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Chrysler Town & Country (minivan)

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Chrysler Town & Country
Manufacturer: Chrysler Corporation
DaimlerChrysler
Class: Minivan
Drivetrain: FF
AWD
Production: 1990-present
Transmission: 4 and 5-speed automatic
5-speed manual (Other markets only)
First Generation
1990 Chrysler Town and Country
Production: 1990
Body Style: 3-door minivan
Platform: Chrysler S platform
Engines: Mitsubishi 6G72 V6
Chrysler V6, 141 hp
Similar: Plymouth Voyager
Dodge Caravan
Second Generation
1994 Chrysler Town & Country
Production: 1991—1995
Body Styles: 3-door minivan
Platform: Chrysler AS platform
Engines: K-family I4, 96 hp
Mitsubishi 6G72 V6
Chrysler V6, 141 hp
Similar: Plymouth Voyager
Dodge Caravan
Third Generation
1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
Production: 1996—2000
Body Styles: 3/4-door minivan
Platform: Chrysler NS platform
Engines: Neon I4
Chrysler V6
Similar: Plymouth Voyager
Chrysler Voyager
Dodge Caravan
Fourth Generation
2004 Chrysler Town & Country
Production: 2001—2007
Body Style: 4-door minivan
Platform: Chrysler RS platform
Engines: Chrysler V6
Neon I4
Similar: Chrysler Voyager
Dodge Grand Caravan
Chrysler Pacifica
This article is part of the Chrysler automobile series.

This article is about the minivan. To see the article about other cars named the Town and Country, see Chrysler Town and Country (pre-1990).

The Chrysler Town and Country is a minivan marketed by DaimlerChrysler. The Town and Country was introduced in 1990, while its sister vehicles, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, had already been in production since the 1984 model year. Chrysler's success of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager pursued the company to produce one of the ever-first luxury minivans, and GM was in hot pursuit by releasing the Oldsmobile Silhouette. But they arrived at dealerships the same time, which was in 1990.

Since their introduction, the Chrysler minivans have been the best-selling minivans in the United States.

Overview

The Town and Country was introduced in 1990. Before the introduction of the 1990 Chrysler Town & Country, the name had been used on several Chrysler vehicles from 1941 to 1988.

Since the beginning of production in the fall of 1983, over 11 million Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth minivans have been sold as of mid-2005.

Special anniversary editions of the Chrysler minivans have been issued to mark significant milestones; the first, in 1994, is notable for the "10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION". The twentieth anniversary was marked in 2004 with the Platinum Series Town & Country.

1990

The Town and Country was introduced in 1990 as a companion to the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan; it was essentially a more luxurious version of the Plymouth Grand Voyager. The first Town and Country minivan used the Chrysler S platform, which was closely related to the K-cars (Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries). A three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission was standard, with an optional electronically-controlled four-speed automatic.

Engines

1991-1995

The 1991 through 1995 Town and Country's used the Chrysler AS platform. These were the last Town and Country's that were derived from the Chrysler K platform.

Innovations

  • "Quad Command" bucket seating (1991), made standard on Town and Country (1992)
  • Integrated child safety seats (1992), improved design with recliners (1994)
  • Available anti-lock brakes (1991)
  • First driver's side airbag in a minivan (1991), made standard (1992), and first dual front airbags (1994)
  • First minivan to meet 1998 U.S. federal safety standards (1994)

Engines

  • 1991–1995 3.3 L Chrysler V6, 150 hp (112 kW) 1991-93, 162 hp (121 kW) 1994-95
  • 1991–1995 3.0 L Mitsubishi 6G72 V6, 141 hp (105 kW)
  • 1991–1995 3.8 L Chrysler V6, 162 hp (121 kW)

Year-to-year changes

  • 1992: A driver's side airbag was standard and child safety seats became optional. For the first time, an all wheel drive version went on sale. The Town and Country could also be ordered without the fake woodgrain bodyside graphics. Lacy-spoke, gold-colored alloy wheels joined the option list.
  • 1993: Except for newly designed wheels, a stainless steel exhaust system, and a few interior revisions, the Town and Country carried on unchanged.
  • 1994: A 3.8 L V6 engine was made standard in the Town & Country for 1994, and all vans were given a passenger's side airbag and knee bolsters. Side door guard beams were installed this year, so the minivans met 1998 federal side-impact standards.
  • 1995: To prevent accidental opening of the liftgate, the fob for the standard remote keyless entry had to be pressed twice within five seconds.

1996-2000

The 1996 redesign used the Chrysler NS platform and included a driver's-side sliding door, a first. The Town & Country was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1996 and 1997.

