Chevy Avalanche is sport utility truck, was first introduced 2002 and it’s successfully rolling out of the assemble line till date. This truck is very different from convectional truck, what makes it different is a midgate that extends the bed area through a opening back seat passing through a folding panel and a rear window that can be removed. And there are many features for its bed to keep it water proof.
To give the truck adventure positioning in the minds of the prospects the truck is named as Avalanche, a situation that appears on Snow Mountains where there is a sudden collapse of snow.
The Chevrolet Avalanche truck also has features like self draining ice chests.
According to usnews.rankingsandreviews.com Chevrolet Avalanche ranks #1 and is followed by Honda Ridgeline, Cadillac Escalade and Ford Explorer.
Avalanche is offered with three trim levels, base LS, the LT and Avalanche LTZ. All of the trims are offered with a single engine option, a 5.3 liter V8 that crunches around 310 horsepower and 335 lb ft of torque. All the engine power is taken to wheels through a six speed auto transmission. The car has received positive critics; being large it is easy to ride on open roads but can face serious maneuverability issues in tight places.
Avalanche is rated a Sport Utility Truck because from the interior it’s a SUV but unlike SUV it has open pickup bed. Avalanche is added with multifunctional option. The most talked feature is what Chevrolet markets as a “midgate”. It’s a gate that opens behind the rear seats and by folding the rear seats the cargo area extends giving more than 8 feet of space which is useful for hauling larger items.
Avalanche is powerful, styled and capable but is priced higher than most of other utility trucks in the segment. As the truck comes with multifunctional features many buyers prefer to pay a premium price.
On the performance side Avalanche is a truck and doesn’t give a car like feel, however the car like feel can be traded off for hauling, trucking and off road capabilities.
The 5.3 liter V8 is equipped with Active Fuel Management. The engine shuts down its four cylinders when the vehicle is cruising, when there not much power demanding situation, saving on running cost of four cylinders.
The power from moving pistons is either taken to rear wheels standard or four wheels as option. A special off road trim is also available Z71, which features Z71 suspension, off road tires, 18 inch wheels, locking rear differentials and a Skid Plate package to protect the under carriage.
Chevrolet Avalanche is a weekender and not suitable to be used for construction company. Avalanche has become the choice for weekenders with heavy pockets. The very new midgate allows pickup bed to extend with rear seats folded and midgate removed which is a partition between the pickup bed and the rear seating. Hauling capacity on the rear wheel drive Avalanche is 1,408 pounds and for 4WD it adds up to 1,487 pounds.
Keeping in mind what weekenders tow i.e. a boat or a ATV/raptor the V8 is capable enough to pull up to 7,200 pounds.
Chevrolet offers a three year/36,000 mile limited warranty and in addition Avalanche gets a year year/100,000 mile drivetrain and further extending it gets a five year/100,000 mile road assistance.
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