Test drive Chrysler Voyager 2000 - 2003
Twenty years later
This year it will turn exactly twenty years since the birth of a new class of minivans cars. Moreover, such cars appeared almost simultaneously, with gaps of several months, in different parts of the world: Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager, Mitsubishi Space Wagon in Japan and Renault Espace in France. Of course, the experts in history will recall the Fiat Multipla, similar to the layout of the fifties or even Rumpler of the twenties, but, without any doubt, outstanding cars clearly ahead of their time and therefore were not appreciated. Either the point is practical eighties with their desire to effective use of living space, to the maximum of comfort within the limited limits of the car body! In the United States, where there are almost the norm in the family, and the passion for traveling on wheels is absorbed with mother’s milk, the Kraisler invention was accepted with a bang. The press awarded him a car of the 1983/84 season, and sales quickly reached six -digit indicators. It is not surprising that the term minivan is pure Americanism, since the rest of the world tried all the charms of a new concept only a few years later.
According to branded chronology, the current Voyager belongs to the fourth generation. Although there were only two real generations: in 1990, the original minivan was subjected to faslifting, and the current model is the result of a deep modernization of the 1995 model. During this time, Chrysler Voyager has become almost an independent brand known in different parts of the planet. Just think about it: the American car diverges in Europe fifty thousand copies every year! And in developing countries, about 10,000 cars are sold annually! In the photographs, you see a demo car in a European, of course, specifications and European assembly. Today, Voyager and its elongated version of the Grand Voyager are produced in the Austrian grace at the Steyr-Daimler-Puch, from which several models of the Daimlerchrysler concern, including no less cult Mercedes-Benz G-class, go. As befits a demo-car, the car is packed from and to. There is not enough all -wheel drive transmission, raising the price of 3300 euros.
The car is very pretty and folded, despite its immodest sizes and an elongated base. Appearing in 2000, at the junction of bio- and techno-epics in design, Voyager IV (sounds just like the name of the spacecraft) combined the features of both directions. The plastic of the body and its basic elements is still replete with roundness, but it already has expressive sweeping lines. An impressive grille of a radiator with a chrome edging, relief ribs on the bottom of the doors are true signs of a new time. Apparently, the fifth Voyager will be even evil.
Inside, Mother-American spread in all its glory: the sea of \u200b\u200blight skin, the shores of rude plastic. Home-type imposing seats, green electronic numbers sticking out from under the steering wheel of a poker of a machine gun and, as a result, zero doubts about the national affiliation of the car. But this is not at all an impersonal-ineffacute Yankee type, common among the products of the overseas auto industry. Voyager has its own style and pleases with functionality. It turns out that plain plastic is plastic with the cold name of Metalocene, which helps to soften a person’s blow to interior details in the event of an accident. The dashboard is well familiar with Chrysler cars: white dials in chrome, a sea wave. It looks five points! And it reads no worse. The steering wheel, as is adopted today, is dotted with buttons, but the control keys of the audio system are transferred to its back, directly under the fingertips. The solution is simple and ingenious! And the sound quality of music, including ten Infinity speakers, will allow you to pass by audio/video studios without remorse. The list of options includes the Rear Seat Video multimedia system with a 7-inch monitor and a DVD player installed on the second row of seats.
We scold the confused control of the CD-reiver and praise a three-zone climatic installation, capable of maintaining various temperature modes for the driver, his neighbor and rear passengers. On the front on the ceiling is the on -board computer display and the electric drive buttons of the shift side doors and the luggage lid. When Grand Voyager, like a transport aircraft, opens its womb without any person participation, this is impressive. Yes, and conveniently damn. Drag the bags, open the trunk from the key fob. In general, everything is electrified here, up to the driver's seat and rear side windows.
Between the front seats, boxing with many compartments and a lid closing on the castle rises. The trick is that it can be rearranged from the first row to the second. It is easy to do this, because in the middle row two separate chairs are also installed. But the rear triple seat is whole; However, the minivan salon can be modeling as you like, arranging all these chairs are at their discretion. Or removing them from the car. As a result, you can get an impressive five cubic meters of useful space. In this regard, a photograph from an advertising booklet is especially convincing, where Chopper Harley-Davidson is placed in Grand Voyager. In principle, the minivan should respond to the loading of the multi -liter engine and the system of maintaining the road clearance. In order to soberly evaluate the running qualities of the machine, it is necessary to imagine why Grand Voyager, a great traveler, was created. To get out of the city to the freedom of Hyveya and unnoticed for passengers to swallow several hundred kilometers, this is his task. And he performs it with brilliance. Soft acceleration, soft braking, excellent comfort of the chassis and excellent sound insulation. What else does? Both straight and gentle turns, the car holds remarkably, and the steering with low sensitivity at high speeds is a good help. Of the features of the machine, I will note a very long gas pedal, but it is it that makes it possible to precisely dose traction to the nuances and control the work of the gearbox, clearly feeling the threshold of the operation of the kick downs.
In the city line, Grand Voyager as a whale in shallow water. You can move, but with an eye on the sides. And do not try to force this minivan to the assertive ride: all its advantages, sung above, instantly turn out to be shortcomings. Why chase negative emotions where you can get only positive?
The car was provided by CJSC Daimlerrukler Car RUS.
Text: Leonid Klyuyev
Photo: Roman Ostanin
Source: Wheel magazine [No. 68/2003]
