Chevrolet · 2001–2013

Chevrolet Avalanche

The Chevrolet Avalanche is a four-door, five- or six-passenger full-size pickup truck that was manufactured by General Motors and marketed by its Chevrolet division. The Avalanche was a hybrid between the Chevrolet Suburban SUV and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, sharing the chassis with the Suburban. Unlike a typical pickup truck where the bed is mounted separately from the cab on the frame, the bed of the Avalanche was integrated with the cab body. It prominently featured a "midgate" behind the second row of seats that could be folded inward and down, with the seats, to create a longer bed area. The Avalanche was manufactured across two generations starting in 2001 and ending in 2013. Breaking with a long-standing tradition, the Avalanche was available solely as a Chevrolet model without a GMC variant. Instead, Cadillac marketed a re-badged Avalanche. The midgate design would be adapted for use on the GMC Envoy XUV and Hummer H2 SUT.

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First generation (2001–2006)

The Avalanche was launched in September 2001 as a 2002 model on the GMT800 platform. First year Avalanches featured light gray plastic body cladding, intended to provide visual distinction from the Suburban/Yukon XL. The Avalanche also gave the public an advance look at the next generation of front fascia designs for the entire GM line. A full width chrome strip splits each lamp assembly and the grille, with a gold Chevrolet "bow tie" in the center. The hood and fenders featured aggressive folds, in contrast to the softer designs seen on other models built on the GMT800 platform. Avalanche was nominated for the North American SUV of the Year award and was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 2002. The Avalanche was originally marketed as being able to "change from an SUV to a super SUV." This was made possible by a plastic cover and an exclusive "midgate," marketed by GM as the Convert-a-Cab system, which could open and close. The midgate was a divider behind the second row of seats that could be folded inward and down, with the seats, to create a longer bed area, or folded up to make a larger cab area. A similar midgate was found on the Subaru Baja (2003–2006), Cadillac Escalade EXT (a rebadged Avalanche), Hummer H2 SUT, and GMC Envoy XUV. The truck was offered as a half-ton 1500 series with a Vortec 5.3L V8 producing 285 hp (216 kW) or as a three-quarter-ton 2500 series with a Vortec 8.1L V8 with 340 hp (253 kW) and the 4L85-E four-speed transmission. The base layout is rear-wheel drive, but there is an available with selectable high/low four-wheel drive. Avalanche 2500 models from 2004 to 2006 were exclusively available with four-wheel drive. A Z71 Off-Road package was available with off-road suspension, GM's AutoTrac full-time push-button four-wheel-drive

Second generation (2007–2013)

The second generation Avalanche was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2006 with production using the GMT900 platform and commencing at the Silao Assembly plant in April 2006. The Avalanche again combined the front end styling of its rebadged variants, the Tahoe/Yukon along with the midgate and integrated bed as found on the previous generation. The Avalanche mirrored the standard and available features of the Suburban and the Tahoe. The 2500 model of the previous generation was discontinued. A special Z71 package was offered for the second-generation Avalanche, available on the LT trim with either the 2LT or 3LT option groups. This off-road package consisted of a suspension tuned for rough terrain, an exclusive automatic-locking rear differential, aluminum under-body skid plates (visible from the front of the truck), wheel flares, badges, wheels, and tires. The steering system was revised from the traditional recirculating-ball to a rack-and-pinion also found in the Tahoe and Suburban 1500. Later models introduced another version of the Vortec 5.3-liter V8 as the engine is now capable of running on E85 ethanol. On normal gasoline, it produces 320 hp (239 kW) and 335 lb⋅ft (454 N⋅m) of torque, whereas on E85, its output rises to 326 hp (243 kW) and 348 lb⋅ft (472 N⋅m) of torque, up from 310 hp (231 kW) and 335 lb⋅ft (454 N⋅m) in 2009. A 2007 Avalanche was given away to the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Michael Young. For the 2009 model year, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system was added to all Avalanche models, and was integrated with the vehicle's OnStar telematics system, and the 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission was replaced with the 6L80-E unit for both engines. Following the 2009 model year, the 6.0L V8 en

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Specifications

name

Chevrolet Avalanche

Manufacturer

General Motors

Production

2001–2013

Class

Full-size pickup truck

Body style

4-door pickup truck

Assembly

Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico (GM Silao Plant)

Layout

Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive

Wheelbase

130.0 in

Designer

Marc R. Asposito

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q648394CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_AvalancheCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373009624 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2nd_Chevrolet_Avalanche_--_10-31-2009.jpgPublic domain · Photo: IFCAR · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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