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Chevrolet’s Avalanche can be configured in so many ways that it is like a chameleon.

The redesigned 2007 maintains all of the benefits of the original, but now they’re wrapped in a vehicle whose interior is considerably more refined and sophisticated.

The styling is clean and crisp. Four-millimeter shut lines and body seams are on par with those of world-class luxury cars. Chrome trim is used in small, tasteful doses. Reclining the windshield reduces aerodynamic drag, lowers wind noise and improves fuel economy. Seventeen-inch wheels are standard and 20-inch wheels are optional. Anti-lock, four-wheel disc brakes are standard as well.

The ’07 Avalanche is quieter because Chevy uses sound deadening in the headliner, door seals and firewall. The engine gets a special cover and noise-reducing alternator.

This part pickup, part-SUV is a compromise because it straddles the line between a pickup and an SUV, but its beauty is its ability to adapt to your needs. It has the 130-inch wheelbase of a Suburban.

The midgate between the cabin and the short pickup box is removable. It stores neatly inside the back seat area of the truck and turns the 5-foot, 3-inch bed into one that is 8 feet long when the rear seat is folded down. The rear window comes out as well.

The 2007 has a central-locking tailgate, remote vehicle starting system and cargo cover retaining straps. In addition, the new tailgate is spring-loaded to reduce the effort needed to open or close it.

If you want to haul sheets of plywood and keep them protected from the weather, take out the midgate but leave the bed cover in place. If you want to haul five people, three will fit in the back, and getting in is easy because the back doors are full size.

Open the optional power sunroof, take out the back window and you almost feel as if you’re driving a convertible.

Topping the box is a removable rigid aluminum and plastic cover capable of supporting 250 pounds. This cover keeps the cargo area dry and secure, yet it slips off and folds up when you need an open bed.

Every available nook and cranny has been put to use. The space between the inner and outer bed walls of the pickup box has small storage boxes built in. A locking top door accesses these cubbies, and they have lights inside.

Aside from the new exterior, one of the most welcome changes is a cabin that feels more like the interior of a luxury car than a truck. The instrument panel has elegant gauges, few seams and surface textures that look rich and inviting. It has been moved down and forward to create better visibility and a feeling of openness. Woodgrain trim and brushed aluminum accents provide a nice contrast. A band of woodgrain trim separates the top and bottom sections.

The front seats are especially noteworthy because they offer excellent support without feeling confining.

The Avalanche can be equipped with convenience options such as a rearview camera, heated windshield washer fluid, remote vehicle start, heated front and rear seats, rear parking assist, a navigation system and a rear-seat DVD system with an 8-inch LCD screen. Power adjustable pedals, rain-sensing wipers and a tire-pressure monitoring system are also available.

The layout and design of the radio and climate control is simple and clean. Large knobs have a quality feel that was missing in previous models.

The 5.3-liter V-8 has 320 horses in the two-wheel-drive model and 310 for the four-wheel-drive version. Active fuel management means the engine shuts down four cylinders in cruising situations. The engine is compatible with E85 fuel, which is a combination of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Unlike Cadillac’s V-8-6-4 engine from 1981, GM’s system shuts off cylinders seamlessly.

A 6.0-liter V-8 will also be available.

The Avalanche has an entirely new chassis with a fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and wider front and rear tracks. A stiffer frame reduces vibrations and enables the suspension to be more compliant.

GM’s StabiliTrak vehicle stability control system is standard, and it is designed to help mitigate rollovers. Side-curtain airbags with rollover protection are optional.

Price

The base price of the four-wheel-drive test vehicle was $35,295. Options included leather seats, dual-zone air conditioning, power adjustable pedals, remote vehicle starter, navigation system, rear-seat DVD player, Bose premium stereo, side-curtain airbags, XM satellite radio, 3.73 rear axle ratio and a rearview camera. The sticker price was $45,814.

Warranty

Three years or 36,000 miles.

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Chevrolet Avalanche

Engine: 5.3-liter, 310-hp V-8

Transmission: Automatic

Wheelbase: 130 inches

Curb weight: 5,645 lbs.

Base price: $35,295

As driven: $45,814

Mpg: 15 city, 20 hwy.