The Chevrolet Venture is a minivan manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, from 1997 to 2005. Venture was assembled in Doraville, Georgia, along with other minivans produced by General Motors.
History of the Chevrolet Venture
Chevrolet Venture (1996–2005)
In 1996, Chevrolet discontinued the Lumina APV moniker and replaced it with the Venture as the company's family-oriented minivan offering. Minivans are becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Thus, GM made the Venture available worldwide. It was marketed as the Opel/Vauxhall Sintra in the Old Continent, but sales were so poor that the company discontinued the model far sooner than expected. However, the minivan was well received by buyers in the United States. It was also marketed under the names Pontiac Tran Sport and Oldsmobile Montana. The Venture and its cousins used the same 3.4L LA1 V6 engine from General Motors, good for 180 horsepower (134 kW). It was not until after 1999 that the engine had a minor modification that resulted in an increase of 5 horsepower (4 kilowatts) for a total of 185 horsepower (138 kW). Chevrolet put an automatic transmission with four speeds under the hood. General Motors designed the Venture to be offered with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive to appeal to a broader audience. In 2005, Chevrolet released the Uplander as a replacement for the Venture. This vehicle was a facelift with one extended wheelbase version and a larger nose. The latter was designed to increase crush distance and give the car a more SUV-like appearance. In 2005, the short-wheelbase version of the Venture was no longer available in Canada, while it was still sold in the United States. The last Chevrolet Venture was built on June 24, 2005.
Price
In 2005, Chevrolet retailed the 2005 Chevrolet Venture with a starting MSRP of $23,365 for the base Plus trim, rising to $30,760 for the top-spec LT trim.
Features of the Chevrolet Venture
Exterior Features
A large, chromed grille dominated the taller front fascia. Its front lights were a major improvement over its forerunner's, being both larger in size and higher up. The earlier Lumina APV's pointed snout made it look like a bullet on wheels, while the Venture was more like a conventional minivan. The front and side bumpers were covered with black rubber cladding to prevent damage in the parking lot. Chevrolet placed side sliding doors for the back passengers as a safety precaution to keep customers from opening the doors and perhaps harming other users' vehicles.
Interior Features
The Venture's interior could fit up to seven adults. However, the very back row would be cramped for anyone over six feet tall. Once you stow away that final passenger seat or fold it down, you'll have a lot of room in the trunk. In addition, if the front two seats had been left in place, the vehicle might have been converted into a genuine goods carrier.
Release Date
General Motors released the Chevrolet Venture from 1997 to 2005 under its Chevrolet division. It was discontinued on June 24, 2005, to make way for the new Chevrolet Uplander.