Chevrolet Astro
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- See also Chevrolet Astra of Latin America
{{Infobox Automobile
|image=Image:05chevastro.jpg
|name=Chevrolet Astro
|manufacturer=General Motors
|production=1985–2005
|class=Van
|platform=FR/4WD
|aka=GMC Safari
|predecessor=Chevrolet Greenbrier
|successor=Chevrolet Uplander
|engine=2.5 L 2500 I4
4.3 L Vortec V6
}}
The Chevrolet Astro was a minivan introduced by Chevrolet in 1985 to rival domestic (U.S.) competitors the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager twins and the Ford Aerostar. Also sharing the Astro's truck-based platform was its sibling, the GMC Safari. The Astro and Safari vans were very successful, especially with large families, conversion companies, and commercial companies. Companies liked the vans because they were also available as very roomy cargo vans, while converters used them as the basis for some very desirable small conversion vans.
Most people refer to the Astro as a minivan. However, this is not true at all. It is slotted in size between a Chevy Uplander and a Chevy Express. It is also far more truck-like than any minivan ever built, except for the Ford Aerostar. Not only that, but the Astro and Aerostar are the only so called "minivans" to have rear-wheel drive. A lot of people agree that since the van is so large, its true classification would be considered a mid-size, or "midi" van.
Due to their truck-based platform, the Astro and Safari were oriented more for cargo and towing; a properly-equipped Astro could pull 6,000 lb with ease. This is opposed to the car-based, front-wheel drive minivans which are considered more passenger-friendly but do not have the ability to pull as much weight (3,500 lb is the usual maximum among these).
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Chassis features
Much like the second-generation GM F-body and X-body vehicles, the GM M-van (Astro/Safari) had a bolt-on subframe incorporating the front suspension from a GM B-body station wagon (Chevrolet Caprice, Cadillac Brougham) with a leaf-spring rear suspension. The lower ball joints were larger than their B-body counterparts, however. These ball joints were later used in the final Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 (police package) cars manufactured in 1995 and 1996.
As mentioned above, the Astro and Safari were rear-wheel drive vehicles, but in 1990 a new full-time all-wheel drive (AWD) system was made optional. This would prove popular in areas where snow was common, giving an extra measure of traction. By the end of the vans' run, many buyers were selecting all-wheel drive despite the significant penalty in fuel economy (17 miles per gallon highway versus 21 for rear-drive vans).
In 2003, GM upgraded the chassis of both the Astro and Safari with certain suspension components, larger brakes and six-lug 16 in wheels borrowed from the full-size Chevrolet and GMC half-ton pickup trucks. The modifications improved the already-good handling and braking of the vans considerably.
Changes
Originally offered in a single length on a 111-inch wheelbase, the Astro and Safari were joined in mid-1990 by an extended-length model (initially called the "EXT" by Chevrolet and the "XT" by GMC). The additional ten inches of interior space was all behind the third row of seats in passenger models, enabling the carrying of a great deal of luggage for long family vacations, something that was definitely not possible in the shorter models.
The extended models proved quite popular with buyers. They were so popular, in fact, that GM dropped the shorter models after the 1994 model year.
Another popular addition was the "Dutch doors" setup that was introduced in 1992. This feature replaced the original double "barn doors" with a liftgate-style rear window and lower half-doors, which open sideways like the barn doors. Ordering this option gave Astro and Safari buyers an unobstructed rearward view and one beneficial feature that drivers of other vans took for granted: a rear-window wiper (a feature that was common on competitive smaller vans from the beginning).
Other than the additions of the extended vans and the Dutch doors, the exterior appearance of the vans changed only once; the 1995 redesign freshened them with a longer, redesigned nose that included a new grille, flush-mounted headlamps (on most models), bumper and fenders.
