Although the Chevrolet Avalanche has unfortunately been discontinued, its legacy lives on to this day. The Avalanche was a pickup truck variant of the Suburban full-size SUV, joining the Chevy lineup as a very unique utility. Perhaps its most noteworthy feature was its mid-gate setup, which allowed the Avalanche to be transformed from a Crew Cab pickup with a Short Bed to a Regular Cab with a Long Bed. And for those who may have never come into contact with the mid-gate, this video demonstrates exactly how this process works.
The Chevrolet Avalanche was produced from 2001 to 2013. It was originally marketed for its ability to “change from an SUV to a super SUV”. This was made possible by a tonneau cover and the exclusive aforementioned mid-gate – a divider behind the second row of seats that could be folded down (along with the rear seats).
Folding the divider down resulted in a longer bed area that extended far into the cabin. Folding the mid-gate up created a larger cab. The Cadillac Escalade EXT was a variant (twin) of the Avalanche for Cadillac. The GMC Envoy XUV and Hummer H2 SUT also featured a mid-gate.
The mid-gate folded down on the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche (photo courtesy of TruckTrend.com)
According to an exclusive GM Authority report, the Chevrolet Avalanche was discontinued due to a business-level decision that saw to maximize sales and profits of the Silverado. Though several pleas have been made for GM to bring the Avalanche back to market, we know of no plans to actually do so. But hey, we can always dream of a future Chevy Avalanche – as we did with this Chevrolet Avalanche rendering.
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Comments
i get turned on by my AV and krypton green M&Ms. see ya at the midgate!!
^_^
The Avalanche was just poorly marketed. I was in the market for a pickup and my wife liked the look of the Avalanche. I was not a fan of the short bed (I wanted an 8 ft bed) but I did like the ability to drive 5 people as I’m a “weekend home project warrior” and drive my family during the week.
When I found out about the midgate – my eyes exploded. This is THE truck for weekend Home Depot families. I purchased a used Avalanche in 2018 and absolutely LOVE the truck. You can take the back window out on a hot summer day and the rear is still waterproof. This truck is EXACTLY what I was looking for. When I bring the truck into the shop for routine oil changes, the mechanics go crazy over the truck. They all say the same thing “I cannot believe they stopped making the midgate”. I’ve carried multiple 8×4 pieces of sheetrock. I’ve carried 10 ft 2x4s. Everytime I do it, I get at least 1 person who stops to say “How did you do that?”
Such a shame they stopped making the Avalanche because this was (and still is) an innovative truck that can carry a family, can carry a room full of 8×4 sheetrock panels AND still park in your garage.
If the truck didn’t have the cracked dashboard issue, I would seriously buy another one. I only wish the 2500 version of the Avalanche didn’t get discontinued. If the Silverado had a midgate – I would buy one. But there is no difference between the Ram, F150 or Silverado so I likely would not buy another GM (based on how they’ve handled the cracked dashboard issue).
I am currently an owner of a 2011 Chevy Avalanche and find its fold down mid-gate feature to be a tremendous benefit over the normal bed of a typical pick-up truck. I renovate houses and found this feature to be invaluable. In conjunction with the cargo covers, it allows me to transport longer supplies completely stored and protected from the weather elements and without having to hang items off/on top of the tailgate. I use a lot of renovation supplies that are longer than 5.5ft long (ex, 4×8 sheets, doors, etc). I simply leave on the cargo/bed covers and fold down the mid-gate (leaving the rear window glass in place) to create a full 8ft bed that it totally protected from the rain, snow, etc. It also allows me to transport even longer materials that one would normally have to transport via inconvenient roof racks that require tie-downs, etc. People unfamiliar with the Avalanche are amazed and envious of the mid-gate feature whenever they see me easily loading materials in my vehicle. You need to somehow bring this feature back, either in a renewed Avalanche offering or perhaps as an option in the Silverado.
I’ve seen advertisements for new multi-function tailgates, but I think the tailgate features are not nearly as useful as a mid-gate design. They are focusing on features in the wrong area! Wouldn’t people want to store long materials INSIDE a vehicle with a mid-gate feature rather using cumbersome tailgate features that still put materials hanging outside of the vehicle?? Am I biased towards the mid-gate feature … yes. However, just think of the marketing campaign/fun you can have bringing back the mid-gate feature and comparing to the new band-aid tailgate designs. Think of how many millennials would rather have a mid-gate feature that is more versatile and convenient to use! This feature would even be an eye-catcher to old dogs like me that simply just didn’t know such feature ever existed. No charge for these marketing ideas, btw.
Lastly, I’m hoping to keep my Avalanche running for a few more years, but it won’t last forever. If you are not already working to bring this feature back, please start immediately! I don’t want to have to replace my Avalanche with a ‘typical’ pick-up truck again. I’m a loyal Chevy owner (have previously owned Silverados, Chevy passenger cars, etc) and would like to stay with the Chevy family. However, if you do not intend to bring this feature back, please let me know and I will start my own company or find another manufacturer to bring back the mid-gate and those vehicles will kick ass on the market, causing your Silverado sales to nosedive!
Please let me know if you intend to bring back the mid-gate feature and/or let me know if you need any other feedback or thoughts on the mid-gate design.
I own a 2013 avalanche with very low miles and have been asked many times about selling it. I told each one the same thing. When someone makes something with a midgate that is as good I will consider it. Come on GM get on the ball.
Chevy marketing and production: countless people clamor for a feature and/or return of a model that ended prematurely, so let’s make every excuse under the sun NOT to provide either.
I have a 2007 Avalanche, and I was really hoping for a new model to come out. Since it looks like that won’t be happening, I just replaced the transmission, got new everything else, and am planning to drive her another 200,000 miles and beyond. No other truck on the market excites me like the Avalanche.
I had a 2002 Avalanche which I absolutely loved and drove until it was done. The midgate was brilliant engineering and something I’ve longed for ever since. To be honest, I thing GMs decision to discontinue the Avalanche was brainless. Incorporating a midgate into the Silverado would restore my faith in the company as my allegiance was lost with the demise of the Avalanche line.