30 years on from its initial debut, the Chevy Express and its GMC Savana twin are still kicking.
Usually, we’re accustomed to seeing trucks, SUVs and cars change every four or five years. At the outside, some long-lived examples like the Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tundra will go over a decade without a generational overhaul. And then there are full-size vans like this Chevy Express…which have been hanging around since 1996 over just a single generation. It’s not stopping anytime soon, either.
In this video, Andre checks out a “brand-new” example of the oldest van you can still go out and buy today. Now, there have been some changes to the underlying van over the years. GM swapped engines around as it brought in new generations, for example. These days, it’s available with the relatively fresh L8T 6.6-liter V8 gas engine, putting out 401 horsepower and 464 lb-ft of torque. The EcoTec3 4.3-liter V6 is still the base engine and has been since 2018, though you do get an 8-speed 8L90-E automatic rather than the 4- or 6-speed you used to get on the old vans.
Inside, as you’d expect, the 2026 Chevy Express/GMC Savana twins are about as basic and low-tech as you can get.
You still get an old-fashioned key that opens the doors and starts the van…you don’t even get a key fob. You do get power locks, but you don’t get any fancy automatic climate control or touchscreen infotainment. At least, not for now.
For 2027, GM Authority reports these vans will get that major tech upgrade. That said, while you may be used to the advanced setups in the latest Silverado, for example, we’re talking about GM’s Infotainment System 3, which originally debuted back in 2019. Essentially, this is the same system that’s offered in base versions of the heavy-duty trucks, as well as the entry-level Trax crossover. It nevertheless is a huge change to a three-decade-old van, offering up a 7-inch touchscreen as well as Bluetooth connectivity and streaming.
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SiriusXM are all baked into certain versions of that infotainment system too, but current reports haven’t yet confirmed whether the Express/Savana will get the full-featured version, or strip back those improvements. If so, it’d be an even more significant change over the current system, which brings basic AM/FM stereo, MP3 playback and a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack. The speaker system is also supposedly going to get an upgrade from just two speakers to a cool four, at least for the passenger versions.
Funnily enough, this ancient van isn’t as cheap as you might think.
While the Chevy Express and GMC Savana both come in a wide range of cargo or passenger configurations as well as heavier 2500 or 3500 versions for better payload, they’re still not exactly cheap. In fact, the vans Andre checks out at Johnson Auto Plaza come in near or over $50,000…within a few grand of a heavy-duty work truck. That said, your options are at least pretty reasonable as you add on to the package.
So, would you take one of these over something like a Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Ram ProMaster? Check out more in the full review below:
