The interior of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe can't possibly hold a candle to what you'll find in the new Escalade, but the good news is that the underlying tech isn't all that different. Plus, when it comes to GM's recent infotainment suites, they pretty much universally work pretty darned well.
The Tahoe continues the trend. Our subject for this overview was a 2021 RST model equipped with the Premium and Rear Seat Entertainment packages, the latter of which comes bundled with integrated navigation. Combined, they add more than $5,000 to the RST's $60,000 sticker price, which landed at $68,485 all-in. At that price, the tech should work pretty darn well, right?
When you're building a Tahoe, you might notice that there's no option for a larger touchscreen. The 10.2-inch unit is standard across the board. Rather than offering upgraded infotainment real estate, Chevy lets you add a larger digital instrument cluster and an entertainment system for your second-row passengers in the form of seatback-mounted screens. Wireless device charging is optional, but wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are part of the standard system.
That's all fine and good, but when you consider that the 2021 Escalade gets a screen that rivals what you'll find at Jerry World, 10.2 inches in a full-size SUV seems rather paltry. The bigger concern is the padded trim that sits between the air vents and the screen's base that makes it difficult to press the handy menu shortcut buttons that remain on screen at all times. Check out the video to see exactly how this works in practice.
Nitpicking aside, we're quite pleased with this system. While there are some usability quirks related to the Tahoe's interior layout and the screen size being a bit stingy, the upside to this layout is that you can actually reach it from the driver's seat without lifting half way out of your seat. Plus, it gives GM's product planners some low-hanging fruit when the Tahoe's mid-cycle refresh comes along in a few years.
Related Video:
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue