- Suburban Shield uses bespoke chassis and suspension to handle the added weight of armor.
- Armored Suburban offers configurations like captain’s chairs and third-row jump seat options.
- Powertrain options include a standard 6.2-liter V8 or an optional 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel.
The new Chevrolet Suburban Shield armored vehicle won’t just be used at home in the US by the security and law enforcement arm of the US Department of State. According to GM Defense, the heavily upgraded SUV will be used in the Middle East by the Qatar Armed Forces and Special Forces Command, although there’s no word on when deliveries to the oil-rich nation will begin.
While some armored vehicles make a big deal of the fact that they’re strengthened, the Suburban Shield doesn’t do that, opting for a more subtle approach. However, that doesn’t mean GM Defense has simply slapped in some bulletproof glass and called it a day.
Read: The U.S. State Dept’s New Armored Chevy Suburban Shields Are Ready For Anything
All Suburban Shield models are underpinned by a bespoke body-on-frame chassis with new suspension components designed to handle the extra weight. The armor used has been incorporated directly into the design and manufacturing process of the vehicle, meaning GM Defense doesn’t have to strip down cars, upgrade, and then reassemble them, like aftermarket armoring firms do.
“GM Defense’s next-generation Suburban Shield offers the Qatar Armed Forces unrivaled performance thanks to GM’s advanced technologies”, president of GM Defense, Steve duMont, said. “We engineered the Suburban Shield from the ground up as a protected vehicle using GM’s world-class process and tools to deliver the reliability and quality expected from a GM vehicle. We’re confident the vehicle will help the Qatar Armed Forces effectively carry out their important diplomatic security missions and are excited to see Suburban Shield introduce a new level of sophistication to protected vehicles in the region.”
As standard, the new Suburban Shield comes with GM’s 6.2-liter V8, but customers can also opt for a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel – although we suspect the Qataris will prefer the V8. Some features from the Suburban available for regular citizens have been removed, including the front pedestrian braking, Lane Keep Assist, and automatic emergency braking.
According to GM Defense, the Chevrolet Suburban Shield includes independent armoring certification with options and configurations to suit different customer requirements. For example, 1LT and 2LT variants are available, the latter of which includes captain’s chairs in the second row and jump seats in the third.
