• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

2016 Avalanche rumor

Raptor sales have far exceeded Ford's expectations, so it will certainly be back. It seems that despite the price it is popular out west on the ranches because of the suspension and capability. But that was with the 6.2L motor. Next gen will have EcoBoost.
 
The Avy had a what 11-12yr run?? The Raptor is now on it 6th year with concepts out already for 2017. It'll be close if not possibly a longer run. The other possibility for the Raptor is being an SVT, production can come and go thoughout as the body styles change and they want to bring out a "special" eddition.
 
It's all about assembly cost. Ford can build an F-150 far cheaper than a Raptor. It's a bit more expensive to build an Avalanche than a Suburban, the Suburban itself almost got canceled.
 
I don't know all the specifics for a Raptor to know if it is a class of vehicle by itself or just an option package to a F-150. I read where a couple of years ago the Border Patrol bought a bunch of them for Mexican Border use. That would seem to help keep it alive? Maybe the same type of government contract kept the Suburban alive due to Secret Service and other agencies having a need for large vehicles?
I bet large people or large families would hate to see the demise of the 80 Year old Suburban.
I can only guess that bringing back a "true" AV would be harder since it was in a class by itself and not just a trim level. I for one don't want to see just the name Avalanche returned to the market I want one in the same size (or bigger) with the midgate and SUV type ride.
 
Flint4x4 said:
It's all about assembly cost. Ford can build an F-150 far cheaper than a Raptor. It's a bit more expensive to build an Avalanche than a Suburban, the Suburban itself almost got canceled.
Click to expand...

And that is the bottom line.....production costs and profit margins.......no more cost saving Mexican plant for building $45K Avalanches.....typical equipped Tahoes go for $65K and Suburbans top $70K. Of the existing Avalanche fan base clamoring for reintroduction of the Avy, how many are willing to pay $70K+ for a new one? And the shrinking market of those willing to pay $70K+ for a new traditional Avy is the only market GM is interested in supplying; not the resale market typically relegated to private buyers and used car lots.

So don't get your hopes up, the unique concept Avy as we have come to know it know it is as dead as the Corvair and El Camino.
If they ever resurrect the Avalanche name at a $45K price-point it will be a tarted up AWD version of the Colorado or an AWD Traverse minus the third row seats and half the roof.
 
Flint4x4 said:
It's all about assembly cost. Ford can build an F-150 far cheaper than a Raptor. It's a bit more expensive to build an Avalanche than a Suburban, the Suburban itself almost got canceled.
Click to expand...

The problem Ford has with the Raptor is that it cuts into production of the F-150, which they can't build enough of (no excess capacity). I took the Rouge plant tour last year and saw a bunch of Raptors coming off the line. So every Raptor they build means one less regular truck. I guess in the long run it is less profitable to build Raptors than F-150s but I wonder how much less.
 
I saw the attempt at a Avy mimic look. Sad they know what people want, mimic the Avy look and hope to boost sales of the baby trucks. I bet Avy owners won't bit.
 

Attachments

  • fake avy.png
    fake avy.png
    69.2 KB · Views: 311
I don't know about another AV in the near future but I did see the new 2016 Chevy Cheyenne at Cruisin The Coast and I really like it but I wouldn't give up my Av for it
 
Bassman Z71 said:
I saw the attempt at a Avy mimic look. Sad they know what people want, mimic the Avy look and hope to boost sales of the baby trucks. I bet Avy owners won't bit.
Click to expand...

Ironically, the look is what people seem to complain most about.  "Eww... All that plastic..." Function over form suckas.
 
The plastic was the reason I never bought one till the second gens. I loved all the fuctions it had, I just couldn't get passed all the cladding. I was close to getting the first without the cladding though ('04 I think). My father in law got one of the first one in the state of FL (got it in mid '01) and thought it was the greatest & ugliest truck, hahaha. Had it up untill a year ago.
 
The ONLY reason I don't have a cladded Avalanche is that they stopped making them in '06 and figured I didn't want to hassle with a 9 year old truck.  I think the cladded trucks look better than WBH.  Personal preference.
 
PromptCritical said:
The ONLY reason I don't have a cladded Avalanche is that they stopped making them in '06 and figured I didn't want to hassle with a 9 year old truck.  I think the cladded trucks look better than WBH.  Personal preference.
Click to expand...

I approve this statement!! even though I have a WBH.
 
MLM said:
The problem Ford has with the Raptor is that it cuts into production of the F-150, which they can't build enough of (no excess capacity). I took the Rouge plant tour last year and saw a bunch of Raptors coming off the line. So every Raptor they build means one less regular truck. I guess in the long run it is less profitable to build Raptors than F-150s but I wonder how much less.
Click to expand...

GM consolidated production of Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, Escalade in Arlington, Texas. If they had excess capacity like they did when the Avalanche was launched then break even was good enough for the publicity intangible.

Capacity is increasing at GM as I'd have to assume it is at Ford. The new paint and body shops are becoming increasingly automated and versatile so they can build different products. The decision making process is beyond my pay grade, I'd build both the Raptor and Avalanche if I had a vote at Ford or GM.

 
Flint4x4 said:
GM consolidated production of Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, Escalade in Arlington, Texas. If they had excess capacity like they did when the Avalanche was launched then break even was good enough for the publicity intangible.

Capacity is increasing at GM as I'd have to assume it is at Ford. The new paint and body shops are becoming increasingly automated and versatile so they can build different products. The decision making process is beyond my pay grade, I'd build both the Raptor and Avalanche if I had a vote at Ford or GM.
Click to expand...

