The Chevrolet Avalanche first entered the market in 2001, offering a unique pickup option to the auto industry with its back seat area only separated from its open bed by a folding panel. Though it has been discontinued, the Avalanche was a consistent contender in the sport-utility truck segment and is still recognizable on roads today.
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The Avalanche was first introduced in 2001 and was based on the same platform as the Chevy Suburban and Cadillac Escalade EXT. Manufactured at General Motors’ plant in Silao, Mexico, the sport utility truck offered both the convenience of a family-friendly SUV and the cargo space of a pickup, appealing to consumers who lived hard-working lifestyles. The Avalanche had a few different engine options at its debut, including a massive 8.1-liter V8 paired to a four-speed automatic transmission. In its final generation, which started in 2007, the Avalanche was instead powered by a 5.3-liter V8.
A special North Face Edition of the Avalanche was available during the truck’s first-generation and added features that matched the outdoorsy lifestyle brand. This included an Ebony/Green leather interior, limited exterior colors, exclusive exterior accents and decals, OnStar, special door panel inserts and speaker grilles, white-faced gauges, and more. And even in 2003, the Avalanche was ahead of its time with an available rear DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones.
During its second generation, a 2007 Avalanche was the prize awarded to the MVP at the MLB All-Star Game, Michael Young. The Avalanche has made appearances in other forms of media and pop culture outside of sports, too. The model was frequently used on CSI: New York by members of the investigation team. Additionally, an Avalanche LTZ was featured in the 2017 film Baby Driver.
Throughout its lifetime, the Avalanche did win some awards, including Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year in 2002. It was also nominated for the North American Truck of the Year Award in 2002 but lost to the Chevy TrailBlazer. Sadly, it was announced in 2012 that the Chevy Avalanche would be discontinued after the 2013 model year. However, after some recent buzz from various auto journalists wishing for a comeback of the truck, there’s no telling what will happen in the future!
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Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.