There’s no replacement planned for the Dodge Grand Caravan, but Chrysler has confirmed the introduction of a new Town & Country for 2016 and these are the first photos of an early test mule.
There’s not much we can say about the appearance of the engineering prototype, because besides the plastic wraps, it appears to be wearing bits and pieces from various other Chrysler Group models, including a Dodge-sourced steering wheel and instrument cluster, and Chrysler 200-style headlamps.
It does look to be similar in size to the current model, as evidenced in one of the scoop photos where it stands next to a current generation Dodge Grand Caravan, though it does feature a more slopping roofline.
Previously, Chrysler had shown a 700C concept to gauge interest from customers for a less traditionally styled minivan. While there is a possibility that the Detroit firm may use the name for the Town & Country’s replacement, it remains unknown if any of the design cues will be applied to the new model.
There’s a lot of speculation about the minivan’s chassis as well, with some sources claiming that Chrysler will reutilize the current model’s chassis upgraded with newer and lighter components, and others stating that it will share a brand new architecture with upcoming crossovers from Chrysler and Dodge.
From Chrysler’s most recent product plan, we know for sure that the new Town & Country will offer a plug-in hybrid variant (PHEV), but were are in the dark on whether it will use a turbocharged four or a V6 engine. The firm’s new nine-speed automatic will most likely be the only transmission available, but we could see Chrysler adding the option of AWD.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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