Although it’s true that the Grand Dodge Caravan as we know it will be spun from this mortal coil in 2016, the venerable Caravan moniker may live on. Near the conclusion of the recent Fiat Chrysler Automobile Investor Day 2014, CEO and random-quote-generating superhero Sergio Marchionne piqued the interest of the crowd with this tidbit: “I never said the Caravan nameplate was going away.” When pressed if the name might be utilized for a lower-trim-level Chrysler Town and Country or rebadged passenger version of the freshly baked-for-2015 Fiat Doblo or 2016 Fiorino, Marchionne simply stated, “I think you’ll be pleased with the decision.”
As a company whose naming strategy for current models leans heavily on storied nameplates from its glory days, abandoning the Caravan nameplate seems highly unlikely. Although it might not carry the same weight as say, “Charger,” “Town and Country,” or even “Dart,” there is still a generation or two of buyers for who the name Caravan is nearly synonymous with the minivan.
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We’re leaning towards the theory that the name will be applied to either the new Dodge Journey D-segment replacement, which is scheduled for 2016—an SRT version is scheduled for early 2017—or the new Chrysler three-row crossover also due in 2017. Although it makes sense to keep it under the Dodge banner, “Chrysler Caravan” rolls off the tongue pretty darn effortlessly.
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