Chevrolet has announced that soon we will be bidding farewell to a popular, unique truck they introduced just a decade ago – the Avalanche.

Based on the automaker’s large SUV platform, Avalanche was a sort of Suburban with a cargo box. It offered seating for five inside with its unique midgate wall in place but could accommodate up to eight-foot long objects when the rear wall of the passenger compartment was folded and stowed.

The next-gen sport ute from General Motors is rumored to be on a unibody chassis so the Avalanche, which utilizes the frame-based architecture of the GMT-900, is apparently going bye-bye instead of coming along for the ride.

“The Chevrolet Avalanche was one of the earliest forays into re-inventing the traditional pickup truck, said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst, Edmunds.com. “It was a vehicle that maintained the traditional truck image and capability but was more versatile for the person buying it for personal use more than work – a lifestyle truck more than a work truck. Other variations on the theme from competitors followed the Avalanche’s debut.”

As a fitting tribute to the Avalanche, Chevrolet send it off with a “Black Diamond” edition for model year 2013. Black Diamond Avalanches will feature body-colored bed surrounds, a unique badge on the sail panel, additional features on LS and LT models, and lower prices across the lineup.

“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. “So it is only fitting that Avalanche retires on a high note.”

“Although Avalanche sales have tapered off in recent years, as crew cabs have grown to dominate Silverado sales, we know there are many Avalanche enthusiasts among Chevy customers,” said Clawson. “The Black Diamond Avalanche is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ and making it just a little more attractive to own one more Avalanche.”

Initially, Avalanche sold more than 93,000 units not long after launch but the four-door pickups are now dominating sales and Avalanche fell victim.

Pricing has been announced with a 2WD LS model starting at $35,980, $2,500 lower than comparable current models.