The first minivan marketed by the division, the Trans Sport marked the beginning of a wider transition of moving away from sedans and station wagons as family-oriented vehicles.

Though initially comparable to the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager in length and wheelbase, the Astro/Safari were heavier-duty vehicles, sharing components with compact pickup trucks and full-size cars.

Prior to the 1986 debut of the concept car (see below), General Motors approved the design of what would become the APV minivans, with the Trans Sport (loosely deriving its name from the Trans Am Firebird) targeting sport- and style-oriented buyers, while the Chevrolet Lumina APV serving as the value-based offering, and the Oldsmobile Silhouette targeting premium markets.

[1] Derived from the chassis of the mid-size Pontiac 6000, the Trans Sport concept was nearly 6 inches lower than the Plymouth Voyager of the time.

[2][3] The interior of the Trans Sport previewed the 1990s integration of technology into GM vehicles (including multiple Pontiacs), featuring a windshield heads-up display, a multifunction steering wheel, and a primitive form of what later would become OnStar; along with a digital rearview mirror and electronic transmission shifter, and a Nintendo Entertainment System was integrated for the rear passenger compartment.

[1][3] Though deriving its chassis from the 6000 sedan/wagon, the Trans Sport concept car was fitted with a 235hp turbocharged 2.9L V6 (intended for a stillborn version of the Pontiac Fiero), paired with a 3-speed automatic.

Similar to the Ford Aerostar and Toyota Previa, the Trans Sport used a "single-box" body design, with the hood blending into the slope of the windshield.

The long front overhang (resulting from the front-wheel drive chassis) of the body was poorly received, leading to the minivan being referred to as the "Dustbuster" (after the handheld vacuum cleaner).

The Trans Sport was fitted with a largely black roof, with a body-color B-pillar; the extensive lower body cladding was a feature adopted from the 1986 concept car (and as part of Pontiac model tradition).

Along with the adoption of a full-width metal roof and the use of a sliding door, the largest styling change from the concept car saw a different set of taillamps, moving to a vertically-oriented design integrated in the D-pillars.

Though the production Trans Sport interior did not adopt many of the high-technology features of the 1986 concept car, the model line debuted a modular set of rear seats.

As a market first, the Trans Sport (alongside its APV minivan counterparts) introduced a power-operated sliding door; originally slated for 1993 but was postponed until 1994 in order to fix quality-control issues related to the design.

During 1995, the black-color roof that was standard (body-color was a no-cost option) was discontinued, bringing it closer in line with its GM counterparts and other minivans.

Again serving as the mid-range GM minivan, the Trans Sport was slotted between the Chevrolet Venture (replacing the Lumina APV) and the Oldsmobile Silhouette.

[5] Moving away from the controversial "Dustbuster" profile of the previous generation, the second-generation Trans Sport was designed with a two-box form factor similar (if not more conservative) than the Dodge Caravan it competed most closely against.

As with the previous generation, the Trans Sport was distinguished from its divisional counterparts by Pontiac lower body cladding (dependent on trim, either in a contrasting or matching color).

[6] As an option, the 1998 Trans Sport was the first minivan (alongside its divisional counterparts) to feature the OnStar telecommunications service (a modernized version of the system previewed in the 1986 concept car).

[5][6] The standard trim was simply named as the Pontiac Trans Sport, distinguished primarily by monochrome exteriors (or light-color body cladding).

The minivan suffered extreme damage to the vehicle in the 40 mph (64 km/h) moderate overlap crash test, which has resulted in some criticism by contemporary reviewers.

This status was also applied to the Chevrolet Venture and the Oldsmobile Silhouette as they both use the same chassis and body design, including the later first-generation Pontiac Montana.

The safety issues of the Trans Sport/Montana and its U-body siblings were later addressed with the Montana SV6 (and the related Uplander), which earned the highest rating of "Good" given by the institute in the moderate overlap crash test.

[8] For 1992, the American-style composite headlamp housing were introduced (with glass lenses), with the turn signal repeaters moved behind the front wheels.

[8] With the mid-cycle revision of the model line for 1994, the European Trans Sport largely became a Pontiac-badged version of the Oldsmobile Silhouette (retaining the previous hoodline and headlamps).