Chevrolet Avalanche Gets a Living Funeral Before Its Demise Next Year

Attention, fans of strange utility vehicle experiments: Chevrolet will send the Avalanche pickup truck packing after just over a decade of production. The Avalanche, which was first introduced in 2001, will stick around for the 2013 model year but won't be resurrected when GM's next-generation body-on-frame SUVs come to market next year. (The pickup shares its platform with the Tahoe/Suburban, which are themselves related to Chevy's full-size trucks.) To celebrate the truck's imminent demise, Chevy is offering the 2013 Avalanche only in special Black Diamond guise. But before we outline the Avalanche's funeral attire, here's a brief synopsis of what the truck is all about. From the outside, it appears to be a crew-cab pickup; however, inside it features an aperture between the bed and the cabin that Chevy calls a "midgate." (Get it? It's like a tailgate, but, uh, in the middle of the truck.) Opening the midgate extends the bed into the passenger compartment to expand the rig's cargo capacity. If you're wondering what the difference is between the Avalanche and, say, a Silverado Crew Cab—well, besides the midgate—the past few years apparently consumers began to ask the same question. Avalanche sales have been steadily declining since their peak in 2003, when Chevy sold a little over 90,000 of them; last year only about 20,000 units found new homes. The Black Diamond kit brings body-color trim around the bed and on the flying buttresses aft of the rear doors, as well as more standard equipment for both the LS and LT models. A backup camera, rear park assist, power adjustable pedals, fog lamps, and remote start is now standard on the 2013 LS Black Diamond; LT models add the backup camera as standard, as well. In addition to the standard equipment, Chevy also plans to lower the prices for the LS, LT, and carry-over LTZ models. So far, the company has only released a price for the 2013 LS, which will start at $36,975—$820 less than 2012. The Avalanche likely will be buried next to other SUV/pickup truck curiosities such as the GMC XUV and the Hummer H2 SUT, and will be survived by the Honda Ridgeline. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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