either. GM also designed the bodies of both SUV lines to differentiate them from the pickup trucks they share a platform with. Inlaid doors that fit into the body side openings help achieve that while making the vehicles more aerodynamic if you really want to think of a boxy SUV that way. The Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon lines also all use aluminum hoods in an effort to save weight.

Of course, GM’s EcoTec3 engine line is at work under the hood. That includes a 5.3-liter V8 that makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque in all Chevrolet models while customers who buy Yukon Denali models are also offers an exclusive 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. All models use the same six-speed automatic transmission.