Inside, the original dashboard and instrument panel was mildly redesigned in 1990; in 1993, the vans received a speedometer that was calibrated to indicate up to 100 mph instead of 85. This dashboard, with controls for the available power mirrors, rear air conditioning and heater and interior lamps (in some years) spread across the upper surface of the dash, would serve through the 1995 exterior redesign. In 1996, however, a totally new look was introduced inside, with all of the important controls angled toward the driver in a curvaceous, stylish panel. This new dashboard finally included an air bag for the passenger, joining the one that had been included for the driver since 1994. In addition, the panel was made more useful with the addition of two 12-volt power outlets joining the usual cigar lighter (which could also serve as a power point).
The 1996 redo also saw the introduction of totally new and more comfortable seat designs. The new seats were safer, too, with higher backs and adjustable headrests (except for the standard front seats, which had high backs with integrated headrests) for all outboard passengers made standard in all models. These excellent seats would be retained throughout the rest of the vans' production life.
GM made very few major changes during the vans' 20 year production run, unlike the other major minivan manufacturers. This practice, while it did allow the Astro and Safari to fall behind the more carlike vans in some areas, did lead to one significant strength — interchangeability of parts — that allows long-term owners the ability to scout pick-and-pull salvage yards and find parts from many years of vans that will work on their vans, thus making the Astro and Safari fairly inexpensive vehicles for the do-it-yourselfer to repair.
End of the line
Faced with falling sales across its many vehicle lines, General Motors began closing plants and discontinuing slow-selling vehicle lines. With new federal standards for side impact and head injury reductions coming, GM determined that there was no use in expending money for a redesign of a vehicle line that was no longer selling well. Thus, the Safari and Astro were taken out of production in 2005, and the long-serving Baltimore, Maryland assembly plant where both were built was closed. It was the only mid-sized van which was produced for 20 model years - beating the rival Ford Aerostar which ceased production in 1997.
In the Chevrolet line, the Astro was replaced by the Chevrolet Uplander "crossover sport van", which also replaced the Chevrolet Venture. Like the Astro, the Uplander is available in cargo and passenger versions, although it is generally not as roomy or as the Astro, and, owing to the fact that it is a front-wheel drive unibody vehicle, some see it as less durable for heavy-duty work. Buyers looking for a full-sized van tended to purchase the larger Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana, while those looking for a sport van purchased the new Uplander. GMC has not introduced a replacement for the Safari, but it is expected that the forthcoming Acadia crossover will serve much of the Safari's former market, at least for passenger vehicles.
Unsafe at any speed?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is known for its testing of vehicles and results that are often shown on NBC's Dateline television news program, gave the Astro a "poor" rating in 1996 because of what by all appearances was a horrifying display of structural failure in the Institute's 40-mph crash test into a fixed, offset barrier. The underbody of the test van buckled, pitching both front seats forward and shoving the crash dummy into the dashboard and steering wheel, leading the Institute to comment that "The collapse of the occupant compartment left little survival space for the driver."
In testing performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), however, the Astro and Safari fared better, improving from a single-star rating in 1990 to a three-star (driver) and four-star (passenger) rating by 1999. In side impacts, the Astro and Safari both received the highest, five-star, rating in every year that the test was administered.
It does appear, when one considers the results of every test that has been conducted on them, that the Astro and Safari are no less safe than other vans of similar size. The IIHS ratings of the Astro they tested ten years ago did not incite a major outcry among the public, although GM did continue to make small improvements to the vans as evidenced by the improved NHTSA test ratings just three years later.
Despite the improvements borne out in the 1999 and subsequent NHTSA tests, the IIHS never tested another Astro, preferring instead to continue highlighting their test of a model that had been improved upon with regard to safety over nine succeeding model years.
Popularity with modifiers
In addition to their popularity as conversion vans, the Astro and Safari both have popular followings with "back yard" modifiers, especially in California. Modifications are both street and offroad, and many owners prefer to replace the V6 motor with a small-block V8 motor, most commonly the 350-cubic-inch version. It is an easy fit, as the original V6 is based on the small-block V8, and most of the factory drivetrain components can be used.
Engines
- 1985-1986 2500 2.5 L (151 in³) I4
- 1985 4300 4.3 L (262 in³) V6
- 1988-1990 2500 2.5 L (151 in³) I4
- 1990-2005 4300 4.3 L (262 in³) V6