Dodge Caravan to end its run in 2013
A vehicle type that epitomized what a family car looked like is nearing its end for an American car manufacturer. In an interview with Automotive News, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler, said that the company will no longer make its Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, as the vehicle will be retired in 2013.
Caravan discontinued to avoid duplication
Despite it being one of Dodge's most popular vehicle types for those buying a new car, Marchionne said Chrysler will end the minivan's production to avoid duplicating it with Chrysler's other brands, namely Chrysler, Jeep and Ram. A similar minivan is sold under the Chrysler brand name—the Town and Country—only a more upscale version.
"We cannot have the same type of vehicle in the showroom because the consumer is not stupid," Marchionne told Automotive News. "We're not going to create the confusion and conflict in the showroom."
With the retirement of the Dodge Caravan, the Chrysler Town and Country will be the automaker's only minivan offering. However, Marchionne said that the Caravan will be replaced by the Journey crossover, even though at present, its sales volume is roughly 50 percent of what the Caravan gets on an annual basis.
Ford, General Motors have already discontinued minivan production
As FoxNews.com documents, Chrysler is one of a few companies that still offers a minivan. Fellow American automotive manufacturers Ford and General Motors stopped selling their minivan models within the past few years, preferring to put their focus on crossover utility vehicles. This past year, there had been speculation that Ford would re-enter the minivan market. But the automaker put an end to the rumors in June, saying it would introduce a hatchback version of the minivan that was fuel efficient.
"Customers have really changed in the last 120 days," said James Farley, Ford's group vice president for global marketing to an assemblage of reporters this past summer. "People are so focused on fuel economy."
An automaker that's still very much in the minivan market is Nissan, as it recently announced that its 2012 Quest minivan is on sale nationwide. For a basic model, the manufacturer's suggested retail price is $27,750. Fully equipped, it runs $41,350.
Automotive experts credit Chrysler with creating the minivan model in 1984, with the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager serving as the company's first offerings.
