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[August 27, 2006]

Never a looker, new Chevy looking better than ever

(Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Aug. 27--The Chevrolet Avalanche is like some blind dates: Not very attractive, but possessing a great personality. Credit the Avalanche's DNA; it isn't a pickup or an SUV. It's both.

Basically, the Avalanche is a fourdoor, five-passenger pickup truck with a rear cabin wall that folds down, extending the cargo bed from 5.3 to 8.2 feet in length. The removable, hard-plastic bed cover keeps cargo secure and weather-tight. Two small, lockable compartments on the side of the bed function as tool boxes (a locking lid keeps things secure) or beverage coolers (drain holes allow you to fill the compartments with ice.) How's that for practicality? Evidently, Honda thought so, having copied the whole concept for its Ridgeline pickup.

For 2007, the redesigned Avalanche employs GM's new large-truck platform, sharing sheet metal and engineering refinements with the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Silverado pickup truck.

Available in base LS, mid-level LT and full-zoot LTZ trim levels, the halfton Avalanche comes with rear-wheelor four-wheel-drive. The four-wheeldrive can be used on dry pavement and includes an automatic mode.

The standard 5.3-liter V8 gets a 25-horsepower bump, and is now rated at 320-horsepower. GM's active fuel management system, which deactivates up to four cylinders under light loads, is standard on either engine. A 6-liter, 366-horsepower V8 will become available later this year. A four-speed automatic is the sole transmission.

Need to tow your trailer or boat?

Rear-drive models can tow up to 8,000 pounds; four-wheel-drive models can tow up to 7,800 pounds. Stability control, traction control, rollover sensors are standard. An off-road package, self-leveling suspension, side-curtain airbags, rear parking assist, GPS navigation and DVD entertainment system are optional.

But it's the Avalanche's load-carrying flexibility that makes it special. Is the cargo bed too small? Fold the rear seats. Then, unlock the panel underneath the rear window and fold it forward. That's it. You can now haul 4x8 sheets of plywood in a weather tight, locked space. The entire surface is lined in a hard, plastic surface. The rear window is removable. Three interlocking panels seal the lined cargo bed. They can be stowed vertically along the side of the bed. Straps are provided to hold them in place.

For a truck that works hard, the Avalanche plays gently. With a new frame and suspension, the ride is extremely refined for a truck-based vehicle. Ride motions are very well controlled. Grip is excellent, thanks to 20-inch tires. The short bed and tight turning radius make this truck easy to maneuver in tight parking lots around Hampton Roads, whether negotiating The Virginian-Pilot's own parking lot or the local Home Depot. Road noise was well supressed.

This sophisticated demeanor is mirrored by the truck's styling, which exchanges the old truck's clumsy looks for suave new lines.

The interior, opulently trimmed in leather and woodgrain, mimics the exterior style. The Avalanche's controls were easy to use and operate. The generously-optioned test vehicle had all the mod cons, including a DVD player and an optional rear-mounted back-up camera, which makes parking lot gymnastics easy.

Parking may have been easy, but fueling wasn't. Although the EPA rates the Avalanche at 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, the barely-brokenin test vehicle returned just 14 mpg. It can run on E85 ethanol, if the fuel ever shows up in Hampton Roads.

The Avalanche boasts all the sophistication, style and rugged ability of larger Chevy trucks in a smaller, easy-to-handle package that's more appealing than ever. It is very much like a Swiss army knife with four tires, and it's even good looking.

And that's one date worth keeping.

-- Reach Larry Printz at (757) 446-2220 or larry.printz@pilotonline.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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