Chevrolet's adding a new compact minivan to it's lineup for the 2009 model year, according to news from GM.

Currently code-named MPV-7, the new car will be derived from the newest generation of another GM minivan, the Opel Zafira, though it will not be an exact copy. Sources involved with the project told industry news authority AutoNews that the new minivan will be more masculine than the Zafira, with a boxier profile and an interior that is wholly unique.

The MPV-7 will have seating for seven, and while it will be built for Chevrolet it's also possible that another GM marque, Saturn, will get a version developed in Europe. Either the way, the first such vehicle will be Chevy's and it's expected to cost somewhere in the $25,000 - $35,000 range.

The new minivan will help fill the gap caused by the removal of the Venture minivan from Chevy's lineup, and is hoping to capture the new market trend of compact minivans for an American market. Such vehicles are already popular in Europe, where the Zafira sells quite well.

GM believes the MPV-7 will do well in the United States, projecting annual sales of 100,000 units. It will be smaller than the Chevrolet Traverse, a crossover that is related to Saturn's Outlook and Buick's Enclave, as well as the GMC Acadia. The Traverse has not yet been released for sale, but should be available late in 2008.

Part of the UAW's recent labor negotiations on their contract with GM included a pledge to produce an exportable seven-seat vehicle at the Hamtramck, MI assembly plant.