Chevrolet Enters the Performance SUV Fray With the Tahoe RST Performance Edition

The new RST Performance Edition features Chevrolet Performance induction and exhaust systems, allowing it to increase the output of the 6.2-liter V8 to 433 horsepower and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque. It’s a modest increase of 13 horsepower and 7 lb-ft (9.5 Nm) over the current RST, but it’s still enough to make it more powerful than any other production Tahoe. But there’s more to the Performance Edition than the engine power.

The new performance package is geared toward the enthusiast crowd who want the comfort and safety of a full-size SUV and still appreciate the sporty driving typical of a performance vehicle. Chevrolet boasts about leveraging the proven capability of Chevy’s pursuit-rated police vehicle packages and motorsport successes. In fact, the same engineering team that developed the pursuit-rated Tahoe PPV package for police was also responsible for refining the Performance Edition for the Tahoe RST.

The package adds police-spec springs, retuned dampers, and chassis calibrations, which lower the ride height by 0.4 inches (10 mm) in front and 0.8 inches (20 mm) in the rear. The Brembo brakes in all four corners feature Torch Red calipers and 25% bigger rotors up front, and the brake pedal feel was recalibrated for performance.

With this configuration, the Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition goes from zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in 5.78 seconds (as opposed to 5.95 seconds for the base RST) and reaches a 124-mph (200-kph) top speed on the test track (compared to 112 mph/180 kph). Braking has seen the biggest improvement, with 60-0 mph in 133 feet (40.5 m) instead of 139.4 feet (42.5 m) for the base Tahoe RST. Those Brembo parts sure make all the difference.

What’s best, the improved performance does not hinder the SUV’s capabilities. The Performance Edition offers the same 7,600-pound (3,447-kg) towing capacity as the base RST when equipped with the 6.2-liter engine. The new Performance Edition is exclusively available as an add-on package for the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe RST with the 6.2-liter V8 engine. It has an MSRP of $8,525, which is well worth the money, considering what’s on offer. Besides the performance parts, the customers also get the Luxury Package as a bonus, including a host of active safety and convenience features.