Wonderful insight! Thanks.  :love:
 
Flint4x4 said:
Capacity is increasing at GM as I'd have to assume it is at Ford. The new paint and body shops are becoming increasingly automated and versatile so they can build different products. The decision making process is beyond my pay grade, I'd build both the Raptor and Avalanche if I had a vote at Ford or GM.
Click to expand...

Isn't production capacity limited by the slowest point on the assembly line? I know they can paint the bodies faster than they can move them down the line, so they stack up the painted bodies in a warehouse until they are ready to use them. The best Ford can do is about 60 jobs per hour with the F-150.
 
MLM said:
Isn't production capacity limited by the slowest point on the assembly line? I know they can paint the bodies faster than they can move them down the line, so they stack up the painted bodies in a warehouse until they are ready to use them. The best Ford can do is about 60 jobs per hour with the F-150.
Click to expand...

I think Fort Wayne, IN builds about 60 per hour mostly regular cab 1500 trucks. Flint Assembly builds heavy duty mostly crew cabs at closer to 30 jobs per hour and paint can't keep up, the new paint shop is coming online next year followed by a new body shop. I think SUV production in Arlington is similar. With the increased automation they can move workers to the final assembly side and double production keeping the same number of jobs. (I'd have to do half the job I'm doing now but twice as fast but I hope to retire first)

More to the point I was trying to make; I believe those new body and paint shops will be more capable of building a variety of configurations. I don't know what their capabilities will be, we'll see but it will still be up to the decision makers if they add an new Avalanche or something like it.




 
I think you're all dreaming....the Avy is dead and it doesn't matter if they have the production capacity.....it has to do with one thing and one thing only......projections for money/profits. The Avy died in 2008 with the Gov't takeover and new reorganization and cost saving projections, but didn't know it because it had to finish out it's 6 year life cycle to recover the costs of the Mexican plant before adding its demise to its cost saving projections.

Chevy is interested in only one buyer, those like me that pay cash/finance for a new one. My '07 cost $38K......'12 was $44K and the '13 $47K before GM bucks and rebates....they do not give a hoot about the resale market.....so if those like me do not keep buying new ones, there won't be any resales for those who only buy them used. And Chevy is not about to spend bucks on redesigning and retooling, etc for a limited or no market vehicle that they have already written off rationalizing, and rightly so, that (I) new loyal buyers will simply be forced move to a different new GM product.

If a '16 Z71 Avy was introduced with all the Nav/REC and crap I usually get,  it would exceed $70K....so, even if they gave me the full $40K I paid, on trade........they could keep it ....it was cheaper to throw the $30K toward a new loaded AWD Traverse, so for another $8K I got to keep my Avy for heavy work and Sunday driving plus have another new car to burn up the miles so my cherry Avy will last at least 10+ years......so no chance of it ending up the second hand market.

About time to end the false hope and close this post.....seems of all the people interested in the resurrection of the Avy as we know it, with or without cladding, none are at GM.
 
Thomcat - I didn't say GM would build a new Avalanche, I was pointing out the newer body and paint shops will be more capable of building alternate models.

A 2016 Avalanche is totally out of the question now. As long as they're building 4-door pickups and their SUV cousins there is the possibility they could resurrect the model. It's likely we'll see some AV-like features on other models but with the increased flexibility of the new body shops who knows?
 
I like the discussion in this thread.

I don't think the point of it is to give false hope, more than to give us something to talk about? I mean, kill the thread, sure if you want, but it just kills more of what little bit of discussion we still have on this site.

 
MLM said:
As long as Honda keeps building that godawful Ridgeline I will continue to dream. :laugh:
Click to expand...


Well, dream on.......the Honda Ridgeline as it was is as dead as the Avy, last one being the 2014 model year. Honda owners may continue to dream because there are plans to reintroduce it as a 2017 model sometime in 2016, but not as its former self, but as a cut down midsize with that POS variable cyl 3.5 V6 Honda engine in the Pilot

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2017-honda-ridgeline-25-cars-worth-waiting-for-feature

My thought is that this is exactly what Chevy will do if they ever plan to resurrect the Avalanche.....as a tarted up version of the midsize Colorado, but just like the planned cut down Ridgeline, we will have a cut down Avy which would be an insult to true Avalanche enthusiasts. They pulled the same crap with the 60s era Nova nameplate, classified in its day as a compact but as large with more interior room and headroom than the current fullsize Impala, .....later re-introduced as a little 4 cyl joint venture short lived crackerbox.

I'm not for ending discussion of the why and what size/specs/features should be included in a new upgraded Avalanche, just for ending self denial by furthering rumors that GM will step up and there will ever be a 2016 meeting the operational criteria of the classic '02-'13 Avalanches. Chevy's providing owners of the 2013 Black Diamond with an individualized leather table book of the pictorial history of the Avalanche is the best indicator of GMs mindset that it is the end of an era and the classic Avalanche has passed into history.

And, I'm not for ending discussion just renaming the "2007 - ?????" post header for the 2nd gen to "2007 - 2013" and in lieu of this thread starting a new thread dealing with the why there should always be an Avy and what it should and should not be.


 
OK Debbie Downer....... People can dream, hope, wish, etc. This thread is pretty much an all "what if" now. Let it be and continue for those of us that like to discuss just that.
 
Just founded this on my search for the 2016 AVE
may trade my my 02 in for it if real

http://truck2016.com/2016-chevy-avalanche/
 
That's been around for awhile.. Pretty sure it's fake,

Chevy would have announced it by now and would probably be in production...
 
I'm afraid this is as close as we are going to get:

http://www.gmc.com/gmc-life/trucks/sierra-1500-all-terrain-x.html?eVar36=MRM_eml_2016GMC_AllTerrainXSierraUltimate_ADH_HR_0316_14575484644
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top