Dodge scrapped the Grand Caravan, and then Chrysler came out with the Voyager to replace it. Now, that same Voyager is becoming available to the Canada market as a 2021 model, where it will be known as a Chrysler Grand Caravan. Show
The 2020 Chrysler Voyager, which is available in the U.S., is the same in every measure as the 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan. The Canada-market Grand Caravan will get the 287-hp 3.6-liter V-6 engine seen in the Voyager as well as the nine-speed automatic transmission. A 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard on both vans, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. The Grand Caravan will also offer two trim levels, a base trim and an SXT. "Particularly for Canadian consumers, Grand Caravan is a nameplate that has become synonymous with affordable, safe, and innovative family transportation," a spokesperson for FCA told Car and Driver, adding that Grand Caravan sales in Canada versus other FCA minivans, such as the Town & Country, made up about 80 to 90 percent of sales. In the U.S., the Grand Caravan made up closer to 50 percent of those sales. The Voyager—or Grand Caravan from now on, if you're in Canada—starts under $30,000 in the U.S. and is a cheaper option than the Chrysler Pacifica, which starts at around $35,000 in the U.S. Previously, the Dodge Grand Caravan filled the slot now occupied by the Voyager. The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica carries the same name in both the United States and Canada. Production of the Dodge Grand Caravan ended this past May at the factory in Windsor, Ontario, where it was built. The Voyager, Pacifica, and Chrysler Grand Caravan are, or will be, built at that same plant. The Chrysler Grand Caravan goes on sale in Canada this fall. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In May, Fiat Chrysler will end production of the Dodge Grand Caravan — the minivan that many say started it all. The minivan segment roared from the 1980s through 2000, when minivan sales hit their peak. They've declined steadily since, and many manufacturers have ducked out of the market in favor of the new boom: crossovers and SUVs. But minivans had a strong run, even if the market has shrunk in the past couple of decades, and the Dodge Caravan kicked that run off when it rolled off of the line in 1983. Although its competitors would introduce their own minivan in the years that followed, Chrysler remained the king of the market. In 2019, FCA was responsible for 54% of all minivans sold in the US, and the Dodge Grand Caravan was the America's best-selling minivan overall. Fiat Chrysler confirmed in February that the Grand Caravan would be discontinued, and that production would stop in May. While the end of the Grand Caravan doesn't necessarily signal the end of the American minivan all together — Chrysler will still sell the Pacifica and Voyager, and several other automakers sell competitors — it certainly marks the end of an era. As the Caravan prepares to leave the market it began, here's just how it came to be the staple of a decades-long boom:
By some accounts, the Volkswagen Microbus — introduced in 1950 — was the original minivan.A 1966 VW MicrobusREUTERS/Nigel RoddisOthers point to even older vehicles like the Stout Scarab, a beetle-like affair from the mid 1930s.Stout Scarab.Michael FurmanBut ask others, and all roads lead to Chrysler — more specifically, the 1984 model year.1984 Dodge Caravan.FCAThat year, Chrysler introduced Dodge Caravan and its Plymouth Voyager sibling — kicking off a minivan boom that lasted from the mid 1980s to the early 2000s.1984 Dodge Caravan.FCASource: The New York Times Lee Iacocca, the legendary auto executive credited with bringing the Ford Mustang to life in the 1960s, spearheaded the minivan project at Chrysler after joining the company in the late 1970s.Lee Iacocca with the Plymouth Voyager.Lenny Ignelzi/AP PhotoRead more: Business Insider Chrysler was struggling to stay afloat, having received a $1.5 billion loan guarantee from the US government. The minivan turned out to be the hit it needed.Lee Iacocca.APSource: US Government, Reuters Iacocca committed nearly half that amount — roughly $700 million — to the minivan project and to outfitting the Chrysler plant in Windsor, Ontario, where it would be assembled.Lee Iacocca.Associated PressSource: Fortune The Caravan and Voyager combined traditional van with station wagon, making them a strong challenger to the latter.1984 Dodge Caravan.FCAEarly Caravan ads described it as "one vehicle that takes the place of an economy car, sporty car, station wagon, and van."1984 Dodge Caravan.FCASource: Youtube It was a "transportation revolution," the ads said.1984 Dodge Caravan.FCAChrysler's vans became an overnight success, with the company selling an astonishing 209,000 minivans in the first model year.1984 Dodge Caravan.FCASource: The New York Times Soon, other automakers wanted in on the action, and a flurry of new minivans hit the market.Toyota Previa.ToyotaGeneral Motors launched the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari …... Ford rolled out the Aerostar …Ford