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25/08/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Chrysler's Grand Voyager was one of the early runners in the people mover market and remains a major player in its home market in the USA today. While a relative newcomer in Australia, only dating back to 1997, it has won plenty of admirers in this country. While they realise the Grand Voyager is far from being the lowest cost vehicle, buyers who like minivans in the American style swear by them.
In particular they love the easy going nature of the big V6 petrol engines and the comfortable ride that’s aimed at running on the American interstate freeways.
The latest-generation Grand Voyager was introduced in April 2008 and we have just spent a week living with one, carting kids, going shopping, cruising on the weekend and carrying out all sorts of routine motoring acts all in the name of a road test.
Our Voyager was fitted with a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine designed by Mercedes-Benz and installed in the Chrysler before the two companies split up. The engine is a relatively old unit, though it has been freshened over the years, it wasn’t as smooth and quiet as most of the latest turbo-diesel units. It’s certainly far from being noisy, it’s just that we have become accustomed to diesels that are virtually indistinguishable from petrols under most operating conditions.
But the Grand Voyager turbo-diesel focuses on economy, which is why you buy a diesel in the first place. Keeping in mind that we were carrying up to seven people at times, the motorway fuel consumption of just eight to nine litres per hundred kilometres was pretty impressive. Certainly substantially lower than that of a petrol model. Even around town it was unusual to see the diesel consuming in excess of 11 litres per hundred, making it a money saver for the cash-strapped family.
However, the current spike in the price of diesel compared with petrol should be taken into account before making your purchasing decision.
Performance, once the inevitable turbo lag has been overcome, is pretty good and the Grand Voyager’s engine gets away smartly from the lights, as well as having the punch needed to overtake in a minimum distance to enhance family safety.
The real beauty of the latest Grand Voyager is on the inside. Because there's lots of inside; the latest Grand Voyager has been expanded in length, wheelbase and width to give it more leg-, shoulder- and hip-room. Clever engineering means that while it has been lowered slightly, interior height has been maintained by using a form-fitting ceiling. The reduction in height is there to improve stability as well as to give a sleeker, more aerodynamic move through the air.
 Our Grand came with the extremely clever, Stow ‘n’ Go seating system. All seats behind the driver’s area can be quickly folded down to give a flat floor that gives what is virtually a van interior capable of carrying a surprising amount of bulky gear. When these seats are in use the areas from which they have been unfolded can be used to stow a substantial amount of small and mid-sized items.
Chrysler's impressive MyGig system with its inbuilt 20 Gb hard disc for storing music and photos was installed in our test vehicle. There are also input jacks for iPods and other MP3 players. There are DVD screens that can show movies and be connected to Playstations as well as Xboxes.
Ally these with cordless headphones and the kids may not want you to get to the of the journey too quickly. How good is that!
Grand Voyager is set up for safety, with multiple airbags, including side-curtain units that protect all three rows of seats. A reversing camera lets you keep an eye out for the kiddies, as well as items they may have dumped in your driveway.
New Grand Voyager proved to be smooth and comfortable to ride in, with handling that’s safe and predictable. Noise and vibration are generally kept under control, though the turbo-diesel engine doesn’t have the refined feel you get with the petrol engine.
Ergonomics aren't as good as in the typical European or Asian people mover. Which may come as a surprise to Aussies, but it seems that a good feel and controls that are intuitive to reach and operate is of less importance to Americans than it is to us.
The sheer size of the Chrysler can be a hassle in tight parking areas but that size is needed to get the very spacious interior, so is more than acceptable. And the aforementioned reversing camera certainly makes life simpler in parking stations.
Whether you have large family in your own right, or a blended family – a combination of children from two different previous marriages – the big Chrysler Grand Voyager will move them in style and comfort. The diesel variant is certainly work consideration as it trims not only the fuel use, but also puts out fewer emissions.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Grand Voyager LX V6 3.8-litre petrol: $56,990 (automatic)
Grand Voyager LX CRD 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $59,990 (automatic)
Grand Voyager Touring V6 3.8-litre petrol: $62,990 (automatic)
Grand Voyager Touring CRD 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $65,990 (automatic)
Grand Voyager Limited V6 3.8-litre petrol: $72,990 (automatic)
Grand Voyager Limited CRD 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: $75,990 (automatic)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.768 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 17.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 94.0 mm x 100.0 mm
Maximum Power: 120 kW @ 3800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 360 Nm @ 1600-3000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: N/A
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5143 mm
Wheelbase: 3078 mm
Width: 1954 mm
Height: 1750 mm
Turning Circle: 11.9 metres
Kerb Mass: 2100 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 75 litres
Towing Ability: 1600 kg with braked trailer
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent MacPherson strut, coil springs, gas charged shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Twist-beam axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: N/A
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 9.3 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km |
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