It's what's inside that counts  by Brian Chee

Chrysler Minivan Interior Preview – 2007 Detroit Auto Show: So what’s wrong with driving a mom mobile, anyway? Sure, they may not offer up the sexiest style on the road, but substance does last longer than style – and ultimately is more appreciated. Consider: five years from now when you walk out of your front door, that minivan in the driveway has to get the job done from the inside out, no matter how boring it looks to the rest of the world. To that end, the Chrysler Group is betting that the innovation inside their new minivans will be enough to keep the 800,000 US minivan buyers from jumping over to Honda, Toyota or Kia.

Up to now, Chrysler minivans mattered mostly to vacationers, out of town business folk and other purveyors of the rental car lots. Even with Stow ‘n Go, the innovative seat storage solution that debuted in the Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town and Country a few years ago, retail sales declined and fleet sales went up. Dodge has plans to change that with its latest spate of minivan interior innovations. As with the Town and Country, the Grand Caravan offers swiveling mid-row chairs, a table, a five-way configurable center console and a power, one-touch third row seat. The only thing left to do is take the seats out and put in a dance floor.

Nothing sets the mood in a minivan like greenish-blue ambient lighting, and the Chrysler minivans have got it oozing out of the center ceiling unit. It’s soft, it’s romantic, it’s…wait a minute…romantic? In a minivan? It will also help kids get sleepy, too, and when that happens you can use the pinpoint and movable LED reading lamps.

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