New Chevrolet Crossover Vehicle in the Pipeline for 2009

DETROIT — Industry sources tell Inside Line that the slow-selling Chevrolet Uplander's days are numbered and that a Lambda-based Chevrolet crossover vehicle is in the works for the 2009 model year.

Details on exactly when General Motors will pull the plug on the Uplander are fairly sketchy at this point. It could end production as early as the end of 2007, or it could be produced into early 2008 as a "bridge" vehicle as Chevrolet puts the finishing touches on the new model.

The Uplander, which is equipped with a 240-horsepower 3.9-liter V6 and a relatively old-fashioned four-speed automatic transmission, has not resonated with the buying public. The as-yet-unnamed Chevrolet crossover would be a sibling to the 2007 GMC Acadia, that brand's first crossover. The up-to-eight-passenger Acadia is equipped with a 275-hp 3.6-liter V6 and a more modern six-speed automatic transmission.

The upcoming Chevrolet crossover will be a seven-seater with unibody construction. Sources say the Uplander name will be dumped.

In addition, Buick is set to build the next-generation LaCrosse on General Motors' next-generation Epsilon platform for introduction in June 2009. The LaCrosse will share underpinnings with the next-generation Saturn Aura and Opel Vectra, as well as some of GM's Asian vehicles. Sources say GM is expected to keep the LaCrosse nameplate.