GM SUVs Get Better Fuel Economy Ratings for 2021

New EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL are out, and it looks like loyal customers will be delighted with the improved city MPG numbers.

For the coming model year, the Suburban and the two Yukons are getting a complete redesign. This paves the way for the addition of an independent suspension that allows more cargo space for the models. In addition, they are now offered with three engine options—the 5.3-liter, 6.2-liter gasoline V-8 engine, or an optional turbo-diesel inline-six—which will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Considering their size, the models show a slight decrease in highway ratings. But this is offset by the increase in city driving estimates.

The new 2021 Suburban equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8 now sports a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 18 mpg for a rear-wheel-drive variant and 17 mpg with an all-wheel-drive setup. Meanwhile, Suburbans with a 6.2-liter engine get a combined 17 mpg with the rear-wheel-drive and 16 mpg with all-wheel-drive.

The 2021 GMC Yukon powered by a 5.3-liter V-8 gets a combined fuel economy rating of 18 mpg, 16 mpg city, and 20 mpg on the highway regardless if its a rear- or all-wheel-drive variant. The AWD Yukon equipped with a 6.2-liter V-8 has a combined rating of 16 mpg.

The Yukon XL, on the other hand, gets a combined EPA estimate of 18 mpg for the rear-drive model and 17 mpg for the all-wheel-drive model equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8. Finally, the Yukon XL with the 6.2-liter engine has a combined estimated rating of 16 mpg for the rear-wheel-drive and 14 mpg for the all-wheel-drive.

Asked why the fuel economy numbers for the SUVs changed this time around, a representative for GMC told online publication Car and Driver, “The next-gen 2021 Yukon is larger in all ways than the previous generation.”