Chevrolet’s new venture

While pocket rocket sedans may be fun to drive and sport-utes are the pogi-points scoring rides these days, a chunk of the vehicle-buying populace in the country need something with a bit more space to haul the entire clan to the mall. Pinoys, after all, have this peculiar affinity with extended families and a penchant for hauling tons of abubots, therefore, the need for a set of wheels that can happily seat 10–even if a tad too intimate. Obviously, AUVs offer a practical solution. But for folks seeking a bit more style and wouldn’t be caught dead in a plebian mega-taxi sibling, vans are the answer.

Now General Motors Automobiles Philippines adds another option to the "What van should we buy?" question: The Chevrolet Venture.

Formally introduced to the media late last week at the swank Manila Polo Club, the Venture is a perfectly competent alternative to Japanese- and Korean-made vans sold locally. For one thing, it does sport the Chevrolet bow-tie logo, lending the Venture the much sought-after prestige quotient present on European and American vans available in the country.

Belonging to genus Minivan in the US, the Venture is similarly sized to the other vans sold locally, except for the Ford E150 and Chevrolet’s Savana, which are full-size megavans. Nonetheless, the Venture’s seating arrangement is configured to seat 10 occupants, or loads of stuff with the third-row seats stowed away. This, said GM Philippines’ president Harold Koh, makes the Venture "the ideal minivan, perfect for bigger and more mobile families."

As far as minivans go, the Venture’s styling is attractive, with an upscale look that’s not out of place in locales like the Polo Club. With large sweeping windows and a low beltline, the Venture’s profile is sleek–of course in a minivan sleek sort of way. Simple five-spoke alloys, body claddings, round front foglamps, and large headlamps add some flair. And thankfully, chrome can only be found on the front grille.

The vehicle’s interior, however, has less high-end pretensions, and is quite no-frills and unassuming. But with the sundry comfort features like the power windows/locks/mirrors, six-speaker CD player, aircon vents all around, seatbelts for everybody, and cupholders everywhere, the word to describe the Venture’s interior may be "functional."

Also rather functional is the Venture’s dual sliding doors, which makes entry and exit to the middle- and third-row seats convenient. A lift-up tailgate ensures loading stuff in the back is quite easy as well.

Besides being functional, though, the entire clan is assured that the Venture is one safe ride. Starting with a robust safety cage structure that has lateral steel beams, the cabin is kept secured, said GM. Up front, there are driver’s- and passenger-side airbags, and ABS keep things in control during hard-braking theatrics.

Riding on independent coil spring suspension systems on all four corners, the ride seems pliant enough, as a short spin around the Polo Club enclave suggests. Power from the 2.98-liter V6 engine seems adequate too, its 171 horsepower (available at 5200 rpm) and 250 lbs/ft of torque (achieved at 4400 rpm) appears to be doing its tasks with not much fuss. The four-speed automatic transmission swaps gears quite smoothly too.

Slotting nicely in size between the smaller 7-seater Zafira and the mammoth Savana, the Venture completes GM’s Chevrolet van stable. Pricewise, the Venture is a pleasant surprise with its introductory tag of P1.150 million.