Chevrolet has just unveiled the second-generation of the Montana for the Brazilian market. Its architecture is shared with other South American market Chevys that includes the Onix, Onix Plus, and Tracker, which means it has a unibody chassis like that of the Ford Maverick. But even as this compact Chevy crew cab caddie could compare copiously to the Maverick here in the United States, it’s unlikely to ever officially happen. And with trucks getting bigger and bigger, and evermore expensive, Lord knows We The People could use something more on the sensible side right now.
2023 Chevrolet Montana: Details
While pickup trucks are stereotyped into a more rugged persona, the Chevrolet Montana doesn’t appear to have aspirations to be extraordinary off the road. Instead, it focuses on the performance on the road. Chevrolet Brazil took the initiative during the truck’s development to make the Montana behave more like an SUV that people need, in the form of a pickup. And considering that it shares so much commonality with other Chevy small SUVs, that makes total sense. As such, the Chevrolet Montana offers the best interior space in Brazil’s small truck segment. There’s also an optional electric bed cover for those with a tech-savvy disposition.
Would the Chevy Montana be a formidable opponent to the Ford Maverick here in the United States? Well, the Brazilian Chevy Montana doesn’t appear to feature all-wheel-drive in any capacity, unlike the Maverick. Nor is there a fuel efficient hybrid system, which can also be found with the Maverick. In fact, only one engine is available; a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder shared with the Chevy Tracker. Power is sent to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic. The peak output is a meager 133 horsepower, the same as the Tracker. A stick shift does sound fun, though!
The Chevrolet Montana is 185.8 inches long, and the cargo area offers 30.8 cubic feet of space. In Brazil, the 2023 Montana will go on sale with prices starting at 134,490 Brazilian real, which is around $25,800 at the current exchange rates. Meanwhile, Mexico has been importing a new S10 from China.
As mentioned before, there’s no indication that Chevy is working on a small gas-powered truck for the US market, even as the market signals demand for smaller trucks. We’re sure some folks working for General Motors are confused by this decision, as well.
