Test drive Chevrolet Avalanche 2001 - 2006 SUV

Avalanche

The approach of American manufacturers to create new models sometimes causes sincere admiration. It seems the most difficult thing to come up with a truly worthwhile idea. Everything else goes according to the developed technology: the novelty is built on an already proven platform of the right class, offering several options for engines from a rich gamut. Even if the car does not enjoy special success in the market, the company's losses will be minimal due to the low cost of its development.
 
According to this principle, Chevrolet Avalanche created. Probably, at that time, this project seemed too radical to many General Motors specialists. Indeed, there were no special reason to believe in the good prospects of a pickupa with surprisingly brutal appearance and strange opportunities for transforming the body and salon. Although, according to the plan of the creators themselves, Avalanche was supposed to get the best features of pickups and SUVs. One has only to achieve an acceptable combination of a full -sized salon with two rows of seats and a rather large cargo platform, and the audience will gladly accept this product. True, it was such a formula that corresponded to most pickups with four doors.
Therefore, Avalanche received a MIDGATE side that performs the functions of both the rear wall of the cab and the front wall of the cargo compartment. With the help of this cleaning partition, you can combine a salon with a truck, opening up new opportunities for transporting goods. In addition, Avalanche was equipped with a special lid of the luggage compartment made of durable plastic. So they decided the issue of safe transportation in the plate of valuable luggage in the United States.
 
Interestingly, Avalanche is actually built on the basis of Suburban SUV. Suburban has two serious advantages over the Silverado pickup, which at first glance seems more suitable as the basis for Avalanche. The fact is that the last generation of Suburban received a spring rear suspension, unlike Silverado, which retained fidelity to the springs. In addition, to achieve good body hardness parameters, GM engineers cut the upper rear part from Suburban and installed several new special elements and beams. At first, this frame from triangles made of rude plastic immediately seems ridiculous behind the cabin, but there is no doubt about its power possibilities.
Only in America
Avalanche caricature appearance attracts a lot of views, but you cannot call the universal attention to the car. The only reason is: by our standards, Avalanche is too large, which involuntarily can be classified as trucks, and therefore lose interest. GM indicated that Avalanche was even a little shorter than the big Silverado, but such a characteristic will be understandable only on the other side of the Atlantic. The combination of dimensions and aggressiveness is unique. About Hummer H2, Dodge Ram, Nissan Armada and other cars from America, you can now forget that it is Avalanche that is able to truly hit the imagination.
 
In fact, such a front part of the company’s designers in their dreams wanted to endow the sweet couple of Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, but the leadership considered this decision too evil for such mass models and put aside. During the work on Avalanche, they remembered him in time, and this monster still ended up on the streets. This legend is loved to tell overseas fans of Avalanche. How close it is to reality is unknown. However, it is difficult to deny that Avalanche is perceived as an amazingly whole and harmonious product. Such styling can be loved or hated, but there is no need to argue with the fact that it is worked out to the smallest detail. The main thing is that Avalanche does not give a single dash a kinship with Suburban and many other models from GM. Even Cadillac Escalade can be identified as a fellow Chevrolet Tahoe, but not Avalanche.
 
The front of Avalanche is incredibly charismatic. At the same time, it contains all the main family features of Chevrolet SUVs. It is enough to look at a powerful chrome beam, dividing in two radiator grille and front headlight blocks. The branded cross-vitip, in principle, is no longer important and there are plenty of signs of the breed. For a greater effect, a very formidable front bumper was also installed. Massive forms, muscular inserts, large fog lights are now Ava-Lanche can adequately position itself on any road. The front bumper helped to stylishly design the entire lower perimeter of Avalanche. The doors on the doors definitely succeeded in designers thanks to them the central part of the car looks just as attractive, in obvious contrast with the same Suburban. In the back of the plastic parts, the components of the top of the cargo compartment are successfully combined with the bumper. Of course, the inscription Chevrolet must adhere to the glorious traditions of the pickup genre.
Simple technologies
Unfortunately, the interior of Avalanche is more conservative. Here you feel unification with Suburban and other relatives. The front panel was not redone at all. If, when preparing Cadillac Escalade, they tried to make it more luxurious and expensive in appearance, then this time they did not set such tasks this time. It turned out a typical Chevy with a four -spoke steering wheel, a large panel of devices with many sensors and an angular central tunnel. Interesting, but as soon as Avalanche was driving, it became clear how far SUVs have advanced ahead in their development over the past six years. Then, in 1998, such an interior in the new Tahoe was perceived as relevant and even interesting. Now it can be called more practical and functional.
 
But you can still find successful solutions. So, it is convenient to control the transmission modes: various types of drives are selected using buttons located with a neat column to the left of the instrument panel. You can forget about a slightly vibrating handle of the hand -up box about a slightly vibrating handle of the hand -up tunnel, and this cannot but rejoice. Under the right hand, just on the tunnel, the glove compartment is fixed with impressive sizes, which copes with the role of the armrest perfectly. A certain charm endowed the internal doors with hypertrophied dimensions. In general, most of the details and buttons in the Avalanche salon are solid, which, I must admit, simplifies control of all systems.
Multitasking
Avalanche car for a real macho. All actions on the transformation of the salon and loading of baggage to a strong man will be much easier to perform. Maybe the details of plastic and look primitive, but weigh very decently. We will not forget that the cover of the cargo compartment is high from the ground. Although it consists of three parts weighing about 8 kg each, it turns out to be difficult to cope with them from habit. And the rear board fully confirms in practice its massiveness and heavyness. Of course, if desired, such a solution can be found a suitable explanation. If at least sometimes you use AVA-LANCHE to transport large and heavy cargoes, then the strength of all the details of its body will be much more important than their lightness. We will not forget about the safety that this plastic is able to resist the primitive effect for a long time, in any case, no worse than the thin metal plates of luggage covers of cars.
 