Base models of both the Town and Country were offered in most states with either a 2.4 L four-cylinder or a 3.0L Mitsubishi-built V6 engine, except in California and several northeastern states, where the Mitsubishi V6 didn't meet emissions standards. In those locales, the 3.3 L engine was offered as the V6 option from 1997 through 2000. The manual transmission, never popular, was dropped. The 2.4 L four-cylinder engine produced more power than the Mitsubishi 3.0 L had in the first two generations.

Engines

  • 1996–1999 2.4 L Neon I4, 150 hp (112 kW) and 167 ft·lbf (226 N·m)
  • 1996–2000 3.3 L Chrysler V6, 158 hp (118 kW) and 203 ft·lbf (275 N·m)
  • 1997–2000 3.0 L V6
  • 1997–1998 3.8 L Chrysler V6, 166 hp (124 kW)
  • 1999–2000 3.8 L Chrysler V6, 180 hp (134 kW)

Year-to-Year Changes

  • 1997: Permanent all-wheel drive arrived as an option for 1997 on long-wheelbase minivans, and all wheel drive models got 4-wheel disc brakes. Front wheel drive minivans gained a new traction control system, which worked at low speeds to prevent wheel slippage. All 1997 models got the extra driver's side sliding door. The lineup now included a short-wheelbase SX model and two long wheelbase models: the LX and LXi. The 3.8 L engine was standard on the LXi and optional on the SX and LX.
  • 1998: The Town & Country got a new look with an open grille and winged emblem for 1998. The new front fascia also featured new headlights that offered better illumination. Also, the 3.8 L V6 gained 14 hp for a total of 180 hp. Another model, the top-of-the-line Limited, was also available for 1998.
  • 1999: The middle bench seat was dropped for 1999, and a child seat was now available in one of the two reclining middle-row buckets. Other additions included a small cargo net between the front seats and 16 in chrome alloy wheels on the Limited.
  • 2000: The short wheelbase minivans were dropped for 2000, leaving only extended wheelbase models, along with new interior and exterior colors. All models seated seven and had sliding doors on both sides. A new Rear Seat Video entertainment system, with a VCR and 6.4 in display screen, was available as a dealer-installed option.

2001 to present

The 2001 minivans used the Chrysler RS platform. The Plymouth Voyager and Grand Voyager had been transferred to the Chrysler lineup in mid-2000, and for 2001, the Chrysler Voyager was available as a short-wheelbase model only. Since 2004, a short-wheelbase version of the Town & Country has been offered as compensation for the Voyager. Foldable Stow 'n Go second- and third-row seats, available only on long-wheelbase Town & Country models, were a first for 2005 along with a host of other updates such as new larger head lights.

The Mitsubishi-built 3.0 L V6, which no longer met emissions standards in California and the northeastern U.S, was dropped from the engine lineup for 2001.

Engines

  • 2001-present 3.3 L Chrysler V6, 180 hp (134 kW) at 5000 rpm and 210 ft·lbf (285 N·m) at 4000 rpm
  • 2001-present 3.8 L Chrysler V6, 215 hp (160 kW) at 5000 rpm and 245 ft·lbf (332 N·m) at 4000 rpm
  • 2002-present 2.4 L Neon I4, 150 hp (112 kW) at 5400 rpm and 165 ft·lbf (224 N·m) at 4000 rpm (Caravan SE only)

2008

The minivans are expected to be redesigned in 2007 as 2008 models by Ralph Gilles, who also worked on the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum. A six-speed automatic and a new 4.0 L V6 engine are all but certain to appear, while a diaper changing station is rumored. Chrysler has finalized a deal through which Volkswagen will receive a variant of the Chrysler RT platform van with its own styling and features. It is expected to be produced at Saint Louis Assembly alongside the Dodge and Chrysler vans.

Minivan production

Chrysler Town & Country minivans with Stow 'n Go seats are built in Windsor, Ontario, Canada at Windsor Assembly (WAP Plant 3) by members of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444. Two plants have had the task of building the Town & Country, with St. Louis building it from 1990 to 2001, and Windsor from 2001 to the present. As of September 2005, no announcement has been made as to which plant will have the distinction of being the lead plant in building the 2008 model, codenamed the RT.

Taiwanese-market Town & Country minivans are assembled in Yangmei, Taiwan under license by the China Motor Corporation, starting with the 2006 model year. They are similar to the North American model, with minor variations for the local market. Many other global markets receive the Chrysler Voyager/Grand Voyager assembled in Austria.

The Town & Country is also marketed in Mexico and Venezuela. Chrysler markets the Chrysler Caravan in Argentina.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chrysler Town and Country.

References

  • "Generations: Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth Minivans". Edmunds.com. Retrieved January 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • http://www.auto.consumerguide.com :Chrysler Town and Country
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