2017 Dodge Grand Caravan Release Date And Redesign
After they had announced that the Grand Caravan would get discontinued and made a lot of people turn to other manufacturers, Dodge announced that they are in fact going to keep building the current model until sometime in 2017. What does that mean for the 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan? Let’s find out.
This model will only be available for fleet sales and for the Canadian market where the car is the current leader in its class by a big margin. While this rather old model will continue to be sold, there are plans for an all-new 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. This new car will likely be based on the same platform as the upcoming Town and Country but unlike it and some other cars in its class, it will come with a lot of cool features. Also, there are strong rumors out there which suggest that the upcoming Grand Caravan will actually be branded as Durango.
2017 Dodge Grand Caravan Release Date
Just as we said, this would now use a car-based platform and it would still be classified as a minivan despite the fact it will offer a taller body than a minivan and a more capable running gear. The price is still unknown at this point, but some people suggested that it will start at $30,000 or little more than that in order to give Dodge some room to play with the possible options and features offered in the car. The release date will likely be at the end of 2016 while the production model will hit the market sometime in early 2017.
Design wise, the upcoming 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan will still be a true minivan, so it will feature sliding doors in the rear, a long body as well as a tall driving position which will allow the driver to have great visibility. However, moving past these, the car is also expected to be taller and wider than before which will certainly increase interior space while the high ground clearance will allow it to get through deep mud or rough roads without too many issues, we doubt that many drivers will test its off-road capabilities.
2017 Dodge Grand Caravan
Review
Regarding actual design, the car will very likely borrow from the design of Dodge’s current cars such as the Charger or Challenger but be staying true to its predecessor. Well known and recognizable grille with chrome accents will be separated by a bumper into two segments, larger upper, and smaller but wider lower part. Headlights with xenons will be offered on base version will higher trims could get LED for both main beam and daytime running lights. Since the usability factor is pretty much the most important with minivans we expect again to see huge trunk door but this time LED tail lights could be offered, no big surprises are coming here but still we like what we hear.
Redesign
Inside the cabin, there are going to be up to eight seats while the more premium models will get only seven in order to offer the passengers on the second row a much nicer experience and far more space. While details are scarce at this point, besides all the usual extras and goodies of a minivan, the Caravan is likely going to offer a flat loading floor, a self-leveling suspension system to allow people to get in and out of the car with ease as well as automatic doors and tailgate.
Infotainment system with several dedicated screens for each row on higher trims will certainly help out to occupy kids on longer trips, and this is one of the nicest features you can get for a larger family. Don’t expect to see the top of the line materials here since Dodge wants to keep this minivan on a budget but as an option you will be able to get leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, higher-quality door inserts, premium sound system, heated and cooled seats, etc.
Specs
Engine wise, the 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan will likely continue the “one-engine” philosophy of the ongoing model to allow people to choose the car they want with the help of the options and features it has rather than the engine it boasts which is not that important for a minivan. The engine will likely be carried over 3.6 liter V6, which could be slightly upgraded to offer about 300 hp. One of the rumors we could hear related to the engine is that Dodge might employ new, co-developed by the FCA group, 3.0-liter twin-turbo powerplant. The details of this engine are still unknown, but it seems it will share some of its parts with the one currently fitted to some Maserati cars. This could make around 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque which should be more than enough for a minivan. However, the most important strong point will be that it will use up to 20% less fuel than the one before it, all while being offered with a standard all-wheel drive system and a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
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