Sao Paulo - The Brazilian-designed Chevrolet Ute was once a popular half-tonne bakkie contender in South Africa, before General Motors pulled the plug on our market back in 2017.
Although it’s pointless to dwell on what could have been, we do find its replacement quite interesting as this could have opened up a new niche in the local market.
General Motors’ Brazilian arm has released teaser images of its next-generation ‘Ute’, which is badged Montana in that market, and the compact bakkie has evolved into a double cab that will take on the Renault Oroch, which South Africa could get in 2023.
Chevrolet hasn’t released much detail on the newcomer as yet, but the GM Authority website reports that the Montana will be twinned with the Chevrolet Tracker SUV, sharing its GEM platform and engine. The latter comes in the form of a 1.2-litre turbopetrol that produces around 97kW.
According to Autoevolution, GM said the small-displacement motor frees up space for a larger interior, which will apparently have best-in-class dimensions.
The same publication also reports that the load area, which doesn’t appear all that big in the pictures, a will incorporate new technologies that make it more versatile.
Expect the new Chevrolet Montana to make its global debut in early 2023, and sadly, the chances of it coming to South Africa are somewhere around zero. Thankfully Renault is keen to bring in the Oroch though..