Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Minivans/MPVs, Chrysler, LLC., Daimler
The dam has broken: more DCX minivan pics appear on web
click on image above to view high resolution gallery with 12 pics
A kudos goes out to the Chrysler Group PR team, which has been trying to plug these leaks since early yesterday morning, but at this time what was once a leak is now a deluge of images revealing the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivan all over the internet. According to CarScoop, today's new images and info can again be traced back to a Spanish site, this one named KM77.
More info can be found after the jump, and click here to view the gallery of images showing the pics that have already been seen on the internet so far.
[Source: KM77 via CarScoop]
UPDATE: Automotive News has published more specific information on the DCX vans. The rotating second-row captain's chairs are officially called Swivel 'n Go. The MyGIG entertainment system with dash-bound hard drive that debuted on the Sebring Sedan is available as an option, which, while great for playing music like an iPod would, cannot play digital video on the optional dual flip-down LCD screens (fix that, Chrysler). Finally, the new 4.0-liter V6 produces 240 hp and 253 ft-lbs of torque and is mated to a six-speed auto. A 3.8-liter V6/six-speed auto and 3.3-liter V6/four-speed auto will also be available.
Aside from the pics, the real kicker here is all the information that's now available on Chrysler's next-generation minivans. For instance, as is evident in the images, the second-row captains chairs are able to swivel 180-degrees and still do the whole Stow N Go thing. A small, stowable table can also be placed between the rotated second-row captain's chairs and the back bench to create a nice place to play Texas Hold 'Em on long trips. Also of note are the two large screens that flip down from the roof-mounted center console and the fact that each is playing a different video. This implies that the T&C's entertainment system will be robust enough to handle at least two separate video inputs at the same time.
The Spanish site, which can be read in translation here, also talks about what engines are currently available for the vans in Europe, but does confirm the addition of a 4.0-liter V6 for North America. No word on power figures, though most expect it to be paired with a six-speed auto.
There's stlil plenty to learn about the Town & Country and its platform mate, the Dodge Caravan, which we'll bring you during the Detroit show.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
tr 10:53AM (1/04/2007)
so what happened to your whole "In our quest to be seen as a legitimate and professional automotive news outlet, we strive to play this game above board as much as possible"-thing? and the whole "we'll post pics when the embargo lifts on sunday" thing that you said in this post?
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/03/dcx-minivans-appear-online-ahead-of-detroit/
if you're going to do this "we have journalistic integrity" stuff, then do it.
but enough of that, this minivan is pretty boring. really. it actually reminds me of the very first dodge caravan design.
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Markos Prieto 10:56AM (1/04/2007)
Wow, I didn't know manufactures still made minivans.
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D-Dog 10:58AM (1/04/2007)
Dang, that is one boring box on wheels.
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Alex Nunez 10:59AM (1/04/2007)
The ability to face the second and third rows like that -- with a table, no less -- is nothing short of fantastic. Family roadtrips no longer need to be affairs where mom and dad talk to the kids via the rearview mirror. I'm not a big fan of minivans myself (it's just a preference thing), but I love this feature.
It also mitigates the mess created if passengers are all eating at their seats during a long drive, as they now have a proper place to put stuff. I'd be interested in seeing how accessible it is for a kid in a booster seat, because that table is a nice space to break out the coloring books or something instead of a DVD for part of a trip.
Great stuff, and that's just ONE of the features.
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fresh 11:00AM (1/04/2007)
I'm not a big fan of minivans cause i don't have any kids. But I'd drive this car through the ground. I love all the little transformation it can do. Good job DCX engineers.
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Sean Flanagan 11:00AM (1/04/2007)
I'm with tr. Just last night you pulled some of these same images at the request of Chrysler Group, and here they are again, just because someone else already posted them. You give kudos to the team, then proceed to ignore their desires.
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Nellydesign 11:00AM (1/04/2007)
The interior features are cool. That being said, the interior itself is awful. Their execution on surface is so sophomoric it almost makes you believe they are a company that's been around five years and decided to try building cars. Why does every DCX interior need to look like intersected cardboard boxes? Looks like they either fired all their clay modellers or forced them all to work digitally with very little experience. There's no finesse, no form, no love. Its a robot. Cold and uninviting.
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Mike 11:01AM (1/04/2007)
Am i crazy or the currect Caravan looks better?
But it is not about looks, we'll see what the consumer will say.
