The US Minivan's last stand - Chrysler to debut 2008 Minvans at Detroit
Ford and General Motors have lost their taste for the minivan wars, leaving the Chrysler Group to stand alone as the sole domestic player in the minivan arena. It's just as well -- DCX always had the best American vans, anyway. Having invented the segment, Chrysler has hunkered down and pushed their minivan to be a contender once again. The Caravan and Town & Country will sport new styling, squaring up the edges of the current look, and front-end appearances will offer more distinction between the Dodge and Chrysler brands. Underhood, four-cylinders are banished, and there's a new high-end 4.0 liter V6 hooked up to a six-speed transaxle. The squarer profile will offer more interior room, and there's been talk of DCX ditching the short-wheelbase vans altogether. Speaking of the interior, of course the Stow 'n Go seats will show up, but there are also some slick surprises inside the new vans. Continued after the jump
[Source: Allpar.com]
We're sure we haven't heard about all of the wondrous things that await inside the newest Chrysler minis, but Allpar has been keeping their ears to the ground, and we think the vans will be a pleasant surprise at the Detriot Auto Show (assuming their embargo holds). Lighted cupholders that'll heat or cool your drink sound pretty neat, and Allpar reports that the front seats will be ventilated, while the middle passengers can warm their rumps with seat heaters. Even the folks way back in the third row can amuse themselves with a powered seat. Let's hope that DCX has selected switches with a high MTBF, because if there's one thing kiddies love to do, it's flip switches.
The Stow n' Go system will be on hand for storage and configuration flexibility, and we'd still like to fill one with ice and beverages and use it for tailgating. Keeping the munchkins from abusing the switchgear will be easier with a Harman/Becker sourced MyGig Infotainment system along with Sirius streaming video. If romper room gets too loud, you can always treat everyone to a "wind tunnel" demonstration, utilizing the rear windows' newfound ability to roll down.
Niceties aside, the real meat and potatoes that will make the van competitive have been addressed as well. Manufacturing quality will increase due in part to the team-based approach DCX has implemented. The interior will be a more serene place to enjoy the better acceleration improved fuel mileage. The latter two may be mutually exclusive unless and until a hybrid version is rolled out. The icing on the new RT (current minis are RS) minivan cake is Volkswagen's vote of confidence. The platform is good enough for Volkswagen to base its new US van offering on it, which should make for an interesting comparison. VW may be able to take design more retro and expressive, which Chrysler considered with the Kahuna, but rejected in favor of moderate lines. We're excited to see what DaimlerChrysler has baked in to their new rolling loaf. The upgrades sound substantial and we're glad there's more to it than some extra cubbies and cupholders that'll mix your hot cocoa. Minivans don't normally raise the pulse, but we're eager to see what rolls out at the NAIAS.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
AutoFan 8:47AM (1/03/2007)
Stow and Go is neat, but it sure makes for a thinly padded and uncomfortable seat. Hopefully they'll address that element of the package.
I like minivans. I know they're not cool, but they are SO useful, way more than a friggin' SUV, as long as off road stuff isn't in the cards.
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Accordsforall 9:14AM (1/03/2007)
Hmmm
Chrysler was the only one to be able to sell a decent minivan to the public. The designs are often good looking but their resale value isnt as high as their japanese counterparts. On top of their resale.. is the turn around for a new design. This current one.. has been out 10years. Im sorry, but thats no excuse for a top selling minivan.. not to be touched.
Heck for so long.. it was the minivans that were all over the tube. It was all they had. Their trucks were ancient. Their cars werent selling, and they didnt have an suv (at the time). Now they have them (in abaundance) and THEY STILL ARENT SELLING.
I think its interesting.. Chrysler will have its minivans to fight against Honda's Odyssey, Toyota's Sienna, Nissans's Quest (and isnt it funny GM / FORD are out of the Minivan race yet the Koreans are in with theirs.-- Cant beat them.. COPY THEM) With the Entourage and their Sedona. --(On price ALONE)
The battle.. has heated up. I dont think they can offer the awd unit.. AND the stow and go... cause they occupy the same space.-- (That tunnel under the vehicle). My bet.. STILL THE JAPANESE.
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Andrew 9:18AM (1/03/2007)
Agree with #1 on all points.
I predict Ford and GM's abandonment is going to be a windfall for Chrysler. Still plenty of people out there who appreciate minivans and want to buy American brands. Nobody goes off road, and as far as towing goes, they're plenty capable of towing a light boat or pop-up camper.
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Vetmstr 9:20AM (1/03/2007)
1. Stow and Go is neat, but it sure makes for a thinly padded and uncomfortable seat. Hopefully they'll address that element of the package
That was its Achilles heal.
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Craig 9:41AM (1/03/2007)
Let's home DC doesn't screw up this design and opportunity, just as they did with the new Sebring.....and the Compass....and the Commander.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/02/flop-of-2006-chrysler-dealers-cry-all-the-way-to-the-sales-bank/
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z man 9:46AM (1/03/2007)
#2: word. Great points, I agree 110%
#5: wow, people sure don't like the new sebring, judging by the posts to that link! what an abomination of a new design, an utter pity really.
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Dennisctc 9:56AM (1/03/2007)
Not to Quibble here but
The DCX vans (current gen) came out in 1999 as 2000. They will have been on market for 8 years and did receive major updates in 2005, such as Stow N Go and interior IP etc... Honda did same with their's, with many parts carried over to 2005+ models.
I happen to have Stow N Go seats and their fine for adults for a few hours. Have never had complaints on long roadtrips.
