GM Canada Announces Prices on New 2005 Vans

Photos

Minivan functionality combined with the styling of an SUV? GMs new vans sound like winners. (Photo: General Motors)

The Buick Terraza will target Chryslers upscale Town & Country head on, the first time any automaker has attempted to do so. (Photo: General Motors)

There are risks to trying to be too unconventional; take the slow selling Nissan Quest for example. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Only time will tell if GMs new lineup will pose any threat to Chryslers minivan dominance. (Photo: General Motors)

The new Chevrolet Uplander, the Generals entry-level minivan, will sell for a suggested retail price of $24,350. (Photo: General Motors)

All of General Motors new vans, no matter which badge is on the front, will come well equipped with standard features. (Photo: General Motors)

New Vans Take GM Back to More Radical Minivan Roots

Whats the most practical vehicle available? Without doubt its a minivan, and if you can get over the stigma associated with owning a family hauler you probably will never look back. Theres 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 minivans 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 Pontiacs Montana, renamed 2005 vans.

The new 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, Saturn Relay, and Buick Terraza midsize vans are due in dealerships 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 Chryslers 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 brands 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.

But there are risks in going unconventional. A recent example of a seemingly good idea gone wayward is Nissans new Quest. Designed to perform better than any current van, the van portends to be the “cool” van that will give mom some respect in the high school parking lot. Not only is the premise of such a concept flawed, as anyone with eyes can see its merely a minivan with more sculpture on its sides and roofline, but its an ergonomic nightmare that doesnt live up to the functionality people buy into this segment to acquire. The Quest has been a flop, hardly selling at all, and Nissan is no doubt looking at a complete redesign in the near future.

On the other hand, Ford has produced a very good minivan with excellent ergonomics and handy, unique features. Its rear door and tumble-under rear seat are cantilevered for ease of use, engine-managed traction control system the best in the category and overall driving dynamics near the top of the class. But the automaker didnt go far enough when redesigning it, dubbing it with a new name, Freestar, but not endowing it with a strong enough personality to even get noticed among Ford buyers - too bad as it is well worth a look.

Of course, GM has been down the unconventional minivan road before, having gone bold and daring with its minivans in the early 90s, attempting to sell the Chevy Lumina APV, Pontiac TranSport, and Oldsmobile Silhouette to a conservative public that instead continued to buy into Chryslers ultra-popular Caravan, Voyageur and Town & Country models. The fact is, Chrysler Group still has a stranglehold on the minivan market, and only time will tell if GMs new lineup will pose any threat to the “minivan companys” dominance. GMs first “space” vans were pretty outlandish vehicles and therefore didnt sell well in white bread middle-America. They were mildly redesigned in 1994 and then completely overhauled in 1997, each taking on a more conservative approach and receiving new names. While the 97 through 04 mid-vans have sold much better than the earlier versions, they havent taken off as strongly as the General had expected. Once again GM hopes for greater success with the new models.

There are few market segments as price conscious as the minivan class, and GM was well aware of this when pricing out its new lineup. For 2005, the new Chevrolet Uplander, the Generals entry-level minivan will sell for a base manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $24,350. Incidentally, Canadians will get a less expensive short-wheelbase version of this van, as well as a smaller Pontiac Montana SV6. The Pontiac in extended-wheelbase guise, the only way it will be sold in the U.S., will start out at $25,235. What about the new Saturn and Buick vans? Both will only be available as extended wheelbase models at $24,485 for the Relay and $28,825 for the Terraza.

“GMs new crossover sport vans are ideal for those who need and appreciate comfortable seven-passenger seating and cargo efficiency, a high degree of safety, fuel economy, low step-in height, and great ride and handling - but prefer the more expressive styling associated with an SUV,” commented Anna Kretz, vehicle line executive for Front-Wheel-Drive Trucks.

All of GMs vans will incorporate a long list of standard equipment, including a 200 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission, seven occupancy, an overhead rail storage system, CD/MP3 player, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, remote keyless entry, dual-stage frontal airbags, and the automakers OnStar security and safety system with a 1-year subscription to the Safe and Sound plan.

Available options include a remote vehicle starter, not particularly good for the environment but nevertheless appreciated in colder climates, StabiliTrak vehicle stability enhancement system (front-wheel drive models only), a DVD entertainment system, seat-mounted side impact airbags, a 110-volt rear outlet, and more. Also, all models will be available in front- or all-wheel-drive, the latter only available on extended wheelbase models.

GM stylists have worked hard to give each model a unique identity, noticeable from the outside as well as within the interior. Each individual brand will feature unique trim, equipment content and option packages. The new vans are also reported to deliver much improve interior tactile quality, an area that GM is not necessarily known. If the high quality interiors of the new Buick LaCrosse and Pontiac G6 are any indication of what is in store for the minivan sector, buyers will be in for a treat. With regards to the Relay, GM says that its interior fit and finish, plus quality of materials show the direction the entry-level brand is taking its future products.

In the end, will GM buyers warm up to the new vans, and more importantly, can GM expect to pull minivan buyers away from Dodges Caravan/Town & Country, Toyotas Sienna and Hondas Odyssey? Not too likely. But there will be some disenfranchised owners of these brands that may give GM a try, while the worlds number one automaker may make inroads against Ford, Kia and Mazda.