Way to go GM. The high volume selling Ridgeline could use some competition ;)

I will have to say no way , either make it a body on frame with separate cab and bed or not at all .

A car based pickup? seriously? Its what happens when a bunch of car guys get together to try and figure out what truck guys want . May be a great sell in South america, but not here guys. Back to the drawing board .ugh...

What Taylor said!

"Car-derived pick-up" are you ducking kidding me (I dont want to be censored, so its "duck" instead of the odvious)!!

The U.S. has the greatest pick-ups in the world, because we dont call trash like this "trucks".

And no diesel engine? Instant deal breaker for me guys.

Right. This story was released to thorw off the public from the earlier story about the new Colorado.

With Ford coming out with a 4cyl engine with 400hp and 400 torque, do you really think GM is going to bring in a 92 horsepower weakling?

File this under: "If you can't convince them, confuse them."

Thats name recognition for you......the All New Pontiac....err,Chevrolet Montana Minivan....er....pickup.Yea thats it.
Maybe they need a Chevrolet Metro SUV or a Vega full size car??

April fools day called -
they want their GM pickup story back.

Hmmm, didn't we see this before with the Dodge Rampage, based off the Omni/Horizon platform, circa 1982-1984?

That thing needs white walls.

Albert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

Sounds a lot like today's compact truck market in the U.S.

Wow, that'd be an interesting replacement.

www.webbchevy.com

GM needs to just get an engineer math whiz with a calculator and shrink down a Silverado/Sierra 50% and walla new compact truck , engineering and design is already done .

Hideous vehicles

Im with the rampage guy. Kinda wish government motors would build this pile of crap, then we would have a group of people that we could make fun of and it wouldnt be politically incorrect!---if you buy this heap you deserve it.

Mike,
If you like to haul 1/2 ton in a bed fine. Sorry these things like the Proton Jumbuck is a waste of time.

Throw 1600 lbs in the back and watch the burn out at every red light and stop sign. Are these guys serious? I can live with the idea of a unibody truck but not front wheel drive.

this is a joke has to be. this is the funnest thing I've seen in a while

"can haul up to 1,600 pounds of cargo, and it gets more than 30 mpg on the highway."

Sounds good to me...
There are days when I drive 100+ miles just for commuting.
I'm sick of getting 17.5 mpg in my Sierra.
For someone like me, who occasionally throws a dirt bike in the back, buys bulky items from Home Depot, hauls a lawn mower around, etc... this would be right in line.
A hatchback with a bed instead of the "hatch"? Right on.

That remade Pontiac Montana is butt ugly...another flop.

LOL, look what happens when u dont like what us Aussies give u, couldve had the commodore ute (G8 ST) but nope, u get this crappy buzz box

a lot of people will hate it, but it will do what 70% of pickup drivers need to do with it.

The US is turning in to a funny market. It's one extreme to the other. Bigger pickups than anywhere else in the world, and now smaller. Just won't have anything in the middle anymore. Though if I had an F150 4.4L V8 diesel and I got close to 30mpg on the highway, I would be over the moon!
I don't think there is anything wrong with offering a compact pickup like that, but it isn't a worthy replacement of a mid-size body on frame. Neither is a Commodore ute for that matter. Useless!

GM! LISTEN TO ME! SOMEONE AT GM HAS TO BE READING THESE POSTS!!!!!!!! PAY ATTENTION!
Not gonna pass the torture test of the American public... If GM wants to take this seriously, they need to blow the dust off the old S-10 blueprints, update the hardware, make it look like a mini-Silverado, offer 2WD/4WD, offer 2.4DI/3.6DI, offer single cab/ext cab/crew cab, offer 6 spd man/auto, and bring back the ZR2. The old S-10 was a good truck, build upon that and ignore the fact that the Colorado/Canyon (or the thing pictured above) ever existed. Heck, even throw in a small diesel for the oil-burning fans. Only problem with that aspect is GM doesn't have a small diesel that can pass US emissions. And I think the 4.5 Duramax is a tad too big for a compact truck, lol.

Oh Miley Cyrus, your car...uh truck...the vehicle with "the best of both worlds" is here!
It's the Chevrolet Hannah Montana.
All it needs is a blond bumper.

