Stephanie Wallcraft
The Grand Caravan nameplate will live on in Canada after all.
Arriving in the fourth quarter of this year as a 2021 model, the Chrysler Grand Caravan replaces the 12-year-old Dodge Grand Caravan, which finally meets its official end as production winds down this summer.
The new Grand Caravan – built in Windsor, Ont., and based on the same platform as the higher-priced Chrysler Pacifica, while being positioned as the affordable, entry-level alternative – will become the Canadian equivalent of the Chrysler Voyager sold in the United States. With the update, the nameplate moves over to the Chrysler brand, as FCA further focuses the Dodge name on performance-oriented products.
The decision to diverge from the American naming strategy is due to broader consumer recognition of the Grand Caravan nameplate in Canada, said Mike Szymkiewicz, senior manager of product strategy and volume planning for FCA Canada. The Grand Caravan nameplate has been used in connection with grassroots hockey sponsorship programs for 15 years.
In making the shift, the Grand Caravan will drop its most affordable Canada value package, which carried an MSRP of $32,845 in the 2020 model year. Szymkiewicz said this package accounted for 20 per cent of sales on the 27,982 vehicles sold in Canada in 2019, equivalent to approximately 5,600 units, while the majority of sales were seen in vehicles at the SXT trim or higher, a price point that starts at $39,445.
To that end, the Chrysler Grand Caravan will be sold at two trim levels. The base unit, which starts at $37,995, includes the 3.6-litre V6 engine and nine-speed automatic transmission found throughout the Voyager-Pacifica lineup, as well as third-row Stow ‘n Go seating, 17-inch steel wheels, a seven-inch infotainment screen with the Uconnect system and included Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and proximity entry with a push-button start.
Three-zone manual climate control, roof racks, and the SafetyTec suite of safety technologies (rear park assist with stop, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, forward collision warning with active braking, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking) are optional.
The SXT model, priced from $39,995, makes three-zone manual climate control standard and adds on 17-inch aluminum wheels, a power-adjusting driver’s seat, upgraded suspension and one-touch power front windows, among other features. Second-row Stow ‘n Go seats are a $2,000 option and cold-weather features (heated front seats and steering wheel plus remote start), the SafetyTec suite, power side doors and liftgate, a rear-facing DVD system, satellite radio, towing capability, and eight-passenger seating are also optional.
Customers looking for features beyond this packaging will be redirected into the Pacifica product lineup. Pricing for the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica – which includes optional all-wheel-drive and a redesign that won’t be reflected in the Chrysler Grand Caravan – has not yet been announced.
Copyright PostMedia Network, 2020
