Is it just me or is Ford and chevy trying to out do Ram? Ram releases new 8 speed trany....couple weeks after Ford and Chevy announce they will be teaming up to make a 10 speed transmission. Ram releases 2 new cargo Vans. Now GM is teaming with Nissan to make a cargo van.

I really don't like when GM does business with it's competitors. On the other hand it's van and who really buys those anyways, here in the States.

It's this Website for Pick-up(s) what's next an article for the Honda Ridgeline lol or Ford Fiesta Flat Bed BS.

The New 2014 Silverados and Sierra's look Great by the way.

@Dodgeguy65 I think General Motors has always out-done out-performed and out-sold Slodge Rammie.

Personally I don't like it when any manufacturer buys a competitor's vehicle and slaps their logo on it.

@Paul I have to Agree

Build it yourself GM, oh wait nevermind. SMH!!!

You do not have to look to deep in any vehicle to see they all share components.

Commonality is more common than most realise.

The more of a product that is produced the cheaper it is for the manufacturers and hopefully the consumer.

I have just seen a small Nissan van here in France about the size of a Transit Connect. It looks okay.

Personally, I love this site for posting anything about pickup trucks and vans! The site is uncluttered (except for the lame comments), gets right to the point and its not teeming with ads etc. Keep up the good work Pickuptrucks.com writers.
PS. Agreed, "competitors teaming up and selling same vehicle with different badges makes for zero innovation and competition. Come on GM, make your own vans.

@ AllAmerican,

Why do you trolls ruin this site by once again continuosly bashing Dodge RAM.

GM doesnt always out perform Dodge.Fact is RAM R/T is the best performing truck around,RAM SRT-10 fastest truck ever made,out performing GM trucks ! The 5.7 HEMI beats bigger motors in performance and smaller motors in mpg
& performance !

Funny the new GM trucks look alot like the RAM,dash layout ect..Funny GM has 20" wheels something Dodge made popular and the first truck to roll with them,again everybody seems to copy Dodge RAM ,wait until GM gets AirSuspension..Yeah,I can ride my new RAM like a lifted truck,or a slammed low ryder or stock height with the flip of a switch,truly awesome.

RAM in the 90's came out with the Magnum engines,bumped power up,a 318 had more hp than a 454 ! Then GM increased power to chase RAM.RAM had a gas engine with 450 torque from 94-03 !!

RAM Cummins diesel changed the way people thought of Diesels for years Ford/Gm diesels were known to be a dog,slow,zero pick up,RAM changed that increasing performance/towing every year to where today all are very good in performance/towing.In sales GM trucks are lower priced than RAM,thus increased sales for businesses as they buy in bulk and to save money brand doesnt matter as ford is king of fleet sales for trucks,lowest priced trucks around.

Funny GM trucks were bare bones,a few years ago mocking RAM with its heated steering wheel,now GM trucks have a heated steering wheel ! Who's copying who ?

RAM,best resale value beating GM,Most Reliable truck around,beating GM,in Canada RAM outsells Chevy trucks.

It's not a Chevy, it's a Nissan. Very strange they would do this. Unless there's something that prohibits Nissan dealers from selling these. Which would be somewhat ok I guess. But that wouldn't make any sense either for the Nissan dealer network. And if Nissan dealers did carry these, why not just buy it from them and get the real thing? I also wonder where you'd have to take it in for warranty repairs. The Nissan dealer? You'd think Chevy could tool up their own design fairly quick. They were the small van big seller forever with those Astros. I also thought GM was getting away from the rebadge stuff. There's gotta be something else going on behind the scenes. These new european vans are sure ugly. All of them.

Since the '70s, the American brands have partnered with either Japanese or European brands to present some models here in the US.

Ford: Partnered with Mazda for the Courier and later the Thunderbird. They have shared platforms for several other models in the last 40 years.

Chevrolet: Partnered with Suzuki, Kia and Isuzu at least for cars like the Tracker, the Metro, the Luv and others. Even as recently as 10 years ago GM partnered with Toyota for the Matrix and Honda for certain drivetrains. Other drivetrains came from GM-owned Opel along with some entire automotive lines and models even within Chevrolet and Buick.

