Spied: 2008 Chrysler Town & Country [update 11/21]

[regfootball]

Uhh, nice radio placement, Chrysler.

only positive......if the head unit has a dvd screen, the back roows can watch it when parked.

[DetroitNut90]

Does Chrysler not want to be the leader of the minivan segment anymore? I thought my mom's Venture has an ugly interior, but this one takes the cake! I have never seen the air vents inbetween the radio and climate control dials before. All they have to do is shrink the vents (which look very familiar, btw) and put them on top of the dash, and I think it would look 100% better.

[Croc]

Who knows if this is even the final placement of things...but that radio could be pretty ergonomic up there as far as not taking eyes off the road...

[jbartley]

that's beyond bad...

[KaliRover]

It kinda looks like the Kia Sedona. Can anyone else see that?

It's very Kia-ish.

[loki]

think the mushroom stop botton emits the EMP to erase the pics of it, and killing anything after ~'95 also?! lol

[The O.C.]

I could like this maybe.....but have to see WAY more.

It has kindof a tall "station-wagon-y" look to it....maybe a way to remove some of the staid minivan-type styling? Who knows......

Powertrains will probably be the new 2.4L 170hp L4 for the "beer-can" Dodge, and I'm betting the 4.0L will be in there somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised to see the 3.7L OHC V6 as maybe an entry-level engine?

I'm hoping the 3.8L will be gone. While it may be fine for a vehicle such as the new Wrangler, the current DCX vans get literally DESTROYED in comparisons of performance and fuel economy compared to the import vans with their more modern V6s.....

The 3.7L won't be that much stronger, but drives in the (heavier-than-Liberty) Grand Cherokee and Durango with that V6 show it to be surprisingly smooth and quiet...(more so than a Liberty actually) if not that fast.

[The O.C.]

Update:

There's a good interior shot on the front page of Edmunds' Straightline blog.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/.ee919e4

Hmmm.....looks like the production interior will be pretty cool looking! I like the 300-ish center stack. Looks like DCX is trying to impart a bit of style and design compared to the usual minivan-interior fare....

I hope they don't use the same crappy hard plastic interior materials we've been seeing in the trucks lately.....give us LX-car-qualitiy materials and it will be fine.

[The O.C.]

It looks like they are going to use a similar center (similar, not same) as their other vehicles. I think the Chrysler corporate center stack looks pretty boring but it looks well refined (at least it looks that, never got to feel one). Have to say, it looks good in the charger though!

The switchgear in the new Chrysler products is VERY nice......the HVAC and radio controls, and even secondary switchgear, all feel like quality pieces.

Which makes their dubious choice of interior plastics (except LX cars it seems) that much harder to accept.

[pow]

The last minivan that tried to be stylish was the Quest, and look at how "well" that did.

[regfootball]

The last minivan that tried to be stylish was the Quest, and look at how "well" that did.

go check out an 07, they fixed that. its luxurious now actually.

[pow]

go check out an 07, they fixed that.  its luxurious now actually.

Yeah, I know, it's gorgeous. It's definitely my favorite minivan.

[sciguy_0504]

That interior is the pits, prototype or not. DCX must really be wanting to cut down on minivan sales.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

Are they really that out of it to continue a 4-cylinder or any of the current engines? Styling looks inspired by the Kahuna (fabulous in person!) concept of 2003 as well as the bland, almost-useless 2007 Aspen (Durango clone).

[rkmdogs]

You guys all are knocking this mule, but I ask you.......

What is the General offering to compete against it?

NOTHING !!!!!!!

[ehaase]

The 3.7L won't be that much stronger, but drives in the (heavier-than-Liberty) Grand Cherokee and Durango with that V6 show it to be surprisingly smooth and quiet...(more so than a Liberty actually) if not that fast.

Isn't the 3.7 based on the 4.7 V8, making it a 90 degree V6? Would it fit in the minivans? I believe the 4.0 is based on the 3.5 and is a 60 degree V6.

[Sixty8panther]

The Quest is a decent looking vehicle for a minivan.

If I HAD to drive one I guess that'd be the one.

[Northstar]

Well....give them about....oh, 3 years.

Well, really 2 years and a couple months :AH-HA_wink:

[The O.C.]

Isn't the 3.7 based on the 4.7 V8, making it a 90 degree V6?  Would it fit in the minivans?  I believe the 4.0 is based on the 3.5 and is a 60 degree V6.

You may be right.....but I don't know if it would fit or not.

Like you, I also believe the 4.0L is a larger version of the SOHC 3.5L "car" engine and not an enlarged version of the SOHC 3.7L "truck" engine.

Probably then we'd see 3.5L and 4.0L engines.

[Variance]

Edmunds video footage:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Gener...rticleId=117624

[Polish_Kris]

I rarely see a CSV.

138272[/snapback]

Come to Canada, they're all over the place here

[Polish_Kris]

You guys all are knocking this mule, but I ask you.......

What is the General offering to compete against it?

NOTHING !!!!!!!

146794[/snapback]

Good point

[regfootball]

ugly brick yikes

[DetroitNut90]

The Grand Caravan SXT rental we had over the summer was great. I hope Chrysler doesn't mess that up.

[pow]

Hopefully the VW version looks better.

[FAPTurbo]

Hopefully the VW version looks better.

219004[/snapback]

If you order the Vee-Dub with the (please God have this package) "Shaggin-Wagon edition," it'll certainly look better.

Why? Cause it'll come with 5 hits of LSD. Your van will look totally great... and tasty too!

[caddycruiser]

Definately different from the current models--which are still arguably the best lookers around--and hopefully they keep what makes them popular and add enough new stuff to attract more buyers.

Just hope they don't turn out to be another new DCX product with weird as could be outside proportions and details, and an interior that even early 90's GM would laugh at.