When Chevrolet introduced the Avalanche in 2002, many people criticized the truck as being an answer to a question that was yet to be asked.  After more than 350,000 sold, it’s pretty safe to say those doubters were a bit off the mark. 

Now GM’s engineers have been graced with the new GMT-900 platform, a solid foundation from which to build the next-generation Avalanche.  To say that the team has produced a worthy replacement would be a massive understatement.  What’s interesting about the new Avalanche is that GM kept what worked and revamped the rest.  That’s the opposite of what traditionally happens, as automakers throw out the baby with the bath water. 

What makes the Avalanche stand out form the pack is the reconfigurable midgate that expands the bed from a 5-ft., 3-in. shortbox into a full-size 8-ft., 2-in. bed in seconds. This eliminates the need for a bed extender or other aftermarket parts that can be more cumbersome than beneficial.  The midgate is sealed to prevent any potential for water entering the cabin, while the back of the rear seats are covered in a protective material made to withstand scraping and potential damage when loading and unloading larger items.  Another key part GM left intact are the side bed storage bins, which are lockable and feature a drain plug, making them ideal as mobile coolers. 

Massive improvements have been made to the Avalanche’s interior, which was borrowed from the Chevrolet Tahoe.  The overall appearance is a bit more upscale than you might expect from such a multi-purpose vehicle, but that’s a surprising benefit.  Ride and handling have also been vastly improved over the outgoing model, with the suspension tuned for improved road manners.  Chevrolet also deserves a tip of the hat for the upgrades to the powertrain, specifically, the transmission, which executes smooth shifts at various speeds. The 5.3-liter V8 provides more than adequate power in passing and highway driving, while the Flexible Fuel Management system—which switches the engine from 8-cylidner to 4-cylinder operation during lighter operating cycles—keeps fuel economy ratings at a respectable pace. 

Verdict: Chevrolet stays true to the Avalanche’s flexibility foundation, with notable improvements that make this truck even more worthy of consideration.