Chrysler: I don't think I need to name all their partnerships, but when you consider that the majority of their '70s models had at least some Mitsubishi content (The Colt and a couple others coming whole-hog from Mitsu) and later Daimler Benz and finally now Fiat with its Alpha Romeo-based new Dart and some future models.

To be blunt, most of us have lived with the Big Three's foreign partnerships if not all our lives, then certainly a majority of them. So complaining about how GM is now partnering with Nissan for a compact van that GM itself dumped as 'not necessary' is simply an exercise in futility. If you ask me, the only company NOT making huge product line mistakes is Chrysler--for now. GM has made most of the worst mistakes, but Ford hasn't done all that much better.

I am a little surprised by this since GM in Europe has similar vans. Maybe because it already meets all safety regs?

I hope it works for GM but I doubt it. Might help CAFE a bit though and wouldn't cost GM anything.

Canadian Dodge Ram Owner !! | May 14, 2013 3:04:38 PM

My guess is that people who publish such opinions have an ax to grind with a manufacturer, and are still sore over the money and time they lost when they owned that product.

I was sorry to see the S-10 based Astro Cargo Van go, but this hookup with Nissan may actually put some money in to GM's coffers with very little risk to GM, if any.

I know several musical bands in my area that still use the Astro to haul their gear around but once they wear out, I do not believe that anything Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge or RAM would interest them.

No offense intended. Just telling you what actually happens in the real world where I live.

Flashback:
The fact of the matter is ford ALWAYS copies GM'S ideas and puts them on their truck and acts as if they invented it. Everyone knows who the real innovation leader is and it's not ford. GM is the leader in innovation and the ford girly men darn well know it.

The ford girly men yeah. I don't have a problem with the ford girly man step. It was necessary to get into the ford trucks.

- Michigan Bob

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/10/ford-confirms-large-plant-investment-for-vans-medium-dutys-f150s/comments/page/2/

GM copies the compeition again. This has become GM's M.O. as of late.

2014 Silverado: meet, not exceed competion.

2014 vans: forget meeting, just copy the compeition outright.

I bet ford changes their mind and copies GM AGAIN!
Posted by: Michigan Bob | Oct 10, 2011 12:05:03 PM

GM is also copying both of Ford's man steps. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

GM puts a bowtie on the Nissan NV200 to sell it as a new Chevy City Express. Why? Because..."GM is the leader in innovation and the ford girly men darn well know it!" Thanks, Bob.

Ford had turn signals on their outside mirrors at least starting in '02, did GM? No.
The bed on my '02 F150 was composite plastic, no rust. Did GM do this on their pick ups? Do GM trucks have keyless entry key pads? Who copies who?

Just a few legitimate posts. I am surprised that GMC would do this since they already have vans in Europe.

The "I hate the Eurotrash van" guys are going to have fits over this. Looks like all of the vans will go Euro.

Funny but functional.

@Bonko & Dave, GM's lack of innovation in the commercial vehicle segment has been appauling of late.

I thought GM would have brought yet another Opel here for this purpose. Opel vans must be pure Euro-trash if even GM won't bring their own vans to the States.

Michigan Bob is on suicide watch! This is a big blow to him!

Everything he has said in the past has gone out the window.

@Don - true. GM now has heated steering wheels, seats that vibrate, not 1 but 2 man steps, disk brakes, luxury "High Country", LED lights, and now Japanese designed vans.

Suicide watch?

Can I take the Michael Jackson night shift.

Looks like the flood of Euro type Vans has started.

First let me say I hate hate and hate even more the euro looking vans ! That being said ,the Nissan vans do the best job in the looks department in my eyes (not the style PUTC) shows in the picture ?! The more Americanized model nv 2500 body on frame .
I could dig on a Nissan / chevy van with a duramax in it ! IMHO the only two good looking vans any more are the gms and nissans

If some of you would put your blind product allegiance aside you would see the benefits in offering a product that is needed while reducing costs. GM and Ford are now doing this with auto transmissions. To those who say that it is not feasible to bring a compact truck to market here is your answer. Eventually we could be down to one domestically owned car company. Let's be realistic everything is becoming more global in nature.

