2008 Chrysler Minivan Interior Preview

Chrysler Minivan Interior Preview – 2007 Detroit Auto Show: So what’s wrong with driving a mom mobile, anyway? Sure, they may not offer up the sexiest style on the road, but substance does last longer than style – and ultimately is more appreciated. Consider: five years from now when you walk out of your front door, that minivan in the driveway has to get the job done from the inside out, no matter how boring it looks to the rest of the world. To that end, the Chrysler Group is betting that the innovation inside their new minivans will be enough to keep the 800,000 US minivan buyers from jumping over to Honda, Toyota or Kia.

What’s New: Overview

Up to now, Chrysler minivans mattered mostly to vacationers, out of town business folk and other purveyors of the rental car lots. Even with Stow ‘n Go, the innovative seat storage solution that debuted in the Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town and Country a few years ago, retail sales declined and fleet sales went up. Dodge has plans to change that with its latest spate of minivan interior innovations. As with the Town and Country, the Grand Caravan offers swiveling mid-row chairs, a table, a five-way configurable center console and a power, one-touch third row seat. The only thing left to do is take the seats out and put in a dance floor.

Ambient Lighting

Nothing sets the mood in a minivan like greenish-blue ambient lighting, and the Chrysler minivans have got it oozing out of the center ceiling unit. It’s soft, it’s romantic, it’s…wait a minute…romantic? In a minivan? It will also help kids get sleepy, too, and when that happens you can use the pinpoint and movable LED reading lamps.

Center Console Configurations

The center console is just the start of Chrysler’s convenience push. Included in the 2008 minivans are nine dishwasher-safe cupholders, four of which are located in the center. This console will slide rearward in two different sections. Cupholders in the top of the console can be loaded and then slid back to the second-row passengers. DVDs, headphones or other items can be stored in the lower section of the console, which also can slide rearward for the second-row passengers to access. The upper and lower sections of the console also can slide rearward independently or together. A total of 21 inches of rearward travel occurs when both the upper and lower sections are slid rearward. The console is also removable.

Dueling DVDs

The 2008 Chrysler minivans are the first to offer an entertainment system that can show two different movies at the same time – a major benefit for those who have watched enough to sprout fins. Music from MP3 players, games and other forms of entertainment are included in the dual mid- and back-row entertainment flexibility.

Table and Chairs?

When equipped with the Swivel n’ Go feature, mid row occupants can flip around – up to 180 degrees – and, with the easy installation of an included table, play a game, eat lunch or have an actual face-to-face conversation. Ewww. The table fits easily between the second and third rows.

Do the Mid Row Swivel

The Swivel ’n Go system rotates mid-row seats 180 degrees independently of each other. The swivel feature also allows easy ingress and egress for children who need to be buckled into child seats. A removable table fits between the second and third rows. Second-row covered storage bins are included, and the third-row 60/40 bench seat folds into the floor. An integrated child booster seat is also available in the second-row quad seats.

Powerful Third Row

Both the Swivel ’n Go and Stow ’n Go seating and storage systems are available with a one-touch power-folding third-row seat that can be folded into four different positions. According to Chrysler, this is an industry first. A third seating option on the new minivans offers second-row covered storage bins with a removable bench seat and a fold-in-the-floor third-row 60/40 bench seat. Integrated child safety seats are available with the second-row bench seats.

Dual-ing Gloveboxes

The 2008 Chrysler minivans offer top and bottom gloveboxes, a fairly common feature on new vehicles today. Car shoppers will want to check to see how easy it is to open the top compartment, and how many goodies can be stowed. Other interior cargo features include an umbrella holder, mesh pockets on mid row seats and an updated overhead console.

Photos courtesy of DaimlerChrysler, Brian Chee