When was the chevy avalanche introduced

Recognizing the appeal of the Avalanche, Chevrolet and other truck makers began developing light-duty crew cab pickups. By , crew cabs accounted for more than 65 percent of light-duty pickup sales, and helped transform the pickup from a workhorse into a true multipurpose family vehicle.

Through it all, Avalanche retained a core of passionate fans who loved its style, comfort, and versatility. Avalanche also has been top choice in a number of consumer publications. It opens to extend the cargo-area from 5-footinch-long 1. Storage compartments alongside the cargo box provide ample and lockable storage with pluggable drains that can be filled with ice and used as coolers. It is powered by an efficient combination that includes the Vortec 5.

Avalanche also delivers useful technology and comprehensive safety features, including Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity with specific steering wheel controls, standard rear camera system, head curtain side-impact air bags and StabiliTrak electronic stability control.

The standout feature was a panel located behind the rear seat. With the rear seat folded flat, and the rear window and panel lowered, a large opening was created into the passenger compartment. The benefit was a big boost in cargo capacity. Long objects, which would have hung beyond the tailgate, now could be pushed several feet into the passenger compartment.

The GM guy was specifically interested in that rear panel, which opened into the passenger compartment. I told him everything we heard from that automaker and industry insiders was reported in Automotive News and the verdict was production approval was expected.

That was not the response he was hoping to hear. The tone of his voice was clearly one of displeasure as he described what apparently was perceived as a herculean assignment. A few years later a four-door model hit the streets. Cadillac got a model, too, the Escalade EXT. With the midgate closed, the bed stretched a little over five feet. But with the midgate open, there was more than eight feet of space, stretching from the closed tailgate to the backs of the front seats.

The models were equipped with a tonneau over the bed, too. It recorded over 93, sales in and sparked the interest of other manufacturers, who began to produce other light-duty crew cab pickups. In , Chevrolet added a crew cab option to the Silverado lineup thanks to the success of the Avalanche. However, this move put the two trucks in direct competition with one another.

Chevy eventually decided that the trucks were too similar to keep producing both, so the company did away with the Avalanche and re-focused the budget toward the Silverado.

Are you a Chevy Avalanche owner? What's your favorite part about your Avalanche? Edmunds reviewers rated the model at 4.