If you walk into a GMC showroom and tell the salesperson you need a vehicle that can move a large number of people, they'll show you the Savana, a full-size van that can accommodate as many as 15 passengers.
This is one of General Motors' oldest designs, with the brand seemingly uninterested in rolling out a newer design to better compete with newer vans like the Ford Transit and Ram Promaster, not to mention the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
The Savana also competes with another GM van, the Chevrolet Express, which is covered in a separate buyer's guide entry.
GMC has added a few new standard features to the Savana for 2019 in lane departure warning, forward collision alert and a theft deterrent system.
There's a choice of four engines. A 4.3L V6 that makes 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque; a 5.3L V8 makes 341 hp and 373 lb-ft; and a 2.8L diesel four-cylinder cranks out 181 hp and and 369 lb-ft. All three use an eight-speed automatic transmission. A 6.0L V8 is on the options list, too.
All Savana vans start out as half-ton 2500 models, and a three-quarter ton 3500 model is also available. The 2500 vans come on a regular wheelbase, while the 3500 can be had in regular and extended wheelbase forms.
Standard equipment includes a mirror-mounted backup camera, blind spot alert and hill start assist. Vinyl floors and seats are standard, while the uplevel package adds cloth front buckets, keyless entry, full carpeting, rear air conditioning, cruise control and tilt steering.
The Savana can tow more than its Euro-sourced competitors, with a rated capacity of nearly 4,300 kg. Meanwhile, 2500 models get a payload rating of 1,187 kg, and that limit rises to 1,627 kg in 3500 trim.
Natural Resources Canada classifies the Savana as a commercial vehicle, and so doesn't require GMC to publish fuel consumption estimates.
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
