2012 Chevrolet Avalanche Overview Change Vehicle

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche overview with specifications, fuel economy data, safety information, reliability ratings, a photo gallery, and The Vehix View.

Think of the 2012 Chevy Avalanche as a modern-day El Camino. The difference here is that the Avalanche seats up to six instead of up to three, has four doors instead of two, and is based on the full-size truck platform shared by the Suburban. What really makes the Avalanche great, however, is how the back of the cab can be removed and the rear seats folded to expand the cargo bed whenever necessary.

Trailer Sway Control and Hill Start Assist are standard this year, a part of the Avalanche’s StabiliTrak traction and stability control system. The LT model gains standard heated front seats, the LTZ model gets a standard heated steering wheel, and there’s a new hard-drive navigation radio system available. Silver Ice and Blue Topaz are new colors for 2012.

Chevy sells the 2012 Avalanche in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. Standard equipment for the Avalanche LS includes power windows with express-down operation for the driver’s side glass, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated side mirrors, cruise control, carpeted floor mats, illuminated visor mirrors, and a tilting leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio controls. Dual-zone manual air conditioning is included, along with a stereo system that has a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a USB port. The Avalanche comes standard with Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, and its OnStar telematics system includes six months of free service to Automatic Crash Notification, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, and Turn-by-Turn Navigation features. The Avalanche’s bed contains illuminated and locking storage boxes with drain plugs, a rubber pickup box mat, and a rigid three-piece cargo cover. Dark tinted rear glass, a roof-mounted luggage rack, automatic headlights, basic trailering equipment, and 17-inch aluminum wheels are also a part of the standard feature package.

A front split-bench seat that increases passenger capacity to six is optional, along with a body-color trim package that refined the Avalanche’s exterior appearance. A Convenience Package (reversing camera, power adjustable pedals, remote engine starting, rear parking assist), a Heavy-Duty Trailering Package (engine and transmission oil coolers, 3.42 rear axle ratio), and All-Star or Texas Edition Packages (auto-dimming rearview mirror, power folding side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, fog lights, chrome exterior trim, 20-inch polished alloy wheels, HD Trailering Package, heavy-duty locking rear differential) are available, and the Avalanche LS can be upgraded with an integrated trailer brake controller and, on 4WD models, an Autotrac two-speed transfer case.

The Avalanche LT includes the items featured in the LS model’s Convenience Package plus dual-zone automatic climate control, a Bose sound system, heated front seats, fog lights, and a heavy-duty locking rear differential. Otherwise, options mirror the LS but the Avalanche LT can be additionally equipped with a Sun, Entertainment and Destinations Package (power sunroof, navigation radio, rear seat DVD entertainment, reversing camera, extended subscription to real-time traffic and weather reports) and a Z71 Off-Road Suspension Package (off-road suspension, 18-inch wheels, off-road tires, skid plates, wheel flares, and tubular side step rails).

The Avalanche LTZ is the luxurious version of this useful Chevy pickup truck, equipped with perforated leather upholstery, 12-way power climate controlled front seats with memory for the driver’s settings, a heated steering wheel, a navigation radio, a Bose Centerpoint surround sound system, and a reversing camera. The LTZ rides on polished 20-inch aluminum wheels and an Autoride adaptive suspension, and gleams in the sun thanks to a whole bunch of chrome trim. Power folding side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a HomeLink universal remote are also included on the LTZ, and the 4WD model has a standard two-speed Autotrac transfer case.

Few options are available on the LTZ model. A Sun, Entertainment and Destinations Package adds a power sunroof, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, and an extended nav-traffic and –weather subscription), the HD Trailering Package is available, and the LTZ can be outfitted with power retractable side steps, body-color exterior trim, and sparkly chrome wheels.

The Avalanche is equipped with a 5.3-liter V8 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. The V8 makes 320 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 335 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, and is E85-compatible. Active Fuel Management technology, which allows the V8 to operate on four of its eight cylinders under certain driving conditions, helps the Avalanche achieve EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway, regardless of drivetrain selection.

Every 2012 Avalanche is equipped with six airbags, StabiliTrak traction and stability control with Hill Start Assist and Trailer Sway Control, and four-wheel-disc antilock brakes. The OnStar Automatic Crash Notification service, which is free for the first six months of ownership, activates when the airbags deploy, putting a live operator in touch with the truck’s occupants to see if they are OK. Even if they cannot respond, the operator can send emergency personnel to the Avalanche’s exact location. Safety-related options include a reversing camera and rear park assist sensors.

Unfortunately, there’s no crash-test data for the 2012 Chevy Avalanche. But when it comes to surviving impacts with other vehicles, more weight is better, and this truck is a heavyweight. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) does assign the Avalanche a 3-Star rollover resistance rating, which is merely average.

Speaking of average, that’s what J.D. Power and Associates thinks long-term dependability looks like. Consumer Reports is more optimistic, giving the Avalanche a better-than-average reliability prediction.

The Avalanche’s main selling point is its handy Midgate rear cab wall design, which allows owners to expand the cargo bed from 5-feet-3-inches long to 8-feet-2-inches long. Additionally, doing so allows the Avalanche to carry the all-important 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood with the tailgate closed.

When you buy an Avalanche, engine block construction is dependent on drivetrain selection. Two-wheel-drive models have an iron engine block, while four-wheel-drive models get an aluminum engine block.

The Avalanche’s base curb weight is a hefty 5,840 pounds. Speaking of weight, the Avalanche can tow up to 8,100 pounds of trailer weight (7,900 lbs. with 4WD). Payload measures 1,326 lbs. (1,263 lbs. with 4WD).

Chevrolet says that with the Midgate in place, the Avalanche provides 45.5 cubic-feet of volume under its hard three-piece cargo cover. Drop the Midgate, and there’s 101 cu-ft of cargo space. Not counting the cargo bed, and with the Avalanche’s back seat folded, this truck offers 54.3 cu-ft of in-cab volume behind the front seats.

With 9.1 inches of ground clearance whether or not you’ve got 4WD, the Avalanche is ready to tackle relatively rugged terrain.

Chrysler has been making lots of noise about its new Ram Box feature, but the Avalanche has had locking in-bed storage compartments with water drainage plugs for a long time.

Every 2012 Chevy Avalanche is built in Mexico.

We’re fans of the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche. This is an incredibly useful machine, and is rated to get the same fuel economy as another of our favorite pickups, the smaller and less capable Honda Ridgeline. Of course, if you need maximum towing and hauling capability, you should probably be shopping a regular Silverado. But if you really need something that blends the best things about a pickup and an SUV, the Avalanche is a unique, and useful, tool for the job.

-- By Christian Wardlaw