Press Kit: 2008 Chrysler and Dodge Minivans (Launch)

Auburn Hills, Mich. August 5, 2007 - Chrysler Group has been the innovator of safety and security features in the minivan segment for more than 23 years. Innovations including driver and front-passenger air bags, integrated child safety seats, a center, high-mounted brake light, a fourth door, a patented, energy-absorbing steering column and a power liftgate with obstacle detection all appeared first on Chrysler Group minivans. The 2008 Dodge and Chrysler minivans continue that legacy with features like a ParkView® Rear Back-up Camera.

“Minivans are the safest vehicle segment on the road today,” said Larry Lyons, Vice President – Chrysler Group Front-wheel-drive Product Team. “The 2008 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan carry on that tradition by offering abundant standard safety and security features so today’s families have peace of mind while traveling.”

The all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans are equipped with many standard safety and security items such as advanced, multistage driver and low-risk deployment passenger air bags; all-row supplemental side-curtain air bags with added rollover protection; driver and front-passenger knee blockers; Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with traction control and brake assist; a patented energy-absorbing steering column and three Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) child seat anchors.

The all-new minivans also have been designed with key structural enablers to help keep the passenger compartment intact in case of a crash. The engine box is designed to manage energy with the use of straight front-rail tips, nylon inserts in the rail kickdown, dual-phase 590 steel in the octagonal front inner and outer rail, a mid-dash cross member for added reinforcement and engine cradle attachment posts that help absorb energy. The new minivans also feature reinforced roof bows and high strength steel reinforcements in the sill, inner and middle B-pillar and D-pillar.

The minivan’s integrated restraint systems work in conjunction with the energy management features of the body structure and chassis to optimize occupant protection in the event of a crash. Standard passive safety features such as three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating positions, pretensioning and load-limiting retractors on the front seat belts, advanced multi-stage driver and front passenger low-risk deployment air bags, knee blockers for front seat occupants, an energy-absorbing steering column and supplemental all-row side-curtain air bags with added rollover protection all work together to offer occupants optimum protection in the event of an accident.

The driver and passenger seat belts offer automatic locking retractors and height-adjustable turning loops. Seat belt retractor pretensioners enhance occupant protection by managing occupant energy during an impact. The front passenger seat belt also includes a two-stage (digressive) load-limiting feature to enhance occupant protection for the same reason. The shoulder belt is anchored in the body sheet metal, while the lap belt is mounted to the seat for occupant comfort.

The Swivel ‘n Go™ quad seats feature an All Belts to Seat (ABTS) design that uses technology similar to that in the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. The lap and shoulder belts are mounted to the seat structure, allowing them to move with the seat. This design allows the seats to swivel or be removed without having to stow the belts.

The 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country use an advanced air bag system with multistage driver and low-risk deployment front-passenger air bags. This system provides output appropriate to the level of crash severity as determined by an Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and impact sensors at the front of the vehicle. The first-stage inflator is triggered immediately during an impact that requires air bag deployment.

The ORC includes a rollover sensor to deploy the side-curtain air bags in the event of certain rollover events. Based on the sensor signals, a central electronic ORC deploys the front air bags, side air bag curtains and front-seat belt pretensioners as required for each type of impact. The ORC contains a backup power supply system that deploys the air bags even if the battery loses power or becomes disconnected prior to deployment.

Two impact sensors located on the front body structure in the crush zone aid the ORC in determining the appropriate response to frontal impacts.

Three sensors on each side of the vehicle, one for each row of seats, trigger supplemental all-row side-curtain air bag deployment in the event of a side impact or rollover. This ensures that the side curtain deploys regardless of where along the length of the passenger compartment the impact occurs.

A total of three LATCH child seat anchors are located in the second- and third-row seats. The second-row bench seat includes two LATCH anchors that allow the installation of two child seats. Each Stow ‘n Go® and Swivel ‘n Go™ second-row seat has LATCH anchors. The third-row bench seat also includes one LATCH anchor.

A remote start option is a new feature for the 2008 Chrysler Group minivans. The remote start system starts the engine and leaves it running in the remote start mode for as long as 15 minutes and has a range of 328 feet. The park lamps illuminate to indicate the engine is running in the remote start mode. The remote start system operates at a band frequency of 434 MHz in North America, which avoids interference from military installations and commercial garage door openers.

The new minivans also feature an Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS). This system switches on the interior lamps, unlocks the doors, turns on the hazard-flasher exterior lamps and turns the engine off by cutting off fuel in the event an impact causes air bag deployment. Other safety and security features include a rearview interior conversation mirror; power-adjustable pedals; remote, keyless, illuminated entry; power sliding passenger doors; power liftgate; tire pressure monitoring system; ParkSense® rear back-up assist system and ParkView® rear back-up camera.

The minivan’s ParkSense rear back-up assist system helps at low speeds in reverse to detect stationary objects through visible (interior lights seen with the rearview mirror) and audible warnings for the driver.

The ParkView rear back-up camera provides minivan drivers a wide-angle view of the area immediately behind the vehicle. An image automatically displays in the navigation screen when the transaxle is shifted into reverse.