Due to the fact that it will be its final year of production, the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche remains virtually unchanged from the 2012 edition. Fans of the car-like pickup truck—the Avalanche seats up to 6 passengers comfortably—will want to snap them up while they can, as the Avalanche rolls off the production line for the last time sometime in 2012.

The 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche is available in three trims—LS, LT and LTZ—which can be configured as either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All are powered by a 5.3-liter Vortec SFI FlexFuel V8 electronic fuel-injected engine that makes 320 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque and can tow up to 8,100 pounds. The gasoline/ethanol-powered engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and is rated by the EPA to achieve 15 mpg city/21 highway.

The base LS trim of the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche comes standard with dual-zone climate control, cloth seats, a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with mounted audio and cruise controls, power windows, power locks, roof-mounted luggage racks with side rails, a 6-speaker audio system with AM/FM radio, single-CD player and MP3 capability, rear window defogger, dual halogen composite headlights, heated power-adjustable exterior mirrors and 17-inch aluminum wheels. Upgrading to an LT trim adds heated leather front seats, 6-way driver's and front passenger seats, power-adjustable pedals and remote vehicle start as standard equipment. For more luxury, buyers can choose an LTZ trim, which adds front heated and cooled perforated and ventilated front seats, 12-way power adjustable driver's and front passenger seats, heated steering wheel, 8-speaker Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound system with touchscreen display, hard-drive navigation, rear parking assist, rear-view camera and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels as standard equipment.

Standard safety and security features found on all trim levels of the 2013 Chevrolet Avalanche include dual-stage frontal airbags, dual side-impact head curtain airbags, seat-mounted front-row side impact airbags, 4-wheel antilock brakes, stability control and traction control, electronic trailer sway control, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring system, automatic crash response system and stolen vehicle assistance system.

Buyers who like the option of using the midgate, which allows the Avalanche to switch from a 6-passenger SUV to a 5-passenger pickup truck with a midsize bed with a minimum of effort, will soon have no option, as production of the Avalanche will come to an end. The Avalanche joins the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Honda Ridgeline and even the Chevrolet El Camino as conversion models that failed to capture the public’s fancy. For fans, Chevrolet plans to commemorate the end of the Avalanche’s run with a small run of special Black Diamond editions that combines several equipment packages and has special badging.