Pentastar Minivan Production Slows

     Automotive News (subscription required) has announced that Chrysler's Windsor Ontario plant will be running half time for the next week in order to align supply more with demand for the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan that are made there. Apparently, Town & Country sales are down 1% from last year, and the Grand Caravan's sales are down 26%. The Windsor plant also makes the Routan for Volkswagen, which reportedly has not built any for 2013, due to a surplus of 2012 models. The Chrysler/Dodge siblings are scheduled to soldier on through the 2014 model year, after a recent refresh, ​at which point it is reported that only one will carry on, the other being replaced by a crossover vehicle, possibly on the same platform.

     In my opinion, the Town & Country should carry on as a minivan, and the Grand Caravan should be morphed into a larger version of the Dodge Journey, but we will have to wait and see...​

     p.s. Volkswagen, please send us the next Transporter!!!​