George McGregor, president of UAW Local 22, said that GM’s plat management told the Michigan local that it has put plans to build a compact Chevrolet and Opel minivan on hold. The program, known internally as the MPV7, is based on the Chevrolet Orlando concept. McGregor said that GM has yet to install any tooling for the MPV7 and has made no other preparation, reports Automotive News.

Cash-strapped GM, which declined to comment on the report, has postponed many vehicle and engine programs in the past year.

The MPV7, a front-wheel-drive Delta architecture vehicle, was scheduled to be produced at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant later this year. GM told the UAW that it would build Chevrolet and Saturn versions of the MPV7 along with an export model for Opel and Vauxhall.

The model was scheduled to replace the Chevrolet HHR and the Opel Zafira. McGregor said that GM has not said if the MPV7 program will be restarted or whether it will be replaced with a different vehicle program.

Chevrolet Orlando:

- By: Omar Rana

While General Motors prepares for the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt for Nov. 2010, the automaker is already studying where else it could apply the hybrid-electric technology in its product lineup. According to Jon Lauckner, GM’s vice president of global program management, one place might be the new Chevrolet Orlando seven-passenger crossover.

Lauckner said that while GM has no definite plans to use the Volt technology in the Orlando, but noted that the Orlando will be built on an architecture that would easily allow GM to incorporate the hybrid-electric powertrain.

“I would point out that the Chevrolet Orlando is built on the same basic vehicle architecture and component set as the Chevrolet Volt,” Lauckner told Automotive News. “So if it makes sense, it’s certainly something we can take a look at.”

The 2010 Chevrolet Orlando will come to the U.S. market in 2011.

2010 Chevrolet Orlando:

General Motors previously said that the Chevrolet Spark (the production version of the Chevy Beat) and the Chevrolet Orlando would not come to the U.S. However, as consumer demand shifts to more compact and fuel-efficient cars, GM has changed its mind.

The 2010 Chevrolet Spark and the 2010 Chevrolet Orlando will both come to the U.S. market in 2011. The Chevy Spark will make its world debut in full-production form at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March – sales will begin in Europe starting the first-quarter of 2010. Production and availability plans for the 2010 Chevrolet Orlando will be released in the coming months.

No word on what will be under the hood of both vehicles.

Make the jump for the high-res image gallery.

2010 Chevrolet Spark:

2010 Chevrolet Orlando: