GMC’s Savana is a commercial van that is known for keeping things simple at the base level while offering plenty of optional features and upgrades so buyers can customize it to fit their needs. While the Passenger and Cargo Van options both offer several powertrains and interior configurations, if you need more space than the extended wheelbase body can offer, then you’re out of luck. That’s where the 2022 GMC Savana Cutaway 3500 comes in handy.
The base of this vehicle is simply the wheelbase with a cab upfront; what goes behind is up to you. The space behind the cab is essentially a blank canvas that allows you to customize the Savana Cutaway for a wide variety of different purposes. So what exactly can it do, and how? Let’s take a look at all of the ways that this cutaway van can be utilized across a range of different professions.
Upfitting to Match Your Needs
While GM offers a few accessories in addition to the cab and wheelbase, you’ll need to turn to an independent supplier to fill in the gap of the Savana cutaway. These bodies and beds come in all shapes and sizes. Some have very specialized purposes, while others are more versatile. When looking at getting your Savana upfitted, you’ll want to know exactly how you’ll be using it first.
Transporting People
Carrying passengers is itself a wide umbrella category that encompasses a number of different functions. Upfit the Savana with pretty much any body that has built-in seating and climate control, and you can use it as a shuttle bus for events or a tour bus for a band. For transporting wheelchair users, you can get mobility equipment like a chair lift that allows people with disabilities to have easy access.
Some applications require extra features and accessories. For instance, you can get a school bus package that comes with extra lighting, a stop sign, and a coat of bright yellow paint. The Savana can also be turned into an ambulance with a boxier body that has enough open space to accommodate patients and equipment, as well as a siren with flashing lights, dual batteries to power everything onboard, and an HVAC system with auxiliary provisions.
Hauling Cargo
Cargo comes in a wider variety of shapes and sizes than humans do, so there are even more options when it comes to cargo upfits. To protect what you’re carrying from the elements, you can get a fully enclosed compartment. For perishable goods, you can get a refrigerated body. On the other hand, some cargo does fine in the open air, so a stake bed that you can load up from the top, making use of the full volume of the box, can sometimes be the best option for the job. Going even further, some cargo is so bulky that it’s easiest to get a platform body that leaves three sides completely open so you can allow long pipes, pieces of timber, or other cargo to hang off of the edges a bit and rely on proper tie downs to keep them in place, rather than a rigid box.
Some bodies are even more specialized for carrying particular cargo. A glass body, for instance, allows drivers to safely transport large panes of glass. A landscape dump body has an open top and a back panel that can open up, allowing landscapers to transport and dump large amounts of dirt, fertilizer, or mulch. Since so many businesses have made use of the Savana over the years, upfitters have found solutions to the problems posed by all kinds of specialized cargo.
Taking Your Work On-the-Go
For some jobs, being able to efficiently transport people or cargo from Point A to Point B is enough, but others need their vehicle to double as a mobile workstation. Contractors may need to keep in touch with clients via email or do a bit of online research when they run into an issue on-site. That’s where the Savana’s available Wi-Fi Hotspot comes into play. This essentially turns the van into an office on the go, allowing you to use your laptop wherever your work may take you.
Some upfit bodies also give you the option to use your vehicle as a piece of equipment or mobile workspace. Specialty bodies can include elevating work platforms for accessing spaces that are high off the ground, like treetops. Storage bodies can have custom shelving that’s arranged in such a way that some of the space is for cargo while some surfaces act as a workbench. With the right upfit, you can create the perfect tool for just about any project.
Versatile Capability
Of course, you can only have this type of versatility if the Savana has the power it takes to reliably haul all of these heavy specialized bodies around, along with all the people and cargo that they’re designed to carry. So GMC gives buyers two powerful engine options: a 4.3L V6 that provides 276 horsepower and 298 lb-ft of torque and an available 6.6L V8 that can deliver 401 horsepower and 464 lb-ft of torque. When properly equipped, the Savana 3500 Cutaway can handle a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of up to 12,300 lbs.
Technology to Enhance Driving
Beyond raw power, other features on the Savana make it better equipped to handle tough work without sacrificing safety. The StabiliTrak electronic stability control system detects traction loss and automatically works to reduce it, helping to keep the driver in control, even when carrying heavy loads at high speeds. Hill Start Assist detects when the vehicle is on an incline and holds the brakes automatically under certain conditions to prevent unintentional rollback until the driver presses the accelerator. An available locking rear differential senses when the left and right rear wheels are rotating at significantly different speeds, which might happen if one wheel can’t get a great grip on the ground due to something like ice, water, or mud. If a difference is detected, the locker activates, causing both wheels to turn in unison, which provides better traction.
These technologies increase the Savana’s versatility by making it safe to operate in adverse conditions. It would be quite the drawback if a vehicle like this couldn’t be driven safely in areas with steep hills or inclement weather. With features that are built to keep drivers in control no matter what, the Savana can reliably go everywhere it needs to.
There’s a Lot You Can Do With the Savana Cutaway
From landscapers to school bus drivers to EMTs, people in all kinds of professions can make use of the Savana Cutaway. This versatility can be explained by two main factors. Firstly, there’s the capability of the vehicle itself. The cab, the wheelbase, and the engine under the hood are all durable and built to perform well under stress. On top of that, there are plenty of automatic safety features that work to keep the driver in control at all times, even in the face of tough road conditions.
The second factor is the blank canvas of the space behind the cab. While cargo vans can certainly be highly customized with shelving and other accessories, the cutaway lets you start completely from scratch and create a body that perfectly suits your needs. Plenty of upfitters have already done this work and can offer bodies and kits that almost seem to transform the Savana into a whole new vehicle. So between the capability of the cab and the simplicity of the overall design, the Savana is a blank page just waiting to be filled in.
