For more than 20 years, drivers in South America and elsewhere have gotten to experience the compact power of the Chevy Montana. Named for the 41st state, this small unibody pickup has acquired a legion of fans, and it’s widely considered the godfather of compact trucks, leading to vehicles like the Fiat Toro and Renault Oroch. When the third generation debuted at Chevy dealers in Brazil in early 2023 following a one-year hiatus, it sold more than 30,000 units by year’s end.
However, the nation that gave the Chevy Montana its name has yet to experience it. Despite the popularity of pretty much everything truck-related in the United States—the three top-selling vehicles in 2023 were all full-size trucks––Chevy continues to keep the Montana away from American shores. And it’s not like there’s a different compact pickup it sells stateside instead. While Ford has the Maverick, Hyundai has the Santa Cruz, and Ram may soon have the Rampage, the closest thing Chevy offers to a compact truck for American customers is the midsize Colorado.
That said, the footprint of the new Montana is expanding. In 2024, Chevy brought the vehicle back to Mexico, where it was previously sold as the Tornado. Chevy has indicated it could soon offer the vehicle in other markets, including countries outside South America. So today, I’m asking: is it time to finally see a Montana pickup at your local Chevy dealer? To answer this, I’ll look at what the Chevy Montana has to offer, the current state of the market, and if there are any past cases I can compare it to.
A Primer On the Chevy Montana
I’m sure some of you reading this have only heard of the Chevy Montana in passing, if at all, so here’s a quick overview. The first Chevy Montana debuted in 2003 as a subcompact pickup based on the Opel Corsa subcompact hatchback (both Opel and Chevy were owned by GM at the time). It was manufactured in Brazil and South Africa for sale in those markets and beyond. For South Africa, it was initially known as the Opel Corsa Utility and later as the Chevy Corsa Utility. Note that the truck is not related to the Pontiac Montana minivan sold from 1997 to 2009; the Tornado name was chosen for Mexico because GM also sold the Pontiac Montana in that market at the time.
For the second generation of the Chevy Montana that began with the 2011 model year, GM based it on the Chevy Agile subcompact hatchback introduced two years prior. The new design initially went well, selling over 45,000 units in Brazil each of the first three years. After that, things steadily tailed off. Chevy pulled the plug on the Montana/Tornado for the Mexico market in 2020, and in 2021, Brazilian sales barely broke 2,000 units. At that point, Chevy decided to discontinue the second generation entirely and focus its efforts on the overhauled third generation that had been in development since 2018.
Although there were delays due to supply chain issues during the pandemic, the 2023 Chevy Montana eventually emerged. This time, Chevy used the Global Emerging Markets (GEM) platform shared by several other vehicles, including the second-generation Buick Encore and fourth-generation Chevy Tracker subcompact crossovers. The Montana was upgraded in size to a four-door compact pickup and received the same 1.2L turbocharged three-cylinder engine that powers the Chevy Trax and Buick Envista, generating 133 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque. Buyers get a choice between a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. The Chevy Montana is front-wheel drive, and it’s made in Brazil like its predecessors.
The Chevy Montana Can Succeed in the United States
Now, it’s time to consider whether this vehicle is something that American buyers would be interested in. Based on the available information, my prediction is yes. For starters, there’s the continuing growth of the compact truck market. According to Global Market Insights (GMI), the North American compact truck market is forecast to grow by more than 5% annually through 2032, offering plenty of potential for new models to be successful.
Then, we have to consider how much of the compact truck audience is in America. The same GMI report says that 55% of the global compact truck revenue comes from North American sales. On an individual level, the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz have been huge successes since their 2022 rollouts. The Maverick sold 74,370 trucks in 2022, 94,058 trucks in 2023, and then 77,113 trucks in the first six months of 2024 alone. The Santa Cruz also topped 36,000 units in 2022 and 2023. Compact trucks fit well into the demand for “lifestyle vehicles” that have convenience, practicality, and style rolled into one.
Finally, the third-generation Montana represents a good opportunity to carve a niche. It’s a little smaller than the Maverick and Santa Cruz, but this could be an advantage among urban drivers and those who are constantly in heavy traffic. The three-cylinder engine also positions the Chevy Montana as an eco-friendly alternative. Brazil (which uses an older version of the American fuel economy testing regimen) has reported that the new Montana gets 28 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway, while the Ford Maverick gets an EPA-estimated 23 in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. However, in the Brazilian market, the new Montana sells for the equivalent of $23,944 while the Maverick goes for $23,920 here in the USA, so Chevy would probably have to cut the price so the Montana can be a budget-friendly alternative.
Other Foreign Market Models Have Come to America––Should the Montana Be Next?
Although it’s relatively rare for automakers to bring overseas nameplates to American shores, it’s not unheard of. In GM’s case, there are two examples from the past decade. First is the Chevy Trax. When this subcompact crossover SUV launched in 2013, it was sold in countries such as Germany, Lebanon, Mexico, and Canada—but not the United States. Chevy originally didn’t plan to offer the Trax to American buyers at any point. After the Buick Encore became a huge success, though, Chevy changed course and brought the Trax to America for 2015. It’s been a mainstay ever since, selling nearly 110,000 units in 2023.
Second is the Buick Envision. This crossover SUV was first seen in China, debuting in August 2014. After doing well there, Buick brought it to the United States, with the first units arriving in 2016. It, too, has been a strong performer, selling 44,281 units in 2023.
I should note two major differences between these vehicles and the Montana. For starters, the Chevy Trax and Buick Envision are SUVs. Even though the compact truck segment is growing, it’s still a small fraction of the compact SUV segment. The global compact truck market was valued at $29 billion in 2023, while multiple outlets place the current small SUV market at over $500 billion. One must wonder if GM sees value in expanding the Chevy Montana’s reach to the United States.
Also, the Trax and Envision arrived in America within two years of their overseas debuts as GM struck while the iron was hot. The Chevy Montana, on the other hand, now has a track record of over two decades, and Chevy still hasn’t brought it to the United States, even with two (and possibly soon to be three) of its biggest competitors having compact trucks here. If nothing else, this creates a feeling of “if not now, then when?”
The Future of the Chevy Montana
To answer the question at the start of this article, yes, I think it’s time to bring the Chevy Montana to the United States. The newest generation is an upgrade on the previous iterations while still setting itself apart as a compact that is easy on the environment and the wallet. It also has a name that Americans will instantly identify with. As I write this, though, Chevy has offered no indication that it will sell the Montana in America at any point. As such, its admirers here in the States can only wait for future announcements and hope.
