Its GM siblings include the previously unveiled Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay, plus the more recently shown 2005 Pontiac Montana. The Montana is only related to its predecessor by name, however, while the Buick and Saturn are firsts for their nameplates. The Uplander replaces the Venture, which never captured as significant a portion of the hotly contested minivan segment as Chevy had initially hoped.
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| GM hopes the SUV styling cues of the Uplander will attract new buyers. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
Like its brethren, the new Uplander features a prominent hood line, strong fender lines and a truck-like grille, the latter sporting a bold strikethrough carrying the Chevy bowtie at center, similar in design to the brand's light duty pickup trucks.
As previously mentioned, GM hopes the SUV styling cues will attract buyers that prefer the driving characteristics and functionality of a minivan but are turned off by the "family" stigma associated with the genre, the same thinking that has brought recent SUV crossover vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica and Ford Freestyle, as well as longer running car-based crossovers such as the Lexus RX and BMW X5.
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| "I can honestly say this is one of the best mid-van interiors in the business," commented Robert A. Lutz, Product Development and Chairman, GM North America. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
GM wants to be clear, however, that its new sport vans offer much greater functionality than any crossover currently available, with more interior volume and greater comfort to all passengers, especially those in back. The automaker feels bold enough to state that the new vans offer more competitive interiors than their minivan rivals too.
"These vehicles represent a substantial upgrade from the vehicles that they are replacing," commented Robert A. Lutz, Product Development and Chairman, GM North America while introducing the Buick Terraza. "I can honestly say this is one of the best mid-van interiors in the business. They look very European and very carefully crafted."