The Dodge Grand Caravan is Dead!

2014 Dodge Caravan (Credit: © Dodge)

The rumors have been floating around for some time, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has finally confirmed that the Dodge Grand Caravan will end production. The iconic minivan model will be survived by its close sibling, the incredibly similar but dressier Chrysler Town & Country, which will carry on the company’s tradition of hauling around kids to soccer practice and involuntary trips to the grocery store.

The Grand Caravan is a victim of sweeping changes within Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which announced that the Dodge brand will be focused solely on producing performance-oriented vehicles. Anyone who has driven the Grand Caravan recently can attest there is very little in the way of performance when it comes to the minivan. Apparently, turbocharging and lowering the model to keep it in line with the future face of the Dodge brand was also out of the question, despite the popularity of such modifications in certain parts of the country.

As part of the shift, the SRT brand has been moved to Dodge, which means the Viper is a Dodge model once more. Of course, some people never stopped calling it the Dodge Viper, so the move likely will confuse absolutely no one. The Dodge Avenger is a goner along with the Grand Caravan since the lackluster sedan doesn’t quite fit the future plans. A new D-segment crossover that is yet to be named is in the works, but sources say it likely will be the next generation of the Journey and will possibly use the same platform as the new Jeep Cherokee.

With SRT in the fold, expect the performance levels inside Dodge to jump dramatically. The brand will be launching Charger and Challenger SRT models with the Hellcat engines, and a turbo Dart is in the works.