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2020 Chrysler Voyager priced at $28,480

CarsDirect got eyes on early order guides for the 2020 Chrysler Voyager, revealing the minivan's MSRP in base L trim as $26,985 before a $1,495 destination charge, for a total of $28,480. The only other trim available to the public, the Voyager LX, rings up at $31,290. That means that not only will the Voyager L and LX replace the Pacifica L and LX trims, the Voyager will start out $250 cheaper than the 2019 Pacifica models before incentives. The Voyager LXi, reserved for fleet customers, charges $34,490, which is $500 less than the Pacifica Touring trim. The figures make the Voyager L $215 less expensive than the Kia Sedona, $3,205 less than the Honda Odyssey, and $4,430 less than the Toyota Sienna. The closest price competitor sits on the other side of the dealership, that being the Dodge Grand Caravan SE priced just $65 above the Voyager L. With Chrysler becoming the people-mover brand, many expect the Voyager to replace the hoary Grand Caravan, so buyers shouldn't need to suffer analysis paralysis for too long. We still aren't sure why Chrysler needed to create a new model to replace trim levels, but perhaps it was to break buyer perception that the Grand Caravan was the first and last stop for an inexpensive minivan. Transaction prices are so high on Pacificas — and frankly, the Pacifica looks so nice — that casual shoppers might have thought why bother investigating the Chrysler. Chrysler worked to keep things financially frugal on the Voyager by omitting splashier options from the menu. Infotainment begins and ends with the seven-inch Uconnect touchscreen, the larger 8.4-inch screen forbidden. Driver assistance tech will be limited to the cost-extra rear park assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic detection; items like adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking aren't offered. And only the fleet model gets ritzy treats like leatherette seats, second-row Stow 'n Go chairs, and remote start. The LX only goes so far as second-row quad seats and in-floor storage bins. Yet with the same sheetmetal and the same 287-horsepower Pentastar V6 and nine-speed transmission under the hood, only the black door handles and badging will give Voyager owners away, and they can always buy one in black to help the illusion along.

Ford Mustang was almost 'Imported from Detroit'

The Ford Mustang achieved iconic status nearly the moment the sheet came off at the 1964 World's Fair. And if Henry Ford II wasn't getting divorced around that time, the pony car might have been called the Torino and been marketed as 'Imported from Detroit,' according to Automotive News. We'll explain. During research for the new book Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story, author David Maraniss found an interesting connection between Chrysler's (now FCA US) slogan and the Ford Mustang. Before the pony car even had a name, the Blue Oval's advertising agency had the idea to market it as a "brand new import ... from Detroit," according to Automotive News. The vehicle would be sold as "inspired by Italy's great road cars, but straight from Detroit." The name Torino was suggested, as well. However, the real world interfered in making the Mustang Detroit's first import. According to the author, Henry Ford II was getting a divorce, and his future wife was Italian. It was therefore thought to be a bad idea to sell the future pony car as being from Italy. Things clearly changed by the time the Torino hit the streets years later. Related Video:

Catching up with Chrysler's EV catch-up plan

At your home or office? Those are the key words for how Chrysler and its Fiat affiliate want to narrow the plug-in vehicle sales gap between themselves and more plug-in-centric companies like Nissan and Ford, according Wards Auto. When the gap will narrow is anyone's guess. The US automaker, long a laggard in electric-powertrain development, is working on an wireless, inductive charging system with Qualcomm and which could spur sales of plug-in vehicles for personal use. A wireless system would allow for hands-free charging for vehicles like the Fiat 500e, the company's only plug-in vehicle being sold to the public in the US as well as a plug-in hybrid minivan that's in the works for 2016. On the business front, Chrysler is working with nonprofit NextEnergy on developing a reverse-power-flow system. That would allow for fleet-owning businesses to draw power from their plug-in vehicles' batteries during mid-day peak-energy times, when electricity rates are highest. Chrysler and NextEnergy ran a one-month test of a reverse-power-flow system with four Fiat 500e vehicles last year, and the companies found that they could cut power usage enough to save $1,200. Chrysler extrapolated those numbers to estimate that such a system with just a dozen plug-in vehicles could save a company as much as $27,000 a year. Get more details over at Wards Auto. Featured Gallery 2013 Fiat 500e: Review View 40 Photos News Source: Wards Auto Green Chrysler Fiat Technology Emerging Technologies Electric wireless charging inductive charging inductive