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The Grand Caravan, at least the name, isn't dead yet in Canada

Last week we got Stellantis. This week, we’re learning that the Grand Caravan name isnÂ’t actually dead. ItÂ’s just moved to Canada. Allow us to explain. The Dodge Grand Caravan is well and truly gone. However, FCA has decided the name is too good not to use. Therefore, FCA Canada just announced that Canadians will get the Chrysler Grand Caravan for the 2021 model year. One look at the photos will tell you most everything you need to know about the van. ItÂ’s a rebadged Chrysler Voyager, which itself is a budget Chrysler Pacifica by a different name. Basically, the U.S. gets the Voyager, and Canada gets the Grand Caravan. “WeÂ’re incredibly proud to maintain the ‘Grand CaravanÂ’ nameplate exclusively in the Canadian marketplace,” said David Buckingham, President and CEO, FCA Canada. “Particularly here in Canada, that name has become synonymous with affordable, safe and innovative family transportation that the 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan builds upon.” Now that the Voyager and Caravan are the same again, the next logical step would be to bring back Plymouth, right? Rebadged Plymouth Hellcats wouldnÂ’t bother us. Just Â… you know, an idea. Canadian customers will have the choice of two trims for the Grand Caravan: Base and SXT. Similar to the U.S., upper trim levels of the van will be called Pacifica. The two will be sold alongside each other at Chrysler dealerships. Photos of the Pacifica with the Grand Caravan badge already have us a little weirded out, but now youÂ’ll know whatÂ’s going on during your next trip up north when you see a Chrysler Grand Caravan roll by. Related video:

Takata air bag recall list

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed yesterday that 33.8 million vehicles with Takata airbags are going to be recalled. It's the largest recall in automotive history. The already record-breaking rate of automotive recalls this year shows no signs of slowing down, especially since millions of cars with defective airbags made by global supplier Takata are under ongoing scrutiny. The federal government is warning owners that inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed. The faulty air bags have already been blamed for multiple deaths. How do you know if your vehicle is safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released an updated list of vehicles under recall. Sometimes however, the government's website will crash and the list may not be complete. Check your VIN at the NHTSA website to make sure. The list of cars affected by the recall has not been released, but seem to span multiple models over the years for many of the automakers.

Ralph Gilles shares how he imagined a modern-day Dodge Rampage in 1995

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) design boss Ralph Gilles kicked off the company's 24-hour Design Sketch Battle by sharing an image of a mini-truck he drew in 1995. Called Tomahawk GTR, it never reached production. Gilles sketched the Tomahawk GTR when he was about 25 years old. He was a designer at the time, he wasn't promoted to a managerial position until 1998, and his obsession with performance already permeated the cars he drew. The Tomahawk GTR takes the form of a two-door, two-seater pickup with a muscular-looking front end, pronounced wheel arches, and a sizable spoiler over the cargo box. The wheels look almost Porsche-like. "I guess I was dreaming up a modern-day Rampage back then. This must be what happens when a want-to-be racer draws a truck," he wrote on his Instagram page, referencing the small, unibody pickup Dodge made from 1982 to 1984. His sketch moved the company's then-current design language in a sportier direction. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Dodge hasn't released a successor to the Rampage yet, at least not in the United States. The Fiat-based 700 that sister company Ram sells in Mexico is the closest thing available in 2020, but there's no indication it will be sold in America anytime soon. The firm used the Tomahawk name on a Viper-powered motorcycle concept introduced in 2003, and it dusted it off again for an SRT design study created in 2015 for Gran Turismo.  We may see a Rampage for the 2020s emerge from the Design Sketch Battle. The photo accompanying FCA's announcement depicted a Dodge Challenger Hellcat turned into a pickup and fitted with a front end borrowed from a Ram 1500. The contest's winners will be announced on Instagram today.  Instagram has recently turned into a window through which enthusiasts can peek into Gilles' mind. He published a futuristic-looking sketch in March 2020 that poked fun at the Charger and Challenger owners who leave the yellow protective stripes on their car while potentially shedding light on Dodge's next design language. Design/Style Dodge Truck