The Chevrolet Uplander was the last minivan Chevrolet sold, built for the 2005 to 2009 model years. It replaced the Venture and the Astro, came in short and long wheelbase forms, and went out of production when General Motors left the minivan market.
Chevrolet Uplander at a glance
| Production | 2005–2009 model years |
|---|---|
| Class | Minivan |
| Replaced | Chevrolet Venture and Chevrolet Astro |
| Wheelbases | short and long |
| Engine | V6 with four-speed automatic |
| Seats | folding and removable second and third rows |
| Rebadged versions | Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza, Pontiac Montana SV6 |
| Assembly | Doraville Assembly, Georgia |
| Markets | United States, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the Middle East |
| End | GM left the minivan market and closed Doraville in 2008 |
History of the Chevrolet Uplander
The Uplander was introduced for the 2005 model year as the replacement for the Chevrolet Venture and the Astro. It was sold over a single generation and came in short and long wheelbase versions, each with folding and removable second and third row seats, a V6 engine and a four-speed automatic transmission. Heavily based on General Motors’ previous minivans, it was initially marketed alongside the Venture and the Astro while those models were phased out.
The Uplander and its rebadged variants, the Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac Montana SV6, were built at Doraville Assembly in Georgia. The same basic vehicle was therefore sold by four different GM divisions, a reminder of the badge engineering that the company had relied on since the 1980s. It was marketed in the United States, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the Middle East.
The minivan was discontinued in 2008 when General Motors left the minivan market entirely, ending production and closing the Doraville plant. For families who needed three rows, Chevrolet pointed buyers towards crossovers such as the Traverse, which arrived for 2009 and replaced both the Uplander and the body-on-frame TrailBlazer. That switch marked the end of an era for the American minivan, a type of vehicle that GM had helped to define in the 1980s and 1990s but could no longer sell profitably.
Design and features
- Short and long wheelbases: two sizes, with flexible second and third rows.
- Four GM divisions: sold as the Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac Montana SV6.
- Last Chevrolet minivan: the end of the line for the breed at Chevrolet.
- Doraville built: produced in Georgia until the plant closed.
Chevrolet Uplander versions
- Short-wheelbase Uplander: the more compact version.
- Long-wheelbase Uplander: the full-size family model.
- Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac Montana SV6: the divisional versions.
The Uplander replaced the Chevrolet Astro and was replaced in the range by the Chevrolet Traverse.
Sources
- Chevrolet Uplander, English Wikipedia: production, wheelbases, rebadged versions, end of the line
