After a decade on the market, General Motor’s “mid-size” vans received their one and only update for the 1996 model year. The short wheelbase version of the van was dropped this year and styling was modified to better resemble the larger full-size GM vans. Base model Astros/Safaris featured a utilitarian front end complete with sealed beam headlights while higher trim models featured a more modern look with stacked horizontal headlights.
All vans were equipped with a four-speed automatic and a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 190 hp 4.3-liter V6 was overhauled for 1996 to deliver better fuel economy as the van’s official rating went up to 15 MPG city and 20 MPG highway compared to the old model’s ratings of 14 MPG city and 17 MPG highway. However, in 2002 the ratings were lowered to 14 MPG city and 18 MPG highway.