GM introduced the ninth generation of the Suburban in 1999, and it was another proof that people didn't need a minivan to carry eight people inside.
The behemoth-sized SUV was based on the trustworthy GMT830 chassis used for the GMC Silverado/GMC Sierra pickup. It could handle rugged terrain, punishing roads, and pull heavy trailers. It had only two enemies: fuel consumption and winding roads.
The Suburban was the workhorse of the family. It wasn't luxurious or fancy. It was more of a redneck wearing Wranglers and a pair of boots who could go to a five-star resort and ask for a beer in a red cup. At the front, the Suburban featured a dual headlight system with rounded edges and a chromed slat that crossed the front fascia from left to right. It was slightly shorter, narrower, and with a shorter wheelbase than its predecessor. In the back, the Suburban featured a classic tailgate with a flip-up window, good to throw some groceries in the trunk.
Inside, it was available in a few seating configurations, but the standard was with three rows with a couple of seats at the front and three on each of the other two rows. The dashboard looked similar to the one installed in the Chevrolet Silverado, with a tall instrument cluster extended over the center stack. A wide and tall center console separated the front wide bucket seats. All of the other seats could have been folded or removed to increase the trunk.
Under the hood, Chevrolet installed a choice of three engines ranged between 5.3-liters and 8.1-liters paired to a standard four-speed automatic transmission.