When did they stop making Chevy Uplanders?
Chevrolet stopped producing the Uplander after the 2009 model year, with production ending in 2009.
The Uplander debuted in 2005 as GM’s minivan offering, built for families alongside the Pontiac Montana SV6 and Saturn Relay. As GM reshaped its lineup toward crossovers, the Uplander was phased out and never replaced with a direct equivalent in Chevrolet’s lineup.
What was the Uplander?
The Chevrolet Uplander was a mid-size minivan designed to compete in the family-van segment. It offered seating for seven or eight and shared GM’s engineering with sister vans from the GM lineup. Production ran from 2005 through 2009, marking GM’s shift away from traditional minivans in the late 2000s.
Design and features
The Uplander was built on GM’s minivan platform of the era and included typical family-van conveniences, such as flexible seating configurations and available rear-seat entertainment. It represented GM’s effort to offer a practical people-mosquito while facing growing competition from larger crossovers.
Production timeline
The following timeline shows when the Uplander was produced, including its model-year span and end of production.
- 2004: General Motors begins Uplander production for the 2005 model year.
- 2005–2009: Chevrolet Uplander is sold as the 2005 through 2009 model years.
- 2009: Production ends; the Uplander is discontinued after the 2009 model year.
- 2010 onward: GM focuses on crossovers (notably the Chevrolet Traverse) rather than traditional minivans; no direct Uplander successor is produced.
In summary, the Uplander’s production run lasted five model years, concluding in 2009 as GM redirected its lineup toward crossover utility vehicles rather than conventional minivans.
Context: GM's shift to crossovers
During the late 2000s, GM faced a market pivot away from traditional minivans toward three-row crossovers. The Chevrolet Traverse, introduced as a large crossover, became the primary family-hauler in Chevrolet’s lineup, while the Uplander and other vans were retired. This shift reflected broader industry trends and GM’s restructuring following the 2009 financial crisis.
Summary
The Chevrolet Uplander was produced from 2005 through 2009. Production ended with the 2009 model year as GM moved away from traditional minivans toward crossovers like the Traverse, effectively ending the Uplander’s run in Chevrolet’s lineup.
