The oft-derided minivan is still here, but buyers have seemingly fewer and fewer choices as we transition to SUVs, with American buyers now only able to get the Chysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey, and Chrysler Voyager. Well, scratch that last one off the list, I guess: A new report says that for 2022, Voyager will be fleet-only.
That is according to Autoblog, which says that, if private buyers (you) want a Chrysler minivan, you’ll have to get a Pacifica, which starts at a price ($35,820) that is almost $8,000 more than Voyager. This is probably because Chrysler makes a lot more money on each new Pacifica sold compared to Voyager, but it is also a slight bummer, as the Voyager is now officially on a death watch. Chrysler is also only selling the 2022 Voyager in a single trim.
Called LX, it gains a 7.0-inch touchscreen that runs the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, second-row Stow ‘n Go seats, power-operated sliding doors, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel[.]
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The list of options now includes a package called Safety and Premium Group that bundles a blind-spot monitoring system, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path detection, full-speed forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen with navigation. However, upmarket features like leather upholstery and a 19-speaker Harman-Kardon surround-sound system are not offered.
It seems quite clear that Chrysler is aiming 2022 Voyagers at rental car companies and almost no one else, and really the writing was on the wall for the Voyager with its sixth-generation, when they made it a rebadged Pacifica with fewer features. Perhaps it is true that if the Voyager went away for good, no one would miss it, as brand loyalty in the minivan space isn’t nearly what it is in other segments. Still, I’d like to think also that there are some loud Chrysler Voyager partisans out there, too, like that one time last year when I found a rando Twitter account that was passionately devoted to the defense of modern Lincoln.