1998 Chevrolet Venture LS GM's hard work pays off. By Marcia Ruff, New Car Test Drive .com

For years General Motors was an also-ran in the minivan category. Then last year GM launched a lineup that

kept the best of the old--the sturdy 3.4-liter V6 engine, the modular seats that can be removed individually,

and the power sliding door--and changed just about everything else. Sales of the Chevrolet Venture, Pontiac

Trans Sport and Oldsmobile Silhouette quickly soared to record levels.

GM's minivan sales are still far less than category-leader Chrysler's, but the company's hard work has paid

off in spades. Dramatically rising sales of these three all-new minivans show that their unique attributes and

overall competence have not gone unnoticed by buyers.

For 1998, the fundamentals have gone untouched, but several attractive new features have been added. Front-seat

passengers now have the added protection of side airbags. And OnStar, the revolutionary navigation, security and

personal service system developed by General Motors, is available on all three minivans.