GM to stop making Chevrolet Avalanche pickup
General Motors Co. plans to bury the Chevrolet Avalanche.
The automaker said the 2013 model year will be the last for the truck, which features unique styling that incorporates a mid-size truck bed and interior seating for five. It was meant to be a light-duty pickup truck that could tow, haul and still transport a family.
“More than 580,000 Avalanches have been sold since its introduction in 2001, and Avalanche has won major awards and recognitions throughout its run,” said Mark Clawson, Avalanche marketing manager.
The vehicle helped popularize crew cab trucks.
But Avalanche sales have tapered off in recent years, Clawson said. Sales peaked at more than 93,000 in 2003 but fell to just 20,000 last year.
“Avalanche sales volumes plummeted during the 2008 recession and never recovered despite high levels of incentives on its hood,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with auto information company Edmunds.com.
One factor was its high price. She said transaction prices for the Avalanche are running north of $45,000.
“Some people might see the discontinuation of the model as an opportunity to get a great deal. In this case, though, bargain hunters interested in pickup trucks may instead want to consider a lightly used model, as this segment is one of the few in which used-vehicle prices have been falling recently,” Caldwell said.
