Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is resurrecting the Voyager nameplate for a lower-priced version of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica that targets entry-level buyers, but the vehicle won’t initially be available in Canada.
The Plymouth Voyager, one of two minivans, along with the Dodge Caravan, was launched by Chrysler in the 1984 model year, creating one of the industry's most successful product segments. They are both built at the automaker’s assembly plant in Windsor, Ont.
The Voyager nameplate was transferred to the Chrysler brand when Plymouth was discontinued, and dropped altogether in 2003.
Though U.S. pricing was not released, FCA said Thursday the 2020 Chrysler Voyager is aimed at budget-conscious families and fleet customers.
FCA spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin told Automotive News Canada that the vehicle will be assembled alongside the Pacifica in Windsor, but won’t initially be available for sale in Canada.
“It will eventually be available,” she said. “But the Dodge Grand Caravan will be available in 2020.
“We’ve always said the Grand Caravan will be the minivan that eventually goes away.”
In the United States, the Chrysler Voyager replaces the Pacifica L and LX models and will be offered in three trim lines: L, LX and LXi. The LXi will be sold only to fleet customers.
The 2019 Pacifica in the United States has a base price of US$28,730, including US$1,495 for shipping.
FCA also will continue selling the Dodge Grand Caravan in the United States in 2020, company officials said.
The automaker has sold more than 14.6 million minivans globally since 1983, though the segment continues to shrink, with U.S. deliveries down 17 per cent this year through May.
Meanwhile, Grand Caravan sales are down 28 per cent to 13,199 units in Canada through May. Pacifica sales are off 55 per cent, to just 1,617 units through the same five months.
FCA said the Chrysler Voyager minivan will be equipped with a 287-hp V-6 gasoline engine and nine-speed automatic transmission. Other standard features will include seven-passenger seating and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