I dont like GM is good idea about Brazilian Chevrolet Montana is not El Camino. it is cheap four inline 140 hp FWD. I am very very angry at GM about Pontiac G8 pickup/Holden Ute will not head to El Camino. why GM hurt to Australian Holden Commodore family not coming to America. I know Ford Motor Company hurt to Australian Ford Falcon family and Ford Territory not coming to America. I want keep Chevy Colorado pickup truck are traditional. if GM, Ford and Chrysler will not make next gen traditional pickup and traditional SUV. our American people are very mad at them. it is fact. I know Three brand carmakers are real greedy for less RWD/AWD vehicles. I dont like three facts "No More Colorado No More Ranger No More Dakota"

LOL!

Please... you could get 30mpg highway on a Silverado, Ram, or F-150 if you drop the (respective) light-duty diesel in it. Plus you'd have twice the utility, torque, acceleration, etc. Not to mention the longevity of diesels.

It's not April Fools, so I guess the fools at GM think this is a good idea. Sure, dump the capable Colorado that looks and acts like a pickup and replace it with a minicar with a box grafted onto the back. GM complains that not enough people buy the Colorado--who do they think is going to buy this girly thing?

It is ignorant to think that because it's car based it's not a truck. Not everybody wants the kind of truck you have. If you look in the southern hemisphere there are many similar trucks, Ford Bantam, Mazda Rustler and Opel Corsa Bakkie (GM). Most made in South Africa with a 1 ton capacity. They even have diesel versions of these trucks as well. They serve a lot of people especially businesses and people who don't need the larger trucks. It would be a great competitor to the Ford Transit in this market. And by the way if you think your truck is tough why don't you take it to southern Africa where it works in the rural areas and other places outside the urban areas and you will realize just how much your air conditioned, leather lined comfort trucks will really do. I guarantee you most of them will be on the side of the road in no time. Don't make fun of it until you have driven one and used it. You just may be pleasantly surprised.

07Taco-
With all due respect - I'm not sure if you have driven our pickups in the U.S. either. In my business we drive Ford and Chevy half tons, H.D.s and even Ford Rangers in all kinds of terrain and environments from the swamps of Louisiana, along the gulf coast, pine forests of east Texas, west Texas rocky plains and mountains to New Mexico sands and everything in between. Highway, off-road, across land and in water when we have to. I don't know what southern Africa is made of, but I think we subject ours to just about anything. Our American trucks hold up and most the time seem to enjoy what we throw at them. I just would have no reason to think about buying anything like this little thing. That's all there is to it.

matt. You forgot to mention twice the price. I think a light duty diesel would be awesome in a silverado, but considering the price it probably wouldn't be worth it. Overall the montana is way more economical, and that's what it's all about.

a lot of people will hate it, but it will do what 70% of pickup drivers need to do with it.- Bob

I agree. I have no need for this truck but a lot of people do. Some people only have trucks because it has a bed you can get dirty. If people can get over how ugly it is, I think it will sell fairly well, especially to a lot of businesses. Most businesses that use 2 wheel drive rangers or colorados could easily replace them with this. I like the idea. It can do what they need and will probably be much more economical.

I like the s10 idea posted by zr2s10. that's more like what i'd like to have, but only if they could make it cost A LOT less than a silverado. I think that's their problem. They can't make a truck like that and have it be a lot less than a silverado. So most people given the choice would just pay a little more for a much better, bigger truck. That's exactly the reason I bought a half ton instead of a ranger.

So they'll give us this cobalt-truck, but they wont give us a G8 sport truck??? Jerks..

There must be a market for these trucks, because it seems everybody wants in on the mini-truck market.

The problem is, Full-size trucks are priced WAY too competitively to make smaller trucks thrive! I've been on the fence between a Full-size and mid-size for the past 6 months: On one hand, I can save 2 grand up front, and get a loaded tacoma that will do 99% of what I need in a truck with 2mpg better fuel economy, along with slightly cheaper maintenance... Or, I can spend an extra 2 grand, get a silverado loaded very comparably (if not better), get a v8 with SLIGHTLY less fuel economy, and have a truck for "Just in case" instances.

If the cost differential were wider, I'd get the Tacoma.

I don't see a truck like this selling. You cant park them near any of the SUVs or Trucks on the Chevrolet lot, or people will think twice... I think "car/truck people" in general are very self-conscious about what they drive. We dont go into a dealership to get the most economical machine... we want the biggest and baddest out there!

This truck is nothing more than a NAPA auto-parts delivery truck: a truck for commercial use.

I hope GM doesn't go with this for the US. it's bad enough with the current Colorado, that thing let us all down.

Next comment is @ the comment about not liking what the Aussies give us... You guys give us garbage! That's why your stuff doesn't sell here. GTO, G8, the G8ST ... all rubbish.

