52 Articles
To kill a minivan: kid-haulers a dying breed

Just 12 years ago, minivans made up 8.5% of the overall vehicle market here in the US. Since that time, a string of SUVs and then later CUVs have cut into those vehicles with the magical sliding doors. In the last couple years, GM and Ford have abandoned the minivan segment all-together and concentrated on crossovers like the Buick Enclave and the Ford Flex. In 2006, minivan production fell below 1 million units for the first time in 15 years, and this year is looking much, much worse. The proli

Chrysler Group recalling 270,000 minivans to fix airbag sensors

The Detroit News is reporting that DaimlerChrysler has recalled 270,000 units of the 2005 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minvans to fix airbag sensors that could corrode and fail to activate. The recall, however, only affects minvans that were sold in 20 states and Washington D.C. where lots of salt is used on public roads to melt ice and snow. Apparently these UF sensors have brass bushings that may corrode from road salt and crack, allowing to water to reach the sensor, which caus

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 betw

Spy Photos: 2008 Dodge Caravan/Chrysler T&C

Johnathan Stein over at HowBourgeois ran across this heavily disguised prototype of what appears to be a 2008 Dodge Caravan, or possibly a Chrysler Town & Country, or possibly what will eventually be an unnamed Volkswagen minivan. He braved severely aggravated Daimle

Spy Photos: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan

KGP Photography caught these shots of what looks to be a surprisingly muscular 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, likely souped-up to compete with a full slate of new Asian minivans. The lines appear reminiscent of the marque's own Magnum and Durango, losing the overtly-rounded aesthetic that has long been its trademark. With the Asian competition bearing down, expect this one to have a more powerful engine and more safety features compared

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