The SUT Experiment
What if an SUV could turn into a full-size pickup in a minute? GM's answer was the midgate, a folding wall between the cab and the bed. It went into three very different trucks: a Chevy, a Cadillac and a Hummer. The idea outlived all three of them.
- 1Chevrolet Avalanche2002–2013 · 2002 Motor Trend Truck of the Year
- 2Cadillac Escalade EXT2002–2013 · 345–403 hp · standard AWD
- 3Hummer H2 SUT2005–2009 · 325–393 hp · built in Indiana
The theme: one truck, two jobs
A sport utility truck, or SUT, is a crew-cab SUV with a short bed. The trick was GM's "Convert-a-Cab" midgate. Fold the rear seat, drop the panel behind it, remove its window, and the short bed opens into the cab, giving you roughly an eight-foot load floor. Close it up and you're back to a weather-tight five-passenger SUV. Ford had shown the Lincoln Blackwood concept first, but GM did the idea better and kept it around much longer.
Chevrolet Avalanche
2002–2013
The Avalanche launched in the fall of 2001 as a 2002 model, built in Silao, Mexico, on the same GMT800 platform as the Silverado and Suburban. Its heavy gray plastic body cladding was polarizing, but the midgate was brilliant, and Motor Trend named it 2002 Truck of the Year. Most had the 285-hp 5.3L V8, and a heavy-duty 2500 version used the big 8.1L.
Sales peaked above 93,000 in 2003. The 2007 redesign on the GMT900 platform dropped the cladding and added power, but the market moved on. GM announced the end in 2012 and sent it off with the 2013 Black Diamond edition. It was never sold as a GMC.
Owner's notes: On 2003–06 trucks, gauge cluster stepper motors commonly fail. First-generation cladding fades, cracks and loses clips, so factory replacement pieces in good shape are worth having. The 4L60E automatic can lose its 3-4 clutch. On 2007–13 trucks, Active Fuel Management can lead to oil burning and lifter failures, and dashboards crack above the cluster. Tailgates and body panels show up in our doors, hoods and tailgates collection with paint codes listed.
Watch it
How an Avalanche holds up 15 years later. Video: CCV TV on YouTube
A 2002 Avalanche Z66 walkaround and drive. Video: BigKleib34 on YouTube
Cadillac Escalade EXT
2002–2013
Lincoln went first with the Blackwood, a luxury pickup that only lasted one year. Cadillac's answer, the Escalade EXT, was built in the same Mexican plant as the Avalanche and shared its midgate, but added Cadillac styling, standard all-wheel drive and a 345-hp 6.0L V8, which GM billed as the most powerful SUT in the world. It undercut the Blackwood on price, too.
The EXT sold best in its first year, with about 13,500 trucks, and it showed up everywhere from music videos to The Matrix Reloaded. The 2007 redesign brought a 403-hp 6.2L. But it was always a niche product, and it was discontinued alongside the Avalanche after 2013.
Owner's notes: The EXT shares most of its mechanicals with the Avalanche and Escalade, so check the same items: gauge cluster faults on 2002–06 trucks, cracked dashes on 2007+, and transmission health. Escalade owners commonly report wheel bearings, exterior door handles and the rear leveling compressor. The midgate glass, seals and EXT-specific trim are where used OEM parts really help, since they were made in small numbers.
Watch it
The weirdest luxury truck ever made. Video: Green Hawk Drive on YouTube
An in-depth look at a final-year 2013 EXT. Video: McNaught Buick GMC on YouTube
Hummer H2 SUT
2005–2009
Hummer took the midgate idea for 2005 and bolted it onto the H2. The H2 SUT kept the SUV's front half and swapped the enclosed cargo area for a short open bed and a midgate. Built by AM General in Mishawaka, Indiana, it launched with a 325-hp 6.0L V8 and, like every H2, weighed about 6,400 pounds. MotorWeek ran one to 60 mph in 9.9 seconds.
The bed was small, but with the midgate down it opened up enough room for real cargo. A 393-hp 6.2L and six-speed automatic arrived for 2008. Then fuel prices and the recession caught up with the whole H2 line, which ended in 2009, a year before GM shut down Hummer.
Owner's notes: Check for alignment pull and uneven tire wear; worn suspension and steering parts are often the cause. Wet carpet usually means clogged or kinked sunroof drains. Cycle the 4WD system and make sure the transfer case shifts cleanly. Test the steering-wheel controls and A/C, and look underneath for off-road damage, leaks and rust. Rear roof moldings, bed parts and other SUT-only pieces are scarce, so donor parts are often the only option.
Watch it
A low-mile 2006 H2 SUT reviewed. Video: Collectible Motorcar of Atlanta on YouTube
A 2005 H2 SUT review. Video: Grayson's Garage on YouTube
By the numbers: first-year horsepower
Horsepower in each truck's first model year.
Where the midgate went next
After 2013 the SUT disappeared from GM's lineup, but the midgate didn't stay dead. When Chevrolet revealed the electric Silverado EV in January 2022, it came with a "Multi-Flex Midgate" that extends the bed into the cab, and plenty of reviewers called it the Avalanche's spiritual successor. Meanwhile, the original trucks are now old enough that good parts are getting hard to find.
SUT parts at J&J
We pull midgates, tailgates, trim and drivetrain parts from real donors, all photographed and listed by year. Browse Chevrolet parts, Cadillac parts and Hummer H2 parts.