It is curious that in both walls of the cargo platform, almost above the rear wheeled arches, compartments were placed for not very large luggage: you can hide a first -aid kit or a bag with a set of tools here. As for the possibility of combining the salon with a cargo compartment, it still seems a little far -fetched. However, lovers of active city travels (fishing, hunting or for extreme sports), this function may turn out to be useful. With folded rear seats and a cleaned partition, you can transport plates in size 244x122 cm. True, and in the normal state the length of the cargo compartment is almost 160 cm.
Superezhelves
Like Suburban, Avalanche is available in two performance: 1,500 and 2500. The 1500 series is represented by the base suitable for performing all traditional operations, but the models of the 2500th series are presented as enhanced for the most difficult work. Changes in the suspension and larger engines allow the machine machines of the series 2500 to cope with incredible tasks. For acquaintance, we were given just a modification of 2500, which, according to official information from GM, made Avalanche suitable for towing a trailer with a full weight of up to 5.5 tons!
 
In behavior on the Avalanche road, the last generation is not much different from Suburban. Its equipped mass exceeds 3 tons, and this mainly affects the impressions of driving. Avalanche is something between the usual, albeit large SUVs and not too large distorted vans.
Vortec family engines traditionally enjoy recognition around the world, and the Avalanche Vortec 8100 installed. The index in the name is eloquent: the volume of this V8 is 8.1 liters! According to the characteristics, this gasoline engine resembles diesel engines: torque is enough in the entire speed range. The engine does not need promotion, but a 4-band, not too advanced automatic transmission will not allow it to abuse it. It is enough to know that the maximum power is achieved at 4200 rpm to understand all the meaninglessness of the achievement of at least 5000 rpm. Of course, with such characteristics, Avalanche will perfectly manifest itself as a tractor.
 
Another thing was surprised: this giant was suitable for traveling around the city. The potential of the motor provides energetic accelerations from the place. At the first moment after the gas pedal is squeezed to the stop, the car is conceived, but, having moved from the place, it gains speed very zealously. The indelible impressions will primarily receive random rivals in the start from the traffic light in this exercise Avalanche will surely surpass all segment cars with a capacity of less than 150 hp. At the same time, passengers may not guess about such dynamic characteristics, because the sound insulation of the cabin is made at a very high level. The fact that the engine is working at idle can only be guessed by the tachometer arrow that deviated from zero. With an increase in revolutions, a dull grunt is traditional for American 8-cylinder engines. But it is not able to describe a picture of a grand battle that Avalanche, when accelerating, leads with the laws of physics, contrasting the traction of the engine far from aerodynamic perfection and a large equipped mass.
 
But it is one thing to disperse such a colossus, and to stop it completely differently or draw along the intended trajectory in a bend. It seems that the energetic drivers of the capabilities of the factory brakes Avalanche will not be enough. By the standards of Avalanche cars, it slows down not effective enough, the braking distance could be shorter, and the information content of the brake system is higher. But, by introducing an amendment to the equipped mass, we recognize the brakes quite adequate. With the passage of turns, things are even more interesting. It turned out that, as part of retraining under the 2500 Avalanche program, I also purchased a spring rear suspension. There are no problems in the city, except that the car requires a little more space on the road than ordinary cars. As a rule, even in traffic, neighbors in the transport flow try to maintain a kind of dead zone around this monster.
 
On the highway, it immediately becomes clear that the optimal speed is unlikely to exceed 120 km/h. The steering is distinguished by the traditional American qualities of the past decade with lightness and emptiness. It is the lack of information content that makes it not to reach too high speeds. Avalanche descends from the conveyor with a maximal limit at the mark of 160, which can be recognized as a prudent measure. In bad weather conditions, Autotrac transmission will come to the rescue, which allows the use of constant all -wheel drive.
A product for an enthusiast
By European standards, it is pointless to evaluate Chevrolet Avalanche, especially in version 2500. Meanwhile, this car is able to attract several types of customers at once. Obviously, there are many people in Russia who will conquer the dimensions and uncompromising ultra -radical styling models. Against the background of Avalanche, the fashionable Hummer H2 will look modest and unpretentious. In this case, we strongly recommend equipping Avalanche with additional attachments like a set of additional headlights on the roof. You can also use Avalanche and for its intended purpose to transport a small group of people and heavy bulky cargoes. It is difficult to imagine a more suitable car for towing a trailer with a yacht or a heavy boat. And in his body a couple of cross -country motorcycles or a snowmobile may well fit in his body. But most surprised Avalanche in the United States. Almost 100 thousand of these cars are sold there annually! Suburban sales are only one and a half times better. This success of a very extraordinary model can only marvel.
Some technical characteristics of Chevrolet Avalanche 2500
(manufacturer data)
Dimensions, mm 5631x2027x1867
Base, mm 3302
Front/behind, mm 1651/1676
Clearance, mm 178
Equipped mass, kg 3035
Benzine engine type V8
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 8128
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 340/4200
Max. moment, nm/rpm 617/3200
The drive is complete
The transmission is automatic 4-band
Tires 245/75 R16
Max. Speed, km/h 160
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with no data
Tank volume, l 142
Fedor Oldin
Photo by Alexander Vasiliev.
 
 

 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine