NEW FOR 2008:

Click image to enlarge Images courtesy: Chrysler

Completely redesigned

For 2008, the Chrysler Town & Country and its Grand Caravan sibling are redesigned, with new styling, revised suspension, new interiors and powertrains. Also new are standard electronic stability control and curtain airbags for all three rows. The base price drops by more than $5,500 over the 2007 models.

The Town & Country Touring uses a 3.8-litre V6 carried over from 2007, but now mated to a segment-first six-speed automatic transmission; the Limited uses a new 4.0-litre with six-speed. Both models feature Stow ’n Go seating, in which the second-row seats fold flat into the floor. An available option is Swivel ’n Go, new for 2008, in which the second-row seats can be swivelled 180 degrees to face to the rear, with a removable plastic table that fits in between the second and third rows, for $625. The swivel seats cannot be folded into the floor – you get Stow or Swivel, but not both – but all models include the folding seats’ covered bins, which can be used for storage below the floor.

Also new is a range of standard or optional entertainment features, including a MyGIG hard-drive-based “infotainment” stereo, satellite radio, premium CD/MP3 stereo and a dual-screen rear DVD system that can play two types of media simultaneously, including two different movies, games, music players, or a combination.

Features on the Touring include 16-inch aluminum wheels, three-zone manual temperature control, dual power sliding doors, power liftgate, YES Essentials seat fabric and floor mats, Homelink garage door opener, fog lamps, swivelling reading lamps with halo lighting, heated mirrors with auto-dimming driver’s side, power-adjustable pedals, 115-volt power outlet, roof rack, eight-way power driver’s seat, CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers, cruise control, tilt column with leather-wrapped wheel, tire pressure warning lamp, power second-row windows, variable intermittent wipers and rear intermittent washer/wiper.

The Limited adds 17-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels, leather seats with first- and second-row heating, eight-way power passenger seat, three-zone automatic climate control, woodgrain interior trim, vehicle information centre, high-intensity discharge headlamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror, parking assist with rearview camera, remote start, security alarm, second- and third-row retractable sunshades, MyGIG stereo with SIRIUS satellite radio, and premium removable and multi-adjustable front floor console.

Chrysler has dominated the minivan segment ever since it introduced its first models in 1983, and shows no signs of stopping with these new ones, which are extremely quiet and pleasant to drive. The interior fit-and-finish has been improved, although it’s still not as good as it could be, with a plastic centre stack that looks a little too cheap for the vehicle. The thin foam on the Stow ’n Go second-row seats, necessary so they can be folded, makes them hard, but the ability to change the configuration instantly, without removing seats or leaving them behind, is unbeatable. The addition of standard safety features also brings this model up; while most buyers will probably opt for the less-expensive Grand Caravan, the Town & Country can be confidently shopped against vans like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.