Pontiac · 1997–2009

Pontiac Montana

The Pontiac Montana (also known as Pontiac Montana SV6 for its second generation) is a minivan that was sold by Pontiac from the 1997 to 2009 model years. The successor to the Pontiac Trans Sport, the nameplate was introduced in 1997 as a trim package for its predecessor. For 1999, Pontiac introduced the Montana as a distinct model line (2000 in Canada). Initially marketed between the Chevrolet Venture and the Oldsmobile Silhouette, the model line was later slotted between the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, and Buick Terraza. Styled as the most "rugged" of the GM minivans, the Montana was styled with two-tone lower body cladding evoking the design of SUVs, with the second-generation Montana SV6 (introduced for 2005) adopting more aggressive exterior styling and optional all-wheel drive. The SV6 was discontinued in the United States after 2006 (following slow sales), with Pontiac continuing to sell the model line in Canada and Mexico through 2009 (a year before the closure of Pontiac). Since the introduction of the original "Dustbuster" generation, Pontiac Trans Sports and Montanas were the most popular minivans among consumers in Canada. General Motors assembled the Pontiac Montana alongside its divisional counterparts at its Doraville Assembly (Doraville, Georgia) facility, which closed on September 26, 2008. The Montana was not replaced within Pontiac in either the United States or Canada. As the GMT200 platform was replaced by the fullsize GM Lambda CUVs, the GMC Acadia served as the closest successor.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Pontiac Trans Sport · Successor: Chevrolet Orlando

All Pontiac Montana data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First generation (1997)

The Montana nameplate was first used as a trim level of the Pontiac Trans Sport minivan for the 1997–1998 model years. GM dropped the Trans Sport name in 1998 for MY1999 (1999 for MY2000 in Canada respectively) and the van simply became Montana. It was related to the Chevrolet Venture, the Oldsmobile Silhouette, the Opel/Vauxhall Sintra, and the first generation Buick GL8. The Opel and Vauxhall models were only sold in Europe, even though they were made in the same factory in the U.S. as with the other U-body minivans. Chevrolet also introduced a nearly identical twin to Pontiac save for its badging for European consumers, named as the Chevrolet Trans Sport. The 2000–2010 GL8 is similar to the first-generation Pontiac Montana, while the 2010–2016 GL8 and 2005–2016 GL8 First Land is similar to the later Pontiac Montana SV6. Both generations of the Buick GL8 minivans were only sold in China. Despite the redesign of the Montana as the Montana SV6 in 2005, Pontiac continued to sell the original body style for the 2005 model year for fleet use. The last Montana rolled off the production line in September 2004. Chassis. The Pontiac Montana is based on the GMT200 platform (aka "U-body" in VIN designations), used by the Venture, Silhouette, Sintra, and the first-generation GL8. The new platform uses a unibody type chassis as opposed to the older, uniquely-designed space frame type chassis used in the GMT199 platform minivans. The short wheelbase version measured 112-inches, while the long wheelbase version measured 120-inches. The minivan uses disk brakes for the front wheels and drum brakes for the rear wheels, and uses front MacPherson struts with rear coil over springs. Powertrain details. The Pontiac Montana continues to use the 180 hp (134 kW) 3.4 L V6 engine from the seco

Second generation (2005)

For the 2005 model year, the Montana was restyled with a higher, SUV-like front clip, with a name change to Montana SV6. The 2005 Montana SV6 used a 3.5 L High Value 3500 LX9 V6 that generated 200 hp (150 kW) and 220 ft⋅lbf (300 N⋅m). For 2006, a 3.9 L LZ9 V6, with 240 hp (179 kW) and 240 lb·ft (332 Nm) torque, was added as an option, and the vehicle added GM badges to the front doors. For 2007, the 3.5 L V6 was dropped, leaving the 3.9 L as the base engine. Consequently, the optional AWD system was also dropped, since it could not handle the torque of the 3.9 L engine. A flex-fuel version of the 3.9 L V6 also became available for the SV6 in 2007, exclusively in Canada and Mexico. Similar to the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, and Buick Terraza, it was the second-costliest of its cousins. In the United States and Mexico only the long-wheelbase version was sold. In Mexico, the Montana continued until the 2009 model year, with the 3.9 L V6 as the only engine option. General Motors marketed it as the Pontiac Montana SV6, and it was almost identical to the discontinued US version, but different from the Canadian-specification model. In some parts of Canada, unsold 2009 models were sold as 2010 models. Some of these were also adapted as city taxis in Toronto and Montreal starting in 2010.

Discontinuation

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 due to poor sales, while production for both Canada and Mexico would continue because the SV6 sold better in those markets. The last SV6 for the U.S. market rolled off the assembly line on July 7, 2006. Production ended for Canada and Mexico with the 2009 model year, with the demise of the Pontiac brand a year later and the closing of the Doraville, Georgia plant on September 26, 2008. The last vehicle built was a Canadian-bound Montana SV6 SWB with roof rack in Liquid Silver Metallic, delivered to the Marvin Starr dealership in Scarborough, Ontario. The Montana was discontinued without a direct replacement due to the discontinuation of the Pontiac brand in 2010.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Pontiac Montana
aka: Pontiac Trans Sport Montana (1997–1998, US; 1997–1999, Canada), Pontiac Montana SV6 (2005–2009; second generation)
Manufacturer: Pontiac (General Motors)
Production: 1997–2009
Assembly: United States: Doraville, Georgia (Doraville Assembly)
Class: Minivan
Platform: GM U platform
Layout: Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive
Predecessor: Pontiac Trans Sport

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1388036CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_MontanaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372001947 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pontiac_Montana_LWB.jpgPublic domain · Photo: IFCAR · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.