Chevrolet introduced
its one-of-a kind concept version of the groundbreaking Avalanche
during the 2000 NAIAS amidst a man-made storm of snow and heavy
fog.
Save for
the molded body cladding along the rocker panels and bumpers, the
truck you see here is pretty much the same truck you will be able
to purchase in early 2001. And if you use your imagination to substitute
the bow tie and "power bar" from the grille with the Cadillac
crest and wreath you can almost make out what the luxury version
of this truck will look like, also set to debut in 2001.
"The
Avalanche combines the roominess of the Surburban-style first- and
second-row seating with the practicality of a Silverado-style cargo
box," explained Chevrolet General Manager Kurt Ritter.
After having
seen the initial Avalanche photos,
released in early January, several members of the truck community
expressed some dissatisfaction with its appearance. Many seem to
have changed that opinion after having seen this truck in person.
Though in the
same category of vehicle as the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, the Avalanche
has taken a radically
Note
the separate bed and body found on the F-150 SuperCrew (Left)
versus the unibody construction used in the Avalanche
different
route by actually integrating the bed with the rest of the truck
into a single unibody. This integration plays a vital role in the
function, flexibility and adaptability of the Avalanche. The exterior
sail panel, which began as a design attempt to smooth the transition
from the cab to the bed, actually provides additional body stiffness
and increased structural integrity.
During
the design of the Avalanche Chevrolet looked at three possible sizes
for the truck - extended cab size, Tahoe size and Suburban size.
Early sketches were actually based on an Avalanche the same size
as the extended cab Silverado but the design team finally decided
the truck needed its own unique look and chose to create a Suburban-sized
truck instead.
The Avalanche
is built on a derivative of the GM full-size truck platform and
also uses a hydroformed frame for higher structural integrity.
