Chevrolet Trucks Blog

It is normal for companies such as the Chevrolet to sponsor events. This simply goes to show that auto manufacturers also care for things other than cars. Recently, the Edinburgh Marathon has given statement announcing its new major sponsors for their event next year. Among the sponsors is Chevrolet. Last year, the company was able to be involved with a smaller scale race. This move of Chevrolet will take a step further with the company’s sponsoring of yet another event. This time around, Chevy joins a large team of sponsors. Yes, a team of sponsors to hand in hand make the event possible.

The Chevrolet will back the Hairy Haggis Team Relay. In this course, participants will be able to run a portion of the entire course and pass on the task to their teammate the task to continue the race. The course is supposed to be ideal for team building as the course entails that each team member’s performance will affect the outcome of the race. If the team members are efficient, their team will be able to finish the race early. However, if one of the members will accidentally slip or is a slow runner, this will consequently, delay the other team members from being able to continue with the rest of the course.

According to Richard Chamberlain, who is the national retail marketing manager for Chevrolet in the United Kingdom, “We are very pleased to be contributing once again to the Edinburgh Marathon after the great success of the event in 2007.” He further adds that “a number of our marketing managers were involved in the Hairy Haggis Team Relay in 2007 and wanted to give others the opportunity to have as much fun competing as they did.” As was earlier mentioned, the Hairy Haggis Team Relay is a good course to see the value of team work. The people in Chevrolet simply want to share their experience of the relay in the hopes that this will also improve on the team spirit of other groups of people.

As for Damien O’Looney, the marketing manager for the marathon, he believes that “To have Chevrolet United Kingdom increase their commitment by sponsoring the marathon and team relay shows we are continuing to grow in popularity.”

The other sponsors of the Edinburgh Marathon include the Strathmore Spring Water as well as the Real Radio. The said event will take place on May 25, 2008.

Chevrolet’s most looked out for SUV pickup returns this year with a more powerful engine and a restyled exterior. The Avalanche is now available in three trim lines: LS, LT, and LTZ, and in either a 2WD or 4WD configuration. The 320-hp 5.3L V8 is available as either a dedicated gas engine or a flex fuel ethanol-gas blend engine, both of which are coupled with a four-speed automatic transmission.

A major redesign gives the new Avalanche LS a more car-like look and feel. It has a classier dash and more comfortable seats that older Avalanche models. Aside from this, it has better-integrated driver-assist and entertainment features that all the more give comfort to the passengers as well as on the driver. The Midgate, removable rear window, tonneau covers and other features seem to add to the LS’ quality performance.

The new Avalanche has undergone a facelift. The LS is now cleaner, quieter, and takes on a more mature look than its predecessors. From the changes that the Avalanche has gone through, one will have a good picture of how the people in Chevrolet have a vision for the future of their vehicle and of how vehicles of the future should be.

Premium options available for the Avalanche include an entertainment system, a DVD-based navigation system, a power glass moon roof, special metallic exterior paint colors, and a rear-view monitor.

At the core of the Avalanche is the exclusive Convert-a-Cab System.  This system features a midgate design, which makes it able to reconfigure from six-passenger seating to a vehicle with a protected eight-foot cargo box. There are eight tie downs in the bed, and hand holds for climbing aboard.  These are additional features of the Avalanche to secure the safety of those who would climb aboard.

The midgate is made up of three parts: the top window, mid-level brace and lower panel. By dropping the panel and leaving the glass and brace in their respected places, a horizontal portal can be created. Another option is to remove the window itself and fold the panel to open the rear space. What’s so wonderful about the midgate is that it can be unchanged even if the rear seats are folded to allow for more space.

One will be pleased to find that the Avalanche has great front bucket seats. The bucket seats are very comfortable over long drives. An average of five or six adults might be able to fit on it. To top it off, the bucket seats are quite spacious that allows the passengers to actually relax as the ride goes along.  The Midgate’s in-cabin storage is provided mainly by the huge centre console, which includes a large tray and cupholders, and a deep bin under the centre armrest. It more than makes up for the small glovebox and shallow map pockets.

The cargo versatility of the Midgate is enhanced by a three-piece, weatherproof tonneau cover that can go everywhere.  It can be quickly removed and carried without consuming too much space. There are also small, upright lockboxes built into the sides of the bed, but these aren’t terribly useful.

With the new Avalanche, General Motors allows its users to choose their engines.  There are three engines to choose from: an iron-block 5.3L V8 with 320-hp and 340 lb-ft of torque, an aluminum version generating 310-hp and 335 lb-ft of torque, and a 6.0L V8 with 366-hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. All these engines one can choose from have the ability to run on four cylinders.  Consequently, this improves on fuel efficiency.

To better suit the needs of Avalanche users, the 5.3L engines can be configured for gasoline use only, as flexfuel engines capable of running on both regular gasoline and E85 fuel, or on a blend of 85% ethanol (a renewable fuel source) and 15% gasoline. The E85 is able to turn the Avalanche from a “gas-guzzler” into a “gas-sipper” without compromising power. Now that is what we can call true competence.

The Avalanche is surprisingly easy to maneuver.  For a pickup truck it is unbelievably can have crisp and accurate turns. Aside from this, the Avalanche has optional features like the ultrasonic backup sensors or rearview camera.  This feature helps the Avalanche to an extent that it can almost be considered as a necessity.  Having ultrasonic backup sensors and rearview camera helps a lot in parking.

It also features GM’s AutoRide suspension, which includes road-sensing, electronically controlled shock absorbers with air-assisted automatic rear level control. Having these at hand, a luxury-level ride quality is guaranteed. For that, riding on an Avalanche surely brings on the joys of having a truly Chevrolet experience.

General Motor was able to develop a number of interesting features over the past years in its quest to find ways to increase the versatility of its vehicles. The most notable and successful innovation is, without a doubt, the Chevrolet Avalanche’s Midgate. The Avalanche is a sharp-looking truck and is notable for trading the boxy dimensions common to trucks of the past.  It has “plasticky” decorations of the first-generation model for cleaner and sportier lines. It is characterized as sleek and stylish but still carries some air of the traditional General Motors’ style.

Like the Avalanche, the Midgate Avalance also has a bed.  This bed is capped by plastic trim.  It has a lip spoiler on the tailgate and a pillar rising to the top of the cab. These features soften the transition from cab to bed.  Aside from this, it also gives the truck sedan-like proportions that are easy on the eyes. In other words, these features hide the vastness of the Midgate.  It creates something similar to an illusion that it is smaller than it actually is. 

It has a distinctive headlamp treatment that features two round lamps set above rectangular running lights. The lamps bookend an updated Chevy grille and creates a beautifully integrated front end.  This is considered to be one of the finest designs that can be seen from Chevy truck in a long time.

Its interior is a big step forward from the plastic nightmares of past Chevy trucks. It has attractive gauges and controls, fake wood trim, and high-quality materials.