Not many trim packages have excellent brand recognition, but Chevrolet’s Z71 comes close. Chevy currently slaps that letter and those two numbers on the sides of four models — the Tahoe and Suburban SUVs, the Colorado midsize pickup, plus various permutations of the Silveradopickup.
Today, Z71 merits its own trim level on the SUVs and the Colorado. At the same time, the Silverado carries over the tradition of keeping the off-road bits as availableoption packages on various trim levels.
While Z71 may seem like a somewhat recent thing for Chevy, the package — and its name — dates back nearly 35 years. To understand what Z71 means, we need to flip the calendar back to 1970 when General Motors (GM) streamlined how it categorized equipment. The then-new Regular Production Option (RPO) codes corresponded to just about any feature that could be fitted to a vehicle at the factory, ranging from simple parts such as radios to more complex assemblies including engines, transmissions, and differentials.
Over the years, GM occasionally reused RPO codes, but many have become clear identifiers. Someone seeking authenticity in a 1970-or-newer GM vehicle need only find the RPO code sticker, which may be located anywhere from the glove box to behind a trim panel. Additionally, GM’s Heritage Center can usually pull up and email (for a small fee) an original dealer invoice, which will list out all the RPO codes that applied to the vehicle when it was new.
Generally, RPO codes are of more value to fans of 1970s muscle cars or sporty models like the Camaro and Corvette. Still, theyapply to everything from a Chevy Cavalier to a Cadillac ELR.
In 1988, GM redesigned its Chevrolet and GMC pickups with crisp, squared-off lines inside and out that stood in marked contrast to less-sophisticated, fussier styling on Ford and Dodge rivals. The trucks were decidedly modern, though buyers could still spec them out in basic trim. If you find one in Cheyenne trim with an RPO sticker almost devoid of codes, it would have come out of the factory with blanking plates for its radio and its climate control vents. It came only with a windshield defroster and floor vents.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, you might find one with many features, including a digital climate control panel and gauges, plus what Chevy and GMC marketed as the “Off-Road Chassis Package” containing skid plates, Bilstein shocks, and a few other parts. GM didn’t call it Z71, but that’s what the package was.
It took until 1992 for GM to realize that shoppers were wise to the RPO code, at which time the automaker started slapping Z71 stickers on the rear quarter panels of its full-size Chevy and GMC pickups. Not long after, the same package arrived for the full-size Blazer, a 2-door SUV that eventually spawned the Tahoe.
In late 1995, GM made one of its best moves, introducing the Tahoe, a 4-door SUV sized between the Blazer and the Suburban. The Tahoe came with a limited lineup aimed at mainstream buyers, not those who wanted to go off-road. Even though Chevy offered skid plates and Bilsteins, 4-door models didn’t get a Z71 package until 2000. Then, in a genuinely odd turn of events, Chevy redesigned mainstream LS and LT versions of the Tahoe but kept the old model around for two costlier special editions. The Tahoe Limited came only in a 2-wheel-drive configuration with a lowered suspension.
The Tahoe Z71, however, marked the first time Chevy offered the RPO as its own trim level. It had unique wheels, color-matched bumpers, and a brush guard, and the package lasted only a year before being resurrected as its own trim level for 2001 with the redesigned body. Even though its bones dated back a dozen years, it was a popular choice. Here’s a tan one for under $10,000 at a used car dealer in Killeen, Texas.
Since then, Chevy has offered Tahoe and Suburban Z71 versions, even with 2-wheel drive. The most recent models go further with a different front fascia design improving the approach angle.
When it comes to pickups, both Chevy and GMC went down the same path by offering the Z71 suspension as a stand-alone option until the mid-2010s. At that time, GMC bundled the Z71 package with a new All-Terrain model. By 2019, GMC no longer advertised Z71, even though buyers can fit its trucks with essentially the same package of components you’d pay about $1,000 for on most Silverado trim levels. See Chevrolet models for sale
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