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Dave-in-PA 10:05AM (1/03/2007)
I agree the Sebring is a huge disappointment as far as design goes, especially when you compare it to what Nissan has done with the new Altima. It remains to be seen if the quality of the Sebring is improved any. To me it looks like a nice rental. But as far as mini vans go, it seems Chrysler has always understood their unique association to the minivan and has always put in the effort to improve, refine and be innovative. I think they understand that it's too big a part of their stable to not strive for a competitive product. I drove a '98 Caravan quite happily for 8 years, and while I'm done with the need for a minivan, I think it's an important and useful vehicle for many families and small businesses and I'm interested to see what Chrysler has come up with. I agree with Accordsforall that it's quite amusing (shameful really) that Ford and GM could never figure it out after 20 years and now throw in the towel when the Koreans seemed to get it right away. The new Hyundai van is as nice looking as any and I've see quite a few on the road.
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Michael Karesh 10:11AM (1/03/2007)
Interest in minivans has been falling lately if the vehicles people research on my site is any indication. But these new vans have the potential to breathe some new life into the segment.
It'll all come down to how well they take advantage of the minivan configuration to provide greater functionality than you can get in something like a Saturn Outlook: lower step-in, lower floor, more passenger and cargo volume, etc.
Performance should be excellent. The 4.0 in the Pacifica feels far stronger than the specs suggest it should. My comparison between the Outlook, Freestyle, and Pacifica, all minivan substitutes:
http://www.epinions.com/content_286658760324
With any new DCX product, people will be wondering about reliability. I intend to have initial reliability results 4-6 months after these go on sale.
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
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XJ 11:06AM (1/03/2007)
#2 I beg to differ that Hyundai/Kia are in the race on price ALONE, as you say. Here are more reasons...they are the safest minivans ever built (NHTSA/IIHS), they are roomier, more powerful and better warranty.
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put the Entourage and Sedona on its short list -- 13 total -- of vehicles that are the group's Top Safety Picks for 2007, the only minivans to make the list.
The list is based on ratings from the institute's rigorous crash-testing program; after testing the Sedona shortly after the redesigned model went on sale last year, the institute said it was the "safest minivan ever tested."
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Steve S 12:25PM (1/03/2007)
DCX needs to do some serious restyling on the inside of their vans. They are completely outclassed by the Sienna and the Odyssey. The stow n go seating is a novel idea but thin, hard and small seats do not a living room on wheels make. I'll stick with the nice soft Odyssey seats myself and its large nav screen. I think my business card was larger than the one offered in the Caravan.
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rohman 1:10PM (1/03/2007)
The only reason DCX has been able to sell minivans is with rebates, low/no interest loans, begging, crying, offering wives and daughters, and groveling and sniveling at the customer's feet to lure unsuspecting schills. I have rented a dozen of them over the past couple years and they are worth exactly what the rental companies pay for them and no more. Hopefully their new ones will be at minimum a vast improvement, but I doubt it.
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Bob 12:14PM (1/03/2007)
Mike, the Chrysler vans are dated. People still buy them because Chrysler modernized the minivan for America 20 years ago. That's all. 90% of owners have never even been in a Sienna, Odyssey, or Sedona.
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mehugtree 12:54PM (1/03/2007)
shh, don't tell anyone, but minivans rock. They are the ultimate roadtrip vehicle, with decent gas mileage and plenty of usable, configurable space.
Not that we should clue in the rest of the world, but every manu has dropped the ball in the advertising world by STILL promoting it as a mom-mobile. Nissan came close to making it cool, but no.
I guess they're trying to rebill (and rebuild) the minivan as a "crossover". whatever that is.
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Mark 2:43PM (1/03/2007)
They are not ditching the short-wheelbase, which accounts for almost 60% of Chrysler minivan sales in Canada, where the Caravan is the country's best selling car (and in 2005 was outsold by the F-Series by only a few thousand units).
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Kowell 1:39PM (1/03/2007)
an R/T MINIVAN...... and people still wonder why US auto makers are loosing credibility by the minut...
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solomonrex 2:13PM (1/03/2007)
Minivans are very versatile. No real man wants to be seen driving one, of course, but when you have kids, it's the best way to go.
I hope they keep the short wheelbase model. That's one reason I was leaning towards them.
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NonHondaGuy 3:02PM (1/03/2007)
Listen, this post has more opinion than fact in it, mostly by brand loyalists without a lot of seat time in any of the vans mentioned. I rode in the Chrylser variations as a kid and gave them the first shot when it came time to buy for my family 6 years ago. They were instantly taken off the list when I looked at reliability, safety and power, which to me are the 3 main issues to buy or not. I drove every van on the market and bought the Honda Odyssey. Why? Amazing reliability, rock solid safety record and great power - no one who has driven the DCX versions can argue the Honda is top dog here. Some may feel the DCX version deserves brand loyalty for inventing the niche, but I believe in the free market and as such, I bought what works best. By the way, after owning my Honda for nearly six years, I'll be at the dealership in the spring to order another one. I wouldn't even consider the DCX with their qualitative issues. I hope that dealership repair waiting room is comfy - those of you that choose the DCX are going to be spending a lot of time there.
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dakota 7:39PM (1/03/2007)
"an R/T MINIVAN...... and people still wonder why US auto makers are loosing credibility by the minut..."
The platform code is RT, not R/T...
Do your homework next time.
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MikeW 9:07PM (1/03/2007)
The 4.0 & 4 speed auto + underdrive (8 possible ratios, crappy & slow shifting)
better be standard.
The 3.8 lost power from the horrible exhaust routing from Stow&Go, and the new rules have dropped that to only ~200hp.
The 3.3 has got to be deadly slow with the 4 speed automatic (hopefully fleet only)
The '07 kia sedona & hyundai entourage 250hp 253ft-lbs on regular, thanks SAE rules.
Who will have the first 300hp minivan?
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