@Kemo well hope you like the Camaro it was engineered and slightly redesigned here.
Strange a lot of people want that "rubbish". They will be reintroducing a lot as Chevrolet's NOT Pontiacs.

Clearly, if you think that somehow the USA is more rough and tumble, tougher on trucks and all that than South America, Mexico and Africa, you slept through geography, anthropology, history and most of your other school courses.

Small, efficient, cheap trucks like this have a place in those markets because they're small, efficient and cheap. If you think that there aren't enough Americans interested in small, efficient and cheap pickup trucks to justify bringing these in, then you'll also agree that Ford has no business selling the Transit Connect in this market (despite the fact that they're selling all they can bring in).

Anyone remember the VW Rabbit Pickup? They didn't sell all that well, but a frighteningly high percentage of them are still on the road 30 years after they were sold because there is an, albeit small, part of the population in the US that this sort of vehicle makes sense for.

I work for a Cadillac dealer and we're selling SRX's by the fistful, but Escalades aren't moving. Why? Oh, that's because "real 'mericans" only want big, body on frame SUVs...no mamby, pamby unibody crap. Not!!!

here is a mini diesel powered truck we can all love.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/cummins-puts-a-3500-hp-engine-in-on-a-mini/

Does it come with a flux capacitor?....LOL

@Robert Ryan

Hence why I stopped buying Chevy.

@mallthus It's a cross-over. You city folk and yuppies love em. Yeah, because that's just what I need when I'm hauling power equipment and supplies to customers from my distributors.

For those who forget the famous car based pickup trucks of the past, let me mention a few words: El Camino and Ranchero. I'm done!

As for this sort of FWD conversion.... I'm just not feeling it. I think something like this is not a bad idea, but perhaps looks too much like a hatchet job/make do rather than a real effort. I think it would do far better here in the states if it were based off of something a bit bigger and less like an economy car. Heck, they'd have made a more convincing prototype by cutting the roof off of a Venture minivan.

The Kia Soulster concept looks far more convincing than this does, and while it looks less practical, it certainly looks more like a usable truck. Perhaps Kia should be thinking about making the move into the small (car-based) truck market!

AKA Chevy Tornado

they bring out a small truck or go bellie up yes out I want a truck that get 30-40 mpg big trucks are dead and dieing gone the way of the horse.

An Aveo with a bed? They gotta be crazy. An Aveo is one of the worst modern day car's and GM's trying to capitalize it into a small truck?

When is Chevy/GM going to learn ! Seems like they have the same designer on the payroll as when the first Avalanche was introduced.......a plastic clad piece of S*!t too !! Looks like a Subaru Baja and you don't see many of them on the road. Go back to the drawing board. Shrink the current Siverado and offer a 4.3L V-6 or go back to the '85 S-10 and start from there. Should also have a small displacement turbo diesel option. Scrap the I-5 engine.

"can haul up to 1,600 pounds of cargo, and it gets more than 30 mpg on the highway."

Sounds good to me...
There are days when I drive 100+ miles just for commuting.
I'm sick of getting 17.5 mpg in my Sierra.
For someone like me, who occasionally throws a dirt bike in the back, buys bulky items from Home Depot, hauls a lawn mower around, etc... this would be right in line.
A hatchback with a bed instead of the "hatch"? Right on.

I agree - your specs are exactly what I need also!

The Chevrolet Montana is due for launch in South Africa in the next 6 months. It will be called the Chevrolet Utility as I have been told.
The people of America must remember that us here in South Africa beilieve in less is more, our fuel is dear and 7 South African rands gets us 1US Dollar.
Unless we REALLY need a huge gas-guzzler we do not buy them. It is not a thing for us so much.
I have the model before the "Montana" and have been happy with it, it drives like a car and is light on gas.
If you look at the other small"Pickups" Or "Trucks" available to us in a similar price range, the Montana still looks the best.
So I have ordered one.
Happy shopping to you all
Russell Wightman
Cape Town
South Africa

Truth be known, this vehicle would actually serve the needs of most North American truck buyers. It may not extend their penises the way they want, but it will certainly haul those flower flats and bags of soil from Home Depot.

chevy s10/and canyon are chevys afterbirth need izusui to build truck for them

I'm sorry, you die-hard truck guys are not ever going to like it, but i don't think it's for you.

I happen to like this idea very much. It appeals to people who haven't considered the typical truck.

I would buy one and giggle to myself ever time I filled it up. It would pull my garden trailer quite well, thank you.

I would put my name on the list for sure.