2007 Chevrolet Avalanche

The Chevy Avalanche dawned in the new millennium in 2001 and I remember thinking of it as a Transformer toy at the time because of the unique Midgate.

This folding rear cabin wall extended the cargo ability of the Avalanche as well as (in its closed position) maximizing its people-carrying ability in a full four-door cabin configuration that also made it unique at a time when crew cabs were almost exclusively the domain of heavy-duty trucks.

In the past five years, crew cabs have become widely available, but the Midgate remains exclusive to GM. For many buyers that will be reason enough to continue to view the Avalanche as unique.

For 2007, the transforming part of the Avalanche remains, but thankfully the Star Wars-like plastic battle cladding has gone the way of parachute pants.

The new look, on the other hand, is as straightforward as a hard right to the chin: clean lines with a bold face thanks to the redesigned Chevy Tahoe, which set the pace last fall and has lent its look to pretty much every truck across the GM model lines.

But despite a strong consumer following, the second-generation Avalanche was introduced almost bashfully at the Chicago Auto Show in March. The spotlight instead was aimed at GM's plan to encourage the use of ethanol-based fuels.

My early production Chevy Avalanche tester was equipped with this promising new engine: the FlexFuel 5.3 L V8 can run on E85 (85 per cent ethanol) or regular gas and is also fitted with GM's Active Fuel Management, which incorporates on-demand V8 power and V4 cruising mode.

When not cruising, AFM automatically switches back to V8 mode with a transition so seamless that it doesn't result in any feeling of engine lag. This was particularly evident as I watched the instantaneous mode readout in the dashboard display switching back and forth, every few seconds sometimes, and yet I felt nothing. The fuel savings are said to be up to 10 per cent a year from this feature alone.

On a recent road trip to explore the FlexFuel system, , the new roomier interior in the Avalanche made a comfortable retreat for four adults, despite bad weather.

This redesign includes a new instrument panel that offers a deeper windshield and a dashboard finished in a pebbled surface that actually has a colour.

Everywhere gaps have been tightened and surfaces are nicely flush throughout. The overall look is upscale and elegant.

Among the many new (and optional) features is an audio/navigation lineup that includes CD/MP3-compatible sound system, enhanced DVD entertainment system including a touch-screen navigation radio, rear parking assist, heated windshield wiper fluid system, power, heated camper-style mirrors (with a reverse tilt-down feature) and rain-sensing wipers.

The bed on the Avalanche is particularly suited to bad weather as it's completely sealed with a three-piece hard cargo cover.

Along with the Midgate, the cover and pop-out rear window offer multiple conversion options, including an extended cargo box that is over 2.4 metres long.

There are also two lockable top-box storage lockers, one on either side of the truck, ideal for tools or emergency road items. For the first time, all this is locked up with just a push of the keyless entry remote.

With four of us in the truck cab, a weekend's worth of luggage was stowed in the back, safe and dry. That's the upside. The trade-off is a box width of just 122 cm.

This shortcoming highlights the fact that the Avalanche is not a "truck" in the strictest definition of the term. There is no separation between cab and box and it's not built on a traditional ladder frame. In fact, it has much more in common with the Chevy Tahoe SUV than with the Silverado pickup. So it's not surprising that under the new tin, it also shares a new frame, wheelbase and safety features as found on the redesigned 2007 Tahoe.

Avalanche uses the Tahoe's new fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. This results in wider front and rear tracks on the Avalanche that enhances its handling and lowers its centre of gravity for a more confident road feel.

A steeply raked windshield and smoother roofline also improve its aerodynamics, which in turn enhances its fuel economy on the highway. That and other features also reduce road noise.

The new truck also benefits from the addition of head curtain side-impact airbags that also include a rollover sensor. This safety measure works in tandem with GM's StabiliTrak system, which continuously monitors steering angle, wheel speeds, brake pressure and lateral acceleration.

Avalanche also has four-wheel anti-lock brakes, refined crumple zones on its body and frame, as well as AutoTrac 4x4, which has an auto mode setting that adjusts to changing road conditions automatically.

This 4WD system can automatically lock the rear differential to get it moving if wheel slippage occurs, but the system also has manual 2WD, 4WDlock and 4WDlock low-range settings.

These selectable ranges are going to be useful down at the boat launch as this truck is rated to tow up to 3,720 kg. Every version of the Avalanche comes with a factory tow package that includes a weight-distributing hitch platform with hitch receiver, seven-pin wiring connector and a trailer brake wiring harness.

This Avalanche, with its lowered centre of gravity, tows easily with a firm, noticeably widened, footprint. Power is more than adequate and even if you are nearing the tow weight limit, the truck features a tow-haul transmission mode that will hold the lower gears longer to max out the available torque.

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