Does anyone know if GM plans to introduce a new minivan to thier line-up.

 

I spoke with a GM customer rep from Oshawa, Ontario Canada in January 2010, when I expressed my concerns to GM about my experiences with their products. I brought up the question of any future mini or family vans for GM.

She said that there is a concept vehicle in the works for 2013 called the Chevy Orlando. It is only a concept vehicle at this time, so it may or may not be released, depending on allot of things that may be happening at that time.

You can find pictures of the Chevy Orlando if you query the name or if you go to GM's parent site and look under concept vehicles.

The dealer where I bought my 2005 Uplander new, said that in 2007, 2008, 2009, he was losing money on each Uplander that he sold because there was no profit to be made. I don't completely understand why, but that is what he said. GM was in serious trouble financially at that time which culminated in bankruptcy in 2009.

Chrysler is the only domestic manufacture producing a mini family van in 2010.

 

If they were loosing money on these vans it is not because they were not selling enough. In my town where we have a gm dealer there is more uplanders than any other models on the road. The uplanders could not stay on the lot more than a few weeks. They may have lost some money when they started to reduce the price in 2008 by cutting as much as 8000$ before they stopped the production. Even at the end these vans were selling like hot cakes. You have the result on the roads. There is more uplanders and sv6 than any other brands of minivans and this van has the nicest look over any other makes of minivans. The line is classic and even today if you see a chevrolet venture in good condition the van has not lost its fashion.

 

I guess they just weren't profittable enough around the country to keep the model going. Most people prefer something that handles good and still seats 7 over something that has a disgusting amount of body roll and has been stung by the stigma and uncoolness of the 90's suburbia. Not to mention the resale on them after a couple years isn't that great.
That's not my opinion of course, but it's the conclusion I draw from what I read. I think minivans were great. They had their own niche in the market.