This van has nothing to do with Euros. It is all Japanese and will be built in Mexico.

The difference between what Ford and GM have and are doing is Ford and GM developed the trannys. Nissan is making the vans for GM and GM is just providing the badge.

Very strange they would do this. Unless there's something that prohibits Nissan dealers from selling these. Which would be somewhat ok I guess. But that wouldn't make any sense either for the Nissan dealer network.

-FordTrucks, Nope. I sell Nissans. We just got 3 new white ones in last week. It will be funny to watch the Chevrolet dealer up the road try to pawn these off as Chevy's. 50 billion to save these guys only to have them rebadge our Nissans is hillarious and sad. We take their customers every week. Good luck Chevrolet, you're going to need it.

It this isn't a clear case against govn't bailouts I don't know what is.

If this isn't a clear case against govn't bailouts I don't know what is.

Really, it sounds like a win-win.
Nissan seems to be allergic to making fleet sales and
GM seems to be allergic to engineering and making quality sensible vehicles.

So give GM the product to sell and they'll sell it.

Nice looking van by the way. We have so few options in the smaller cargo van segment. Glad it doesn't look like a shoebox on wheels like it's bigger brother.

"GM seems to be allergic to engineering and making quality sensible vehicles."

You got that right!

@Frank, Who won the Royal Rumble in the Rockies?

GM!

Ford loses and GM wins again.

"It's not a Chevy, it's a Nissan. Very strange they would do this."

Not really. The GEO models sold by Chevy were all rebadged Japanese cars, some from Isuzu, some from Suzuki, some from Toyota.

"Ford: Partnered with Mazda for the Courier and later the Thunderbird."

Vulpine, which Thunderbird was platform-shared with Mazda? To my knowledge, none of them have been. Do you mean the Probe? The Probe and the Mazda MX-6 were essentially the same car(different sheetmetal), and they were built on the same line.

GM makes quality vehicles and is shown by the awards it has won.

Silverado:
Consumer's Digets Best Buy
Best Truck for the Money US News & World Reports
Royal Rumble in the Rockies Winner
HD Shootout Winner 2 x's
Vincentric Lowest Cost of Ownership Award
Edmunds.com Lowest True Cost to Own
JD Powers Initial Quality Study Winner: GMC Sierra with Silverado second and Avalanche third
2012 Consumer Reports Top Pick: Avalanche

4x vs 4x

Fair fight baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFhGRe9CLsE

Frank is allergic to intelligence and making quality posts.

@Bob's retard AGENT,

Do you think people and or trucks are based off stupid races like you stated?

Nope, I'd rather have an overbuilt Ford than a far stretched rubber band Duramax engine that screams while the Ford easily sprints along.

Please troll, you make my day. I love to read your stupid posts. Nothing like logging on the PUTC and reading stupid posts from stupid people.

Keep up the good work!!!

Bring back the Astro with a diesel engine and a high roof.

LOLOLOL!!!! Just ANOTHER PAGE in the GovtMoCo Saga!!! GMC shouldnt WRECK Chevrolet like this. I WANT MY TaxDollars BACK!. REBADGED NISSANS? What a JOKE.

Nothing like logging on the PUTC and reading my own stupid posts that I posted the day before.

I will keep up the good work!!!

Posted by: Frank | May 15, 2013 3:24:53 PM

You must get as big of a kick out of your own posts as we do. Keep up the good work Frankie!

@MoparMadness,

You tax dollars is no longer your money. I just don't understand why people make such a statement.

P.S. We all have to pay taxes that we will never get back.

FYI, you already got your taxes back if you filed.

@Glenn: The Thunderbird reboot--the failed Thunderbird reboot, essentially ran on an extended Mazda Miata platform with an attempt to recall the old '50s-style bodywork. In many ways it looked OK, but it wore a poor attempt at a retro T-bird body that looked more like a stretched first-version Corvette than the '57/'58 T-bird.

