2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Review

Introduction:

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500  priced at MSRP $35,460 – $46,700 is a well designed Suburban into a pickup. It is quite versatile without losing any feature of the SUV. It offers a perfect blend of comfort and passenger capacity of an SUV with the cargo flexibility like a pick up truck.

What’s on offer?

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 is well equipped to handle fuel economy concerns and satiates the luxury buyers with options of premium accessories.

Silhouette:

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 offers a dual personality of a SUV and a Pick up. The front end body styling is quite bold but similar to Chevy’s GMT 900 range. The most distinguishing feature of the Avalanche is its sleeker body styling which emphasizes the smooth roof lines. The wrap around front bumper cover blends well with the body style. It features a midgate which expands the cargo area into the passenger cab. By folding down the rear seat and removing the mid gate extends the cargo floor from 5 feet 3 inches to more than 8 feet which is enormous.  The cargo bed features side mounted storage which can be locked for better security.

It is also equipped with 17 inch standard wheels which add a glowing touch to its appearance. The only drawback that we noted was that its body style acts a hindrance in the rearward visibility which makes it difficult to park in tight spots. However, adding sensors or back up camera solves the minor problem.
Inside the cabin.

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 features comfortable and supportive seats in the front row. The fold down rear seats offers ample storage space in the centre console. To get an open air effect the rear glass can be removed separately from the main midgate. The premium trims are draped with new seat fabrics. Titanium and Cashmere interiors are now available on Z71 models.

Features:

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 features Touring suspension and Multi link rear suspension which offers good handling. It is also equipped with power windows, XM AM/FM/Satellite, clock, seek-scan with audio controls on the wheels, remote or keyless entry, cruise controls with steering wheel control, and wireless connectivity.

The Avalanche is available in three trims viz. LS, LT, and LTZ. Chevy has added additional features on its luxury package like Bose Premium speakers, heated 10 way power seats, touch screen navigation system, auto dimming rear view mirror, Blue tooth connectivity, Nav Traffic, along with new rear styling and hitch covers.

Powertrain:

The standard engine in the 4×2 model is 5.3 liter V8 engine which generates 320 horsepower and 340 pound feet of torque with an iron block. The 4×4 model is equipped with 5.3 liter V8 engine which generate 310 horsepower and 335 pound feet of torque and is E85 capable. The premium LTZ edition is equipped with 6.0 liter V8 engine which generates 366 horsepower and 376 pound feet of torque and is made of all aluminum and is E85 capable. All engines are teamed with six speed automatic transmission and feature Active Fuel Management system which shuts off cylinders for better fuel economy.  This edition offers option of two and four wheel drive.

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 offers fuel mileage of 14 mpg city levels and 20 mpg on highway for the 5.3 liter V8 engine and 12 mpg city and 17 mpg highway on the 6.0 liter engine.

Safety:

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 includes plenty of advanced safety features such as standard equipments such as roof mounted side curtain airbag with rollover protection, seat mounted side airbags for front row passengers, electronic stability control with rollover mitigation technology, front seat belt pretensioners, Onstar with GM Advanced crash Response.

Conclusion:

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 is the most versatile vehicle seen on the streets. The main advantages of this vehicle are strong V8 performance, good cargo and passenger flexibility. The main drawbacks that were noted are rear view visibility, and disappointing fuel economy on the 6.0 liter engine.