Aerostar.Denver Post via Getty Images… and Toyota brought its aptly named Passenger Van to the market.Toyota Passenger Van.ToyotaThe Passenger Van had a unique mid-engine layout, and, perhaps more uniquely, an ice maker.Toyota Passenger Van.ToyotaSource: Popular Mechanics GM eventually introduced a van trio with dustbuster-like styling: the Oldsmobile Silhouette, the Pontiac Trans Sport, and the Chevy Lumina APV.1990 Pontiac Trans Sport.APChrysler followed up its two wildly successful first vans with the upscale Chrysler Town and Country in 1990.1990 Chrysler Town and Country.FCAMotorWeek called the Town and Country a van for "rich people" at the time due to its sticker of about $25,000 — roughly $50,000 today. For comparison, the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica starts at around $30,000.1995 Chrysler Town and Country.FCASource: MotorWeek That year, Toyota ditched the Van for the Previa — an egg-like mid-engine van with a supercharged variant.Toyota Previa.ToyotaSource: Autotrader By 1991, Chrysler's vehicles accounted for half of all minivans built across the industry. By the latter part of the decade, Chrysler was selling upward of 600,000 minivans each year.1996 Chrysler Town and Country.FCASource: The New York Times, Riding the Roller Coaster: A History of the Chrysler Corporation Also in 1991, Chrysler pioneered a driver-side sliding door. The popular feature was soon adopted by other brands, but gave Chrysler a brief-yet-significant edge over the competition.1995 Dodge Caravan.FCASource: Riding the Rollercoaster: A History of the Chrysler Corporation Despite Chrysler's dominance, other manufacturers held out hope they could win some market share with new offerings. In 1995, Honda launched the Odyssey …1995 Honda Odyssey.Reuters... while in 1997, Toyota released its Camry-based Sienna.Toyota Sienna.ToyotaSmaller makes like Kia and Nissan got in the game as well, while Mazda launched its second-generation MPV, which stood for "multi-purpose vehicle."2004 Mazda MPV.MazdaThe US minivan market peaked in 2000, when nearly 1.4 million minivans were sold.2001 Chrysler Town and Country.FCASource: Automotive News In the years since, annual minivan sales have dropped steadily and the field has thinned out. Minivans only made up 2.8% of US car sales in 2018.2006 Mazda 5.MazdaSource: Automotive News, The Wall Street Journal That's at least partially due to the increasing popularity of SUVs and crossovers ...2000 Toyota Rav4.Toyota... which have swiftly displaced minivans, sedans, and wagons to become the latest car boom.Cadillac Escalade.CadillacIt looked like super-fast luxury minivans might have their moment when Mercedes-Benz introduced the R-Class in 2005.2009 Mercedes-Benz R350.Mercedes-BenzThe quasi-minivan offered an AMG-treated, 507-horsepower version, but Mercedes nixed the model in the US after 2012.2011 Mercedes-Benz R350.Mercedes-BenzSource: Car and Driver Neither GM nor Ford sell a minivan today, and aside from Fiat Chrysler's vans — the Pacifica, Voyager, and Grand Caravan — the only minivans you can buy in the US are the Kia Sedona ...Kia Sedona.Kia... the Honda Odyssey ...Honda... and the Toyota Sienna.2017 Toyota Sienna LTD.ToyotaIn 2019, Fiat Chrysler celebrated its 15 millionth minivan sold. It led the US minivan market that year, capturing more than half of the segment's sales.The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica.ChryslerSource: FCA But despite the Dodge Grand Caravan being America's best-selling minivan last year, FCA has decided to phase the model from production at the end of May.Dodge Grand Caravan.DodgeSource: Motor1 This isn't the death of the American minivan, since Fiat Chrysler and others will continue to produce them ...Chrysler Pacifica.Chrysler... but the demise of the Grand Caravan marks the end of an era. It's the end of the road for the minivan that started it all.Dodge Grand Caravan.FCARead next Close iconTwo crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. What is replacing the Dodge Caravan?2021 Chrysler Pacifica
For 2021, pricing starts at $44,795, which is $7,500 above the previous entry point. With the addition of the more affordable Grand Caravan, FCA has decided to eliminate the L and LX models, so the lineup now begins with the Pacifica Touring (formerly sold at $43,795).
Will there be a 2023 Grand Caravan?Model Lineup
For 2023, the Chrysler Grand Caravan offers one value-added model: SXT.
Is Dodge bringing back the Grand Caravan?The well-equipped Chrysler Grand Caravan holds its own distinct position in the award-winning Chrysler minivan lineup, offering even more value for those who seek the quintessential family vehicle. For the 2022 model year, the Grand Caravan is about to get even better with more standard features than ever before.
Will there be a 2022 Dodge Caravan?MEET THE 2022 CHRYSLER GRAND CARAVAN
17-Inch Tech Silver Aluminum Wheels. Stow 'n Go® Second and Third Row Seating and Storage. Heated front seats and steering wheel.
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Why is the Dodge Grand Caravan being discontinued?
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