And thank you for reminding me of the Probe. I actually liked that one, though never owned one.

In fact, I've owned only 2 Fords in my life--the '73 Gran Torino and now a '90 F-150 XLT Lariat. Can't say I'm the greatest fan of either one of them, but they do make OK basic transportation.

I've never understood the idea behind badge-engineering a car from a competitor. It just seems like they're saying " So we can't make a van like this, so here's a Nissan instead."

FRank, What MoparMadness means is they are wasting so much money from GM bailouts to Solyndra to golden toilets. Yet they say they cannot and will not cut even 1 cent from the budget. With all of this waste and fraud going on from bailouts and other matters, they still will not cut a dime and want to keep raising taxes. This is our money! We are the government. We have a huge spending problem and if you endorse this practice we are going all end up bankrupt like GM!

This isn't a big van. This is based off of the New York Taxi van. It is a competitor for the Transit Connect and Grand Caravan Ram van.
It is odd to see GMC partner with Nissan since they have small European vans that they could import. Maybe all of GMC's Eurovan's are non-USA compliant diesels?

I wonder if Fred Diaz will team up at all with Chevy on the pickup trucks. It would be funny if the next Nissan Titan is a rebadged Silverado.

I think this is a smart idea to partner with Nissan on a smaller van, even if this is a rebadged Nissan. The Chevy Astro and Savanna vans were very popular vans and fit a gap in the market that GM no longer serves. Why waste money on developing a smaller van, as a matter of fact this type of partnership was done in the 70s by all the Big 3 on compact pickups and would make sense to use if the Big 3 decided to bring out a smaller pickup. The GM and Ford joint venture on the 8 speed automatic transmission is another smart idea. It is much more expensive and riskier to develop products today. Eventually the US might only have one domestically owned auto manufacturer. Joint ventures and globally developed products just make sense. Also it is smart to use a product that has had time to be out on the market because most of the bugs have been worked out.

"@Glenn: The Thunderbird reboot--the failed Thunderbird reboot, essentially ran on an extended Mazda Miata platform with an attempt to recall the old '50s-style bodywork."

Vulpine, I hate to break it to you, but the "Thunderbird reboot" was on the DEW98 platform - the Lincoln LS/Jaguar S-Type/Jaguar XF platform - not the Miata platform. The DEW98 was developed by Ford and Jaguar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_DEW_platform

Ok Glenn, I'll accept that correction on the caveat that at the time, even the salespeople and some magazines were working under the assumption that it was a stretched Miata, not a Jag. Now, if these salespeople and magazines had known it was a Jag platform, maybe it wouldn't have died as quickly.

Then again, maybe it would have died even more quickly. Top Gear UK rarely gave the Jag high marks during that time period.

@JeffS, I can see working together on a transmission. This is completely different and just moronic. If GM owned Nissan it would be passable. The problem is, Nissan is their direct competition. You can't just blatently rebadge a competitors van that they themselves sell right across the street and expect to get away with it. This is no different than if Chevrolet took a Tacoma or F-150 and stuck a bowtie emblem on them and tried to sell them as the Colorado or Silverado. People would be up in arms. Just because this vehicle is on a smaller selling scale doesn't mean it's any different nor the right thing to do. Especially when this is a hugely growing segment of vehicle right now. Is this really how they want Chevrolet to battle Ford? With a rebadged Nissan that Nissan themselves already has on dealer lots? Even MoparMoron is right on this. What's up next? Will they partner with Dodge to rebadge the next Challenger as the Camaro to take on the Mustang?

@Kent: While in principal you are correct, in this specific case GM has no direct competition to the NV available. It is possible that this is a one- or two-off period while GM designs and builds that competition or works to get their European platform US-certified. It's certainly not the first time they've done it. Remember how the Pontiac Vibe was nothing more than a re-badged Toyota Matrix only 10 years ago. Think also back into the '60s and '70s when Ford, GM and Chrysler used Mazda, Isuzu and Mitsubishi compact trucks until they could build their own direct competition, the Ranger, S-10/15 and the Dakota.

As such, the rest of your argument is invalid.