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Grand Caravan Nameplate Returns To Canadian Showrooms:

Grand-Caravan-SXT4.jpeg


The Chrysler Voyager enters the 2021 model year with a more important role than ever before, as the direct replacement for the beloved but aged Dodge Grand Caravan. Chrysler re-introduced the Voyager nameplate to the U.S. market last year, as the entry-level variant of the Chrysler Pacifica. The 2020 Chrysler Voyager featured a cheaper starting … (read full article...)

 
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bill burke

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This approach to Canadian GC loyalists makes sense and hopefully our northern neighbors will respond by continuing to buy lots of GCs. They will be rewarded with an outstanding product. I also support the discontinuation of the old Dodge GC, of course for government regulations reasons, but also because it does not fit any longer in the Dodge performance culture and image. Going forward I would suggest moving the next generation Durango to the Ram brand and introducing a shortened Grand Cherokee based (Stelvio sized) high performance crossover as Dodges only SUV. By concentrating on the Charger, Challenger and, I’ll call the Dodge SUV “Renegade” for now, they will enhance the brand. In the reasonable future Dodge can introduce a line of electrified mid-size sedans and a coupe to augment, not replace as Ford is doing, the brands popular muscle cars. The Grand Caravan served Dodge long and proud, but that job now rests with Chrysler. Welcome home Grand Caravan to our friends in Canada.
 

TripleT

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Durango still fits at Dodge.... Will it. IDK. With the IRS, on the already well behaving DT platform, it not out of the question that the next one still does also. Brampton most surely will get a performance SUV, Mid-sized as D segment..... ahhhhhh oh tough sell on that one.

More power to new company if all it takes is a bit of Chromed plastic to get the Canadians on board with the new model made in their own country.
 

UN4GTBL

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Durango still fits at Dodge.... Will it. IDK. With the IRS, on the already well behaving DT platform, it not out of the question that the next one still does also. Brampton most surely will get a performance SUV, Mid-sized as D segment..... ahhhhhh oh tough sell on that one.

More power to new company if all it takes is a bit of Chromed plastic to get the Canadians on board with the new model made in their own country.

I still don't understand why Toyota is praised for keeping the Camry nameplate around for decades, and FCA was bashed for dropping other name plates in the past, but when FCA keeps a significant name plate, it's made fun of now?

I mean, it's not like this is a Renegade that has only been around for a few years, the Caravan name has been around since 1984, and has been a significant name in Canada, and even in the USA. I don't agree with how FCA has handled the minivans since 2017, but here we are. The 5th gen minivans should have all gone away in 2017 and been replaced with the 6th gen Grand Caravan & Pacifica. I still personally would have liked if they had put a Dodge grille on it and racetrack taillights on the back.

But what do I know, I only live in Canada, and see how the Caravan outsells the competition. In Canada, in 2019 & 2020 the Caravan was still 50% of the minivan market. And that's despite it has been left on the vine to rot after not being updated in a decade with price increases every year and little marketing. I don't know how the Chrysler Grand Caravan will do, as I'm seeing the base versions for $34k on dealer lots, which is a far cry from the $20k CVP editions, but we'll see! The way the pricing is, I'd personally just buy a Pacifica Touring, but at least we get a Grand Caravan with full Stow N Go seats still here.
 

TripleT

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Because wouldn't one have to be under a rock to not know that this is a Chrysler Pacifica? I think more of my Canadian friends, but perhaps they just appreciate the nod.

Town and Country was let go because the Q rating on it was pretty bad, I suppose Caravan doesn't have

I just wonder myself our Canadians the fond of the Name or was it more about the transaction cost that came with it?
 

UN4GTBL

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Because wouldn't one have to be under a rock to not know that this is a Chrysler Pacifica? I think more of my Canadian friends, but perhaps they just appreciate the nod.

Town and Country was let go because the Q rating on it was pretty bad, I suppose Caravan doesn't have

I just wonder myself our Canadians the fond of the Name or was it more about the transaction cost that came with it?

For sure, you and I know its literally just a rebadged Pacifica, but the mainstream auto buyer doesn't follow changes year to year (they might see a random news article about how the Caravan was discontinued) In more extreme cases, they don't even know what car they drive. I once worked for a guy who honestly didn't know what the make or model of his car was. Turned out it was a Camry, so justifying that stereotype lol.

In Canada, the T&C was always the aspirational model of the minivans, but I understand that they sold more basic T&C models in the USA, whereas they were always well equipped models up here. I see that the Pacifica is now outselling the Grand Caravan in the USA. Yet in Canada, they sell 10 Caravans for every Pacifica.

