New Vans Take GM Back to More Radical Minivan Roots
What's the most practical vehicle available? Without doubt it's a minivan, and if you can get over the stigma associated with
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| Minivan functionality combined with the styling of an SUV? GM's new vans sound like winners. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
owning a family hauler you probably will never look back. There's nothing that offers as good a combination of interior flexibility, car-like performance and high SUV-like driving position as a minivan, all reasons why the segment is still extremely popular.
But what would happen if an automaker melded a minivan's functionality with the styling of an SUV? More capable than a crossover, which are little more than tall wagons, General Motors is boasting that it has done just that in its new lineup of completely redesigned, and with the exception of Pontiac's Montana, renamed 2005 vans.
The new 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, Saturn Relay, and Buick Terraza midsize vans are due in dealerships
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| The Buick Terraza will target Chrysler's upscale Town & Country head on, the first time any automaker has attempted to do so. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
across the nation this fall, and promise more than just a major improvement in styling over the current crop of GM vans, that include the Chevy Venture, Pontiac Montana, and Oldsmobile Silhouette. While the Silhouette will be discontinued along with the entire Oldsmobile brand, 2005 will mark the first time either Buick or Saturn are to offer minivans. The Buick Terraza will target Chrysler's upscale Town & Country head on, the first time any automaker has attempted to do so, while the Saturn Relay, the first model in the import fighting brand's arsenal to not feature polymer body panels but rather a conventional sheetmetal skin, will attempt to woo Dodge Caravan buyers, as well as buyers of import vans.