By Ivo Gievski March 20, 2026 4:45 pm EST
Chevy's full-size SUVs are the only ones left in their category with a front bench seat – or, shall we say, a 40:20:40 split bench with a smaller seat in the middle. Either way, Chevy used the fact that the Tahoe and Suburban are based on the T1 truck platform to give its customers the front bench option. It bumps the seating capacity to nine people, turning these SUVs into van-like people haulers.
The feature is only available on the base LS trim, though. This means that you can only get front bench seating with the 5.3-liter V8 engine paired to a 10-speed automatic. Upgrading to the frugal 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel is only available from the LT trim, while the 420 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 is available from the Z71. Still, with 355 horses on tap, the base V8 is more than capable of moving the Tahoe/Suburban around, even with nine passengers onboard. The larger Suburban even has a massive 42-cubic-foot trunk behind the third row.
The Tahoe and Suburban were updated for the 2025 model year, particularly on the inside. Chevrolet lowered the dashboard to make the cabin airier and implemented a 17.7-inch center infotainment screen alongside an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster. The turbodiesel's output has also been bumped to 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque. At 24 mpg combined in the RWD Tahoe, the 3.0-liter Duramax trumps the base V8's 17 mpg figure. Unfortunately, as we previously stated, you can't have the diesel with a front bench seat.
2026 GMC Sierra 1500
At $38,345 (with destination fees), the Silverado 1500 slips a bit under the Sierra 1500's base price. Because both these trucks are mechanically identical, the Silverado 1500 offers the same cabin room for passengers. It might not be as premium inside, but you can still get close to that luxury with the top-end High Country trim. The tech game is on point, too; as standard, the Silverado 1500 only has a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but from the LT trim onward, that size increases to 13.4 inches. The massive center display is accompanied by a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Fortunately, Chevy also kept many physical controls.
The Silverado 1500 High Country only comes with front bucket seats dressed in perforated leather, though. The off-road oriented ZR2 and generously-equipped LTZ are also only available with two front seats, with every other trim offering a 40:20:40 split front bench seat. Depending on the trim, you can get the three front seats in jet black vinyl/cloth (WT, Custom, Custom Trail Boss), dark Gideon cloth (LT, RST, LT Trail Boss), and jet black/Gideon leather (LT).
Unsurprisingly, the Silverado 1500 features the same engines as the Sierra 1500. The WT trim can be equipped with the turbo four-cylinder engine and the 5.3-liter V8. The Custom Trail Boss and LT can also be optioned with the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel, which we tested in the 2024 Silverado 1500 ZR2. Meanwhile, the 6.2-liter V8 is an option on the RST and LT Trail Boss, but you aren't able to use that engine with a front bench.
2026 Ram 1500
The current-generation Ford F-150 was last updated for the 2024 model year. The upgrade mainly consisted of more advanced tech features, like a standard 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment screen and the Blue Cruise hands-free highway driving system. Ford also broadened the lineup with the off-road-focused Tremor, so now the F-150 is available in eight trims. Out of those, the base F-150 XL comes standard with a 40:20:40 split front bench, available on all cab styles. It's also available on the XLT trim, dressed in vinyl or cloth. However, all other trims can only be equipped with front bucket seats.
Fortunately, there's plethora of engine options for the 2026 F-150. The 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 is the most powerful base engine in the category, producing 325 horsepower and a meaty 400 pound-feet of torque. Ford's 3.5-liter twin-turbo unit comes with 400 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, though the F-150 Raptor has a unit with 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet. There's also a hybrid 3.5-liter option with 430 horsepower and a whopping 578 pound-feet of torque. V8 aficionados can choose between two options: the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter Ti-VCT with 400 horses and 410 pound-feet of torque, and the Raptor R-specific 5.2-liter supercharged monster with a dizzying 720 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. We tested this engine in the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R and it was scary quick, despite being 20 horsepower down. A 10-speed automatic is standard on all engines.
2026 Ford Super Duty
GM's answer to Ford's Power Stroke behemoth is the 6.6-liter Duramax V8 diesel found in the Silverado HD. It isn't nearly as torquey, but come on, 975 pound-feet is still ridiculous in isolation. The 470 horsepower is also competitive compared with Ford's oil burner. Perhaps due to the slightly lower torque, the Silverado HD can tow up to 36,000 pounds – which, again, is outstanding in isolation. As standard, the Silverado HD comes with a 6.6-liter V8 gas engine. With 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque on tap, the gas option can tow up to 19,080 pounds. Both engines are equipped with a 10-speed auto.
Unlike its closest rival, you can have a Silverado HD with front bench seats on four trims. The bench is standard on the WT (vinyl or cloth), Custom (cloth), and LT (cloth/leather) trims. It's also optional on the LTZ trim, where the bench is covered in leather. The off-road-focused ZR2 and upmarket High Country trims only come with bucket leather seats. If you want an off-road-capable truck with a split bench, the Silverado HD Trail Boss package brings off-road goodies to the LT and LTZ. These gooies include Z71 shocks, BF Goodrich K03 all-terrain tires, and skid plates.
Inside, the Silverado HD comes standard with a small 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. A larger 13.4-inch touchscreen is standard in the LT trim and above, accompanied by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Chevy's system comes with built-in Google software, too, meaning you can use the search giant's apps from the truck's infotainment screen.
2026 GMC Sierra HD
Powered by the Cummins 6.7-liter turbodiesel behemoth, Ram's HD trucks beat their GM counterparts with a max towing capacity of 36,610 pounds. And that's despite the inline-six oil burner being down on power, producing only 430 horsepower. As always with trucks, it's the torque figure that matters, and the improved-for-2025 Cummins engine produces 1,075 pound-feet available at just 1,800 rpm. There's also a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine option producing 405 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are equipped with an eight-speed auto as standard.
Inside, the Ram HD trucks beat their rivals in screen size quite dramatically. They come with an 8.4-inch touchscreen as standard, an optional 12.0-inch unit, or a massive 14.5-inch, portrait-oriented center screen. Higher-end models also come with a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Overall, the interior looks attractive and feels premium — and it should, given the base price of $49,450 (with destination fees).
A 40:20:40 split front bench comes standard on the Tradesman model, covered in vinyl or an optional cloth. Meanwhile, the Black Express and Warlock come standard with a cloth bench, while the Big Horn and Lone Star have a premium cloth front bench. The Rebel and Power Wagon also come standard with a cloth split bench, and finally, the Laramie trim brings a leather-trimmed front bench to the table. Ram's HD series offers the most variety of any heavy-duty pickup truck when it comes to front bench seating options, particularly in the higher-end trims.
Context:
Front bench seats survive in just 9 modern vehicles, mostly trucks and large SUVs for maximum passenger capacity.
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These seats offer practical family transport but lack the safety features of modern bucket seats with side bolsters.
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Originally popular in muscle cars and sedans, bench seats could seat six people in regular family cars.