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Assembled In: Doraville, Georgia. Model Line Up: Chevrolet Uplander LS ($20,205); Uplander LS LWB ($23,208); Uplander LT LWB ($27,405). Model Tested: Chevrolet Uplander LT LWB ($27,405). Options Tested: Premium Seating Package ($1,350) includes leather surfaces for first and second row, power front passenger seat and front seat heaters; six-CD changer ($295); Preferred Equipment Package 2LT ($1,945) includes rear parking assist, driver side power sliding door, dual second-row side-impact airbags, deluxe instrumentation w/driver information center, leather-wrapped steering wheel w/audio controls, brushed aluminum sport luggage rack w/side rails, dual zone manual air conditioning, removable overhead storage console, color-key carpeted floor mats all rows; XM satellite radio hardware ($199); Cargo Convenience Center rear storage bins ($385) remote starter ($190); two additional infrared headphones ($75); second-row utility tray ($75). The strength of the Chevy Uplander lies in its value. Comparably equipped, the Uplander sells for thousands less than class standards such as the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Uplander comfortably seats seven, with a choice of individual captain's chairs or a two-place bench seat in the second row. And it takes care of its passengers in a well-designed, nicely finished interior. The base LS model offers a high level of standard equipment, including a subscription to GM's OnStar tele-aid service. StabiliTrak electronic stability control is now standard on all extended-length passenger models. A removable hard drive called Phatnoise is available that allows the onboard entertainment system to play or display everything from MP3 music files to family photos to video games to the latest movie releases. Uplander's main shortcoming has been a lack of performance, but Chevrolet addressed this last year by offering a new, 3.9-liter V6 with 240 horsepower. For 2007, the weak 3.5-liter V6 has been dropped from the model line and the more potent 3.9-liter is standard. With the optional towing package, Uplander is rated to pull up to 3,500 pounds. Chevrolet would be happy if you thought of Uplander less as a minivan and more as a blunt-nosed SUV crossover. Uplander's pouty snout was calculated to suggest this. Regardless, the Uplander is the best minivan Chevrolet has ever offered. The Chevrolet Uplander LS ($23,208) comes with fabric upholstery, air conditioning front and rear, power windows and locks, tilt steering column, a rear-window defroster and wiper, dark-tinted rear glass, power rear vent windows, OnStar, and a CD player with MP3 capability. Its second-row seat is a two-place bench, and its third-row seat splits 50/50 to increase passenger/cargo flexibility. The LS comes standard with StabiliTrak. Uplander LT ($27,405) comes with a power driver's seat, second-row captain's chairs, a power sliding door on the passenger side, and a single-screen DVD entertainment system with two infrared headphone sets. LT comes in three trim levels: 1LT, 2LT and 3LT. The 3LT package ($5,645) adds XM Satellite Radio and PhatNoise Mobile Digital Media along with many other features. Options include a remote starter ($190), Cargo Convenience storage bins ($385), XM Satellite Radio ($199), traction control ($195), roof rails ($180), chromed wheels ($650), a 6CD changer with MP3 playback ($295), and the towing package ($25). The Premium Seating Package ($1,350) adds leather surfaces for the first and second row, power front passenger seat and front seat heaters. The Convenience Package adds a power sliding rear door on the driver's side combined with a 115-volt power outlet and rear park assist ($720). Safety features include the mandated front airbags. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) come standard. StabiliTrak electronic stability control is optional on the short-wheelbase LS, standard on other models. Traction control is optional. OnStar comes standard with a one-year subscription, which features automatic notification when airbags deploy, a great safety feature. Side-impact airbags are optional. All-wheel drive, which Uplander offered through 2006, is no longer available. Curtain-style head-protection airbags are not available. Fleet buyers can choose E85 flex-fuel (up to 85 percent ethanol) capability as a no-cost option. StabiliTrak can be deleted for credit. Also available is a long-wheelbase cargo van ($22,105). Chevrolet claims the Uplander's innovative styling combines the best attributes of vans with the bold look of a sport-utility vehicle. This is accomplished, according to Chevrolet, with a long hood and a large, chromed-ringed grille sporting a big Chevy bow tie. In profile, wide roof pillars and bold, flat-spoked 17-inch wheels are supposed to reinforce the SUV look. Gray molding covers the rocker panels and connects the lower bumper plastic front and rear, which are designed to look like skid plates. We're not sure about any of this SUV stuff, because to us the Uplander looks like a minivan with a prominent, slightly awkward snout. It won't fool many people. In virtually every respect the Uplander is a minivan, with the many advantages minivans offer, including a low step-in and load lift heights compared to the typical SUV. One thing that impresses during an Uplander walkaround is the overall quality of its assembly and finish. The seams on our test vehicle matched precisely and consistently, and the paint had a thick, deep luster with very little orange-peel effect. It was among the best we've seen from Chevrolet and as good as any other minivan currently offered, including those known for their build quality. Few absolutely must have power sliding side doors, but they're something we like and are handy in a number of situations. GM actually invented power doors years ago, so it's a bit perplexing that those on the Uplander seem a little slow to open, close and lock (as are Nissan's). Perhaps GM's engineers designed the operating mechanism with safety foremost in their thinking. More likely, they were responding to cautionary intervention from corporate liability attorneys. We were also struck by the lack of any power liftgate assist, despite Uplander's overall high level of standard equipment. With the recent demise of the Pontiac Montana, Uplander is one of three minivans offered by GM's various brands. It shares its engine, transmission, chassis and general dimensions with the Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay. There are slight styling differences, to be sure, and each division has its own rational as to why its minivan looks like it does and why it will appeal to a certain type of buyer. Whatever the thinking behind each might be, price differences among the four are negligible when comparably equipped. (The base Relay, a long-wheelbase model, is priced between the short and long versions of the Uplander LS; the Terraza is the top of the line.) The choice among brands could come down to satisfaction with a particular dealership or lot location, which dealer is willing to cut the best deal, or, most likely, which styling you like the best. The Chevrolet Uplander is sold on the basis of its value. Fit, finish and build quality rank with the best in the class. Uplander is easily Chevrolet's best minivan yet. Its styling doesn't do much for us, and it falls short when it comes to ride and handling. However, the big 3.9-liter V6 delivers strong acceleration performance. J.P. Vettraino filed this NewCarTestDrive.com report from Detroit.
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