I won't argue that the transaction price was a big part of it. The value presented by a Caravan CVP was was really unmatched. But I also believe that low CVP price got people into showrooms. Back in 2013 that exact thing happened with my friend. They heard an ad for a $20k Caravan, and started looking at them. They ended up buying a loaded SXT Plus like my parent's van, and then about 3 years later went back and bought an SXT Platinum, and then just recently bought a Durango R/T. I firmly believe that had it not been for the CVP price, they would have bought an Odyssey originally, as that was what they were planning on doing. He even apologized to me about their plan to do so lol.

I also think that the "Caravan" name in Canada is the defacto minivan, like the Rav4 is for a CUV, or a Prius is for those looking at a Hybrid. Sure the Honda & Toyota vans are supposed to be a "better" quality vehicle, but the price really got people's curiosity I think to look at them. And for 2011-2013ish, the vans were rather competitive in their specs and quality, especially considering they were just a refresh of the 2008 vans.

At the end of the day, Canada and the USA seem to be rather different markets, and they have had the minivans sold to them in different ways, for instance, we haven't had a Voyager since Plymouth was a thing.
 

TripleT

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For sure, you and I know its literally just a rebadged Pacifica, but the mainstream auto buyer doesn't follow changes year to year (they might see a random news article about how the Caravan was discontinued) In more extreme cases, they don't even know what car they drive. I once worked for a guy who honestly didn't know what the make or model of his car was. Turned out it was a Camry, so justifying that stereotype lol.

In Canada, the T&C was always the aspirational model of the minivans, but I understand that they sold more basic T&C models in the USA, whereas they were always well equipped models up here. I see that the Pacifica is now outselling the Grand Caravan in the USA. Yet in Canada, they sell 10 Caravans for every Pacifica.

I won't argue that the transaction price was a big part of it. The value presented by a Caravan CVP was was really unmatched. But I also believe that low CVP price got people into showrooms. Back in 2013 that exact thing happened with my friend. They heard an ad for a $20k Caravan, and started looking at them. They ended up buying a loaded SXT Plus like my parent's van, and then about 3 years later went back and bought an SXT Platinum, and then just recently bought a Durango R/T. I firmly believe that had it not been for the CVP price, they would have bought an Odyssey originally, as that was what they were planning on doing. He even apologized to me about their plan to do so lol.

I also think that the "Caravan" name in Canada is the defacto minivan, like the Rav4 is for a CUV, or a Prius is for those looking at a Hybrid. Sure the Honda & Toyota vans are supposed to be a "better" quality vehicle, but the price really got people's curiosity I think to look at them. And for 2011-2013ish, the vans were rather competitive in their specs and quality, especially considering they were just a refresh of the 2008 vans.

At the end of the day, Canada and the USA seem to be rather different markets, and they have had the minivans sold to them in different ways, for instance, we haven't had a Voyager since Plymouth was a thing.

Wait Rav4 is the defacto name for a CUV???? NO WAY ..... its not Jeep?
 

TripleT

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Yeah that so foreign .... like putting gravy on fries
 

UN4GTBL

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Wait Rav4 is the defacto name for a CUV???? NO WAY ..... its not Jeep?
Note that I said CUV, so a tall station wagon that people buy instead of a compact or midsize car.
If I think of SUVs, then sure, the defacto SUV is a Wrangler (y)

The only brand/model I've ever heard incorrectly used to describe an SUV is Jeep.
This bothers me when people use "Jeep" to mean SUV or 4x4 vehicle

Yeah that so foreign .... like putting gravy on fries
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: hey man, don't knock it until you try it!

It's good, but that's a Quebec thing lol
 

mama2cassidy

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Ugh I'm sorry but that is a really ugly van. I much prefer the DODGE Grand Caravan. Looks like they were making an SUV but messed up and decided to get rid of a decent looking vehicle. Really hoping to get a DODGE grand caravan soon before all you can buy is this crap
 

TripleT

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Ugh I'm sorry but that is a really ugly van. I much prefer the DODGE Grand Caravan. Looks like they were making an SUV but messed up and decided to get rid of a decent looking vehicle. Really hoping to get a DODGE grand caravan soon before all you can buy is this crap

Welcome

That why people have different taste and style is subject, RT nearly killed the product. The van was developed in the lean times of the fleeting days of Daimler Mitsubishi debacle. They pinched every penny. The forced Dodge Magnum look onto a mini-van was just plain bad.

Consensus is Pacifica is best looking minivan on the market, it harken back to the good old days of NS, the style that should have never been abandoned.

