2007 Chevrolet Avalanche Preview

Mention Chevrolet trucks and most of us think of pickup beds, trips to the home and garden center, maybe towing a boat or trailer, and some probably envision their daily ride to the work site. However, it’s fair to say few of us picture corn, though Chevrolet executives are intent on changing that. Due to arrive in the spring of 2006, the 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche is the newest addition to Chevy’s lineup of vehicles capable of running on E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, providing a viable alternative to our dependence on fossil fuels via home-grown corn. But, there’s more to this truck than its hunger for vegetables. New engines offer more power, updated styling is borrowed from the redesigned 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban models, and new features like a central locking tailgate add a touch of extra convenience.

What it is

Chevy’s Avalanche pickup was the first to hit the market with a midgate, allowing the truck to go from a six-passenger crew cab with a short bed to a three-passenger ride with room for an eight-foot sheet of plywood. With the back seat folded, the rear window comes out and the rear cab wall folds down, providing a full-size bed. This innovation offered a new level of versatility for truck buyers, and Cadillac made it available for luxury shoppers with the Escalade EXT, a model that is effectively a rebadged Chevrolet Avalanche.

Why it matters

Regardless of whether it’s a Dodge, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, or Nissan – we’re a nation of truck lovers. True, most of us would do just as well with the utility of a Kia Rio or Honda Civic, but that doesn’t change the fact that we love the image that comes with a pickup. The 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche offers the best of both worlds, with comfortable seating and interior accommodations for up to six passengers, yet offering added flexibility and the cargo hauling capability of a true long bed truck. The midgate design has been so successful that Cadillac has rebadged the Avalanche for its customers, Subaru has adapted the technology for use in the Baja, and the new Rampage concept truck is Dodge’s first foray into the extendable bed arena. Chevy is a leader in this niche, and updating the Avalanche is one way to maintain that position.

What’s under the hood

Two-wheel-drive versions of the 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche draw power from a 5.3-liter V8 pushing 320 horsepower and 340 lb.-ft. of torque, while the four-wheel-drive Avalanche gets the same motor with 310 horses and 335 lb.-ft. of twist. Both are E85 compatible, feature GM’s Active Fuel Management displacement-on-demand system for fuel savings, and are connected to a four-speed automatic transmission. A 6.0-liter V8, with Active Fuel Management but not corn-fed, will be released after the truck’s spring 2006 launch.

What’s inside

Three trims are available – LS, LT, and LTZ, though a Z71 is slated for later in the model year. Among the features found on the 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche are a rear park assist system, a rearview camera, a new touch-screen navigation system, an upgraded rear DVD system with an eight-inch screen, and a remote-starting feature. There’s also a central locking tailgate controlled by the door switches or the keyless remote, and optional side-curtain airbags for both rows.

What it looks like

Chevy engineers have obviously put a lot of work into the 2007 Avalanche’s powertrains and features, but what prospective buyers will notice first is the updated styling. The new front end, with smoked headlights and a clean wrap-around grille, is shared with the new Tahoe, the track has been widened front and rear for a more aggressive stance and improved handling, and tighter gap tolerances accent the truck’s appearance. Inside is a redesigned dash, a simpler and more attractive center console, all built with higher quality plastics.

What Chevrolet says

According to Ed Peper, Chevy’s General Manager, “Avalanche is a vehicle without peers, selling more than 379,500 units from its spring 2001 launch through December 2005. Avalanche’s flexibility, from its SUV comfort and ingenious midgate to its new family of flex-fuel-capable engines, delivers a truly unique combination of cargo and passenger options.”

What we think

When the Chevrolet Avalanche first debuted, we were instant fans of the folding midgate coupled with up to six-passenger seating, though the style was a few plastic pillars beyond appealing, and the interior was riddled with typical GM buttons and cheap plastic from hell. The 2007 model addresses most of those concerns, with an upgraded interior that’s a huge improvement, exterior styling that is gorgeous despite those triangular rear pillars, and a couple of potent engines. Plus, there’s GM’s promise of better build quality, though the examples we’ve seen thus far still have some hill to climb. Even so, the 2007 Chevy Avalanche looks to be a step above its predecessor in every regard.

When you can buy it

Chevy lots everywhere will start receiving the redesigned Avalanche during the spring of 2006. Pricing has not been announced, but GM’s new focus on value should keep this model competitive.

Photos courtesy of Chevrolet