As Dodge pivots to focus on muscle and stocking its arsenal for the horsepower wars, the humble Grand Caravan was left without a home, but FCA Canada has made the decision for the popular minivan name to carry on under the Chrysler brand.
The 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan will replace the Dodge Grand Caravan as a minivan with a lower price point than the Pacifica. The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica was recently unveiled with a new look and new features, and the new Grand Caravan will essentially look the same as the outgoing 2020 Pacifica.
The Chrysler Grand Caravan is unique to Canada and will be called the Chrysler Voyager in the U.S. It will continue to be built in Windsor, Ont.
Pricing for the 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan will start at $37,995, with the upgraded SXT model going for $39,000. Although there will be no more base model work/fleet van available, FCA says demand for that model wasn’t high and has discontinued it. Both models come standard with third-row stowing seats that tumble into the floor, and a stowing second row is available in the SXT model as a $2,000 option.
Except for the base work van, compared to the outgoing Dodge minivan, the new Chrysler Grand Caravan has better pricing and more features.
The Chrysler Grand Caravan is powered by a 3.6L V6 with a nine-speed transmission getting power to the front wheels. The V6 outputs 287 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque.
The minivan segment comprises just 3 per cent of Canadian auto sales, down from a peak of 16 per cent in 1999, and Chrysler credits the minivan with saving the company when it needed it the most.
The 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan will be on sale in the late third quarter of this year (production begins in Q4) alongside the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. Pricing for the new Pacifica will be released later this summer.