I think to sell minivans they really need to make airbags standard, try to squez MPG up even at the expense of speed, and throw in a free navigation system
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Silver 11:03AM (1/04/2007)
Boxy. Dull. Forgettable, if not repellant. In other words, a classic effort from our domestic automakers.
Sigh, why do we even try?
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The other Bob 11:03AM (1/04/2007)
Did anyone look at the interior shots?
Is that powered stow-and-go? There are also other interesting seating and interior configurations, including reverse facing seats.
What's up with these dash-mounted shifters? They are no more sporty than a column, yet look goofy.
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amp 11:04AM (1/04/2007)
Dear Chrysler PR, please take these images back. No one wants to see them.
And what's up with the PRNDL selector next to the gauge cluster?
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335er 11:04AM (1/04/2007)
I really like the interior. It seems to have innovative features and goes a step beyond what I've seen in buff books and the occasional rental. The swiveling seats and table are great ideas. Now if they only would make the exterior not look like a minivan...
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George 11:06AM (1/04/2007)
Shouldn't Daimler be focusing on selling it current stock before pushing something new?
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D-Dog 11:16AM (1/04/2007)
"14. Dear Chrysler PR, please take these images back. No one wants to see them."
Too funny!!
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Jeff Crew 11:17AM (1/04/2007)
I feel sorry for the workers at WAP as I have many friends that work there. The exterior styling will not attract the Honda/Toyota crowd and may push away others loyal to the brand. It has the Chrysler faux luxury look. It looks like a slammed Aspen with a with a GMC Envoy grille wearing a Chrysler winged mustache. What is with the shifted up behind the steering wheel? The seating configurations look pretty neat though, especially for parents taking kids to hockey games etc. I hope the Dodge looks better, but based on their recent efforts my expectations are very low.
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sk 11:21AM (1/04/2007)
Those reversible seats have bin in Toyota Previas since the early nineties. The rear view interior mirror is copied from Honda Odyssey, stow'n go was in the old model year. The shifter is placed awfully far away from the driver compare that to the Odyssey's.
So where is that great new interior that Chrysler promised with all the new inventions?
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Saluki 11:24AM (1/04/2007)
Well I can say one nice thing about about this design, it probably will help sell another 100,000 Siennas and Odysseys
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Jay 11:24AM (1/04/2007)
With boys 3,5 and 7... Those interior features look great! Taking the Uno games to the rear like we did in the early '80s conversion van I grew up traveling in, the movable console for all of my wife's stuff, and the split power magic rear seat to go with the "stow and go" in the middle row... All add up to a very functional interior.
About the time this model is a couple of years old, and the incentives are rolling nicely... I will be in the market to trade my 02 Sienna.
As long as they drive more like a Maggie, and less like a Siebring.... This this will be the first domestic van on the radar for me.
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Michael Karesh 11:26AM (1/04/2007)
Interiors sell minivans, and this interior appears to totally blow away the current competition. I'm generally not a Chrysler booster, but this one's got what it takes.
Things to note:
--very ergonomic IP, including high-mounted LCD; only possible problem might be low autio controls
--manually-shiftable transmission with shifter right next to the wheel--just blip it side to side to shift
--second-row chairs appear significantly larger and more comfortable than the current Stow n'GO seats
--side glass area remains generous, probably most of any minivan; kids will be able to see out very well
The big challenge with swivel seats is passing safety tests with the seats in different directions. They appear to have solved this, partly by mounting the belts to the seats. Amazing that these puppies stow beneath the floor.
The 4.0/six-speed is a VERY strong powertrain based on my test drive of a Pacifica with it. The 255 horsepower rating seems conservative.
I'm seeing a big winner that could help rejuvenate the segment, or at least halt its decline.
Big question remains reliability. I aim to have initial reliability results at the end of February 2008. For their own sake and that of buyers I hope the new van is solid.
The research:
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
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Jay 11:26AM (1/04/2007)
For all of you beating it up stylistically… We buy minivans based on three things.
Functionality
Reliability
Price
The order of those three varies from consumer to consumer. Style is low on the totem pole for most of us.
The Nissan Quest is cool, has a great looking interior, and is fun to drive. How many are on the road?
I just noticed the built in power inverter and dual A/V inputs in the rear. No more changing PS2 games for mom and dad.
Oh, and I can’t spell Sebring. Sorry….
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