Then there is the driving dynamics, the only way one could pick the cash cow dinosaur over the Pacifica, value..... they are light years different. While the old one you have to make excuses, from behind the wheel of the Pacifica you can hardly tell you towing a 7 passenger vehicle, the modern tools to develop it even using Typology Optimization show. There is no comparison between the 2 the RT shows every bit of age, the Pacifica is a delight to drive.

So the entire "Crap" thing is uncalled for, this really is that type of SITE for that sort thing. The Caravan is a old and tired product, the really was a step back for the product, and from the kick was not that good because of the penny pinching when it was developed. It was probably overall worse than the product it replaced.. It a ok to have a subjective preference, but your preference doesn't make the other product "CRAP". And from a non-subject elements they are not even in the same league.

Caravan because of when it was designed and it age inferiority to the Pacifica in no way even justifies the cost difference. If I was advising a friend I would tell them not to buy one new, pick up a lightly used Pacifica. But as a supporter of Mopar, by all mean go buy a new Caravan before they are gone.

Welcome to the forum. 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Earns “Best Minivan To Buy” Award: (moparinsiders.com)
 
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Curiousgeorge

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This vehicle is old & tired. Never liked grand caravan or pacifica and there was no style but until the price went north of $20,000, it was a cheap set of wheels & i would never buy one. Sorry.
 

MPE426HEMI

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Talking to local dealers, people hate the look & the price of the Pacifica. While the “Dodge Grand Caravan” is still available to order, they said they won’t be ordering any Pacificas. I’d like to believe the ugly Voyager/GC will even copy the sales of the DGC. Time will tell.
 

TripleT

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I have meet more previous Minivan owners then I can count, that stopped being minivan owners over the Looks of the RT. It was from the beginning poorly sorted, poorly developed vehicle. The rear itself was one of the laziest in modern Mopars, the way the bumper was integrated was criminal. So ,many people over the years have become comfortable with it looks, and extremely comfortable with low price, that is not a recipe for profitability. A customer that doesn't appreciate the difference between a Pacifica and the ancient Caravan, is better off shed to the Kia dealership. Volume is not the criteria for success.
 
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UN4GTBL

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I have meet more previous Minivan owners, that stopped being minivan owners over the Looks of the RT. It was from the beginning poorly sorted, poorly developed vehicle. The rear itself was on of the laziest in modern Mopars, the way the bumper was integrated was criminal. So ,many people over the years got comfortable with it looks, and extremely comfortable with low price, that is not a recipe for profitability. I customer that doesn't appreciate the difference between a Pacifica and the ancient Caravan, is better off shed to the Kia dealership. Volume is not the criteria for success.

Yeah, we had a 2007 Caravan (we had 3 4th gen Caravans actually, and we saw the cost cutting between the 2001 and 2004 vans that we had too), and had the 2011 refresh not happened to make the 5th gen palatable, I'm not sure what my parents would have done to replace it.

The 2008-2010 vans were not good vehicles, especially the interior of the Caravan with that cheap looking grey plastic everywhere and that random useless cubby in the middle of the dash where the clock was in the T&C.

I always found it interesting that the Journey got a better refresh in 2011 than the Caravan did inside (8.4" radios & cluster specifically) but for 2011, the Caravan and T&C were good, not great, but a good value for their practicality and price. Now that they have aged a decade, they are definitely past their prime.
 

MPE426HEMI

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I’d take the look of the
I have meet more previous Minivan owners then I can count, that stopped being minivan owners over the Looks of the RT. It was from the beginning poorly sorted, poorly developed vehicle. The rear itself was one of the laziest in modern Mopars, the way the bumper was integrated was criminal. So ,many people over the years have become comfortable with it looks, and extremely comfortable with low price, that is not a recipe for profitability. A customer that doesn't appreciate the difference between a Pacifica and the ancient Caravan, is better off shed to the Kia dealership. Volume is not the criteria for success.
Sorry to tell you but affordability was the name of the game in Chrysler minivans and definitely volume.
If anybody is interested in posh styling and quality, they’d better head over to Toyota or Honda.
 

TripleT

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There no money in being the North American KIA .... Sorry to tell you. And no the Pacifica is the best minivan on the market now. The Styling on the Japanese is not well executed as the Pacifica....Until the RT Chrysler dominated the market and often at a premium, it opened it up to the Japanese with penny pitching Germans ruining the product. It beyond me why some cling to that model, and want to run down that which has reestablished the product as the premier in the class. It good to welcome back home those who wanted a well styled, well appointed, and high quality product....... for sure the minivan would be killed before they make something a bad as the RT, and as poorly margined.
 
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