Pontiac Montana

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Pontiac Montana

Manufacturer	Pontiac
Parent company	General Motors
Also called	Pontiac Montana SV6
Production	1999–2006 (USA) 1999-2009 (Canada/Mexico)
Assembly	Doraville, Georgia
Predecessor	Pontiac Trans Sport
Successor	GMC Acadia
Class	Minivan
Layout	FF layout/all-wheel drive
Platform	GM U platform
Transmission	4-speed automatic
Similar	Dodge Caravan Ford Windstar Mazda MPV

First generation

Production	1999–2005
Body style	3-door minivan 4-door minivan
Engine	3.4 L LA1 V6
Wheelbase	112 in (SWB) 120 in (LWB)
Length	187.3 in (SWB) 201.3 in (LWB)
Width	72.7 in
Height	67.4 in (SWB) 68.1 in (LWB)
Curb weight	3730 lb (SWB) 3942 lb (LWB)
Related	Buick GL8 Buick Terraza Chevrolet Uplander Chevrolet Venture Oldsmobile Silhouette Saturn Relay Buick Rendezvous Pontiac Aztek

Second generation(SV6)

Production	2005–2009
Body style	4-door minivan
Engine	3.5 L LX9 V6
Wheelbase	121.1 in (LWB) 113 in (SWB)
Length	205.6 in (LWB) 191 in (SWB)
Width	72 in
Height	72.0 in (LWB) 70.5 in (SWB)
Fuel capacity	25 US gal
Related	Buick GL8 Buick Terraza Chevrolet Uplander Chevrolet Venture Saturn Relay Buick Rendezvous Pontiac Aztek

The Montana is a minivan from the Pontiac division of General Motors that replaced the Pontiac Trans Sport for the 1999 model year. It will be discontinued after the 2006 model year in the United States because of slow sales, but will continue to be sold in Canada and Mexico.

[edit] 1999-2005

The Montana nameplate was used as a trim level of the Pontiac Trans Sport van from 1997 to 1998, but dropped the Trans Sport name for 1999. This generation was similar to the Buick GL8, the Chevrolet Venture, the Oldsmobile Silhouette, and the Opel Sintra. The Montana came in both short and long wheelbase models. The Montana was one of the few minivans which provided seating for eight.

Early LWB Pontiac Montana

Facelifted SWB Pontiac Montana

[edit] 2005-2009

For the 2005 model year, the Montana was updated to have a design more similar to an SUV, resulting in its new name, Montana SV6. The 2005 Montana SV6 used a 3.5 L High Value 3500 LX9 V6 that generated 200 hp and 220 ft·lbf. Similar to the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, and Buick Terraza, it was the third costliest of its cousins and starting at US$24,840. In the United States, only the long-wheelbase version was sold, while Canada continues to sell it alongside the short-wheelbase version (which crossed over to the second generation for the 2006 model year). The van is built near Atlanta, Georgia. On November 21, 2005, GM announced that it would close the Doraville, Georgia assembly plant, which produced the SV6, in 2008. However, several months later, GM announced that the SV6 would be discontinued after 2006 in the US market due to poor sales and because it did not fit within Pontiac's performance image. As part of most Pontiac dealerships also selling Buicks and GMCs, the Lambda-based GMC Acadia crossover SUV will replace the Montana SV6. In Canada and Mexico, where the van has a loyal following, sales will continue. The Montana will disappear from Pontiac's Canadian and Mexican lineup after 2009, the time GM closes the Doraville plant. The last SV6 rolled off the assembly line on July 7, 2006.