Although the Dodge Dart was Chrysler Group’s big news at this year’s North American International Auto Show, there was also another rather unique vehicle on display, the 700 C.

A concept minivan, little information was available on it at the show. All we could get from Chrysler was that the 700C is “a styling exercise, designed to gauge public reaction.”

When Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne toured the Windsor assembly plant which builds the current Dodge Grand Caravan and Town & Country models, he talked about “big plans for the future,” though declined to reveal much more.

With minivan sales still a staple part of the Chrysler’s business in North America, yet the segment for the most part suffering from a lack of new investment, perhaps the time has come to reinvent the concept of what a minivan should be.

And if the Chrysler 700C concept is any indication, that might just result in the most exciting people mover seen in more than a quarter of a century.

GALLERY: Chrysler 700C

With a new look, a new engine, a much improved interior and better ride quality you’d think the folks at Chrysler would be pleased with their new Dodge Grand Caravan? After all, it has even been met with much-improved comments from the automotive media.

It may have started the entire minivan segment, but Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne apparently cares little for history, deciding instead to axe the family hauler from the Chrysler brand lineup some time in 2013. According to a report by Automotive News the van will be replaced (along with the Dodge Avenger) by a single Fiat-based crossover model in 2014.

The Chrysler Town & Country (generally the volume seller and the more expensive model) will continue on as the brand’s only minivan. Of note, however, the Grand Caravan has actually outsold the Chrysler model by roughly 14,000 units so far in 2011. The decision is also a bold move outside U.S. borders where the Dodge Grand Caravan is the top selling minivan in Canada.

GALLERY: 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan

[Source: AutoNews]

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan review

It looks like mom can put her feet up and enjoy a quiet house for a couple of minutes – dads are getting more involved in kid carpooling duties, although they are more likely to drop the kids off at school in a utility vehicle rather than a minivan.

A new survey by Chevrolet shows that men are taking a much more active roll when it comes to dropping off and picking up the kids from school. The survey takes its results from an online survey conducted by Harris Interactive. The results show that 80 percent of American fathers with children aged 17 or younger enjoy an active daily family life and more than 70 percent drive their kids to school, daycare or extracurricular activities.

“According to recent Census data, there are 154,000 stay-at-home dads and more than 25 million dads who have kids under 17. The trend is shifting and men are becoming more involved with family-driving duties. We’re seeing the rise of the ‘Dadmobile,’” said James Bell, head of General Motors Consumer Affairs.

But according to these fathers, they’d much rather pull dad-duty in a utility vehicle. Moms still love their minivans (58 percent really dig them, thanks to features such as sliding doors), but dads think minivans aren’t manly enough. The survey also asked dads how cool their family vehicles were, and they came up with a 6.4 rating on a 10-point scale.

The dads surveyed in the poll went with SUVs and crossovers as their preferred family vehicle, citing they could accomplish all their daily activities in them, whether it be work or personal. Dads want to do everything in their vehicles – from holiday travel (94 percent) to work commutes (63 percent) to household do-it-yourself projects (54 percent). Less than one quarter of those surveyed said they prefer a minivan for these tasks.

The study showed that on the top of fathers’ family vehicle must-have list is a safe, fuel-efficient vehicle. And since they are “kidpooling,” passenger capacity is pretty important to nearly 40 percent of fathers, along with functionality, ample cargo space and comfort. The survey also noted that two of the most stressful things dads had to deal with regarding travel are high fuel prices and traffic jams.

So who performs most of the school drop off and pick up duties in your household? Leave us your two cents in the comments section below.

Are your kids starting to wear on your nerves as summer vacation drags on? Put them to work – by designing and decorating their own 2012 Toyota Sienna.

Kids can win their parents a Toyota Sienna just by watching TV and putting their creative skills to good use. All they need to do is go online to DisneyJunior.ca and customize a Toyota Sienna using elements from Disney Junior shows. In August, you and your kids watch to see if their Sienna rolls across the screen during Disney Junior shows.

If you’re a mom, you can get in on this contest as well – 10 Disney Junior Mom Bloggers will have the chance to road-test the Sienna and blog about their experiences with this minivan.

“This contest is all about kids having fun personalizing their Sienna and for parents, it’s the opportunity to win a vehicle that is about family fun, safety, comfort and convenience,” said Stephen Beatty, Managing Director at Toyota Canada Inc. “The Sienna has received many third-party accolades from safety to reliability and fuel efficiency, but we really can’t wait to hear the real world impressions from Disney Junior Bloggers.”

Kids can decorate their 2012 Toyota Sienna until July 31. Every day between August 1 and 21 on both the English and French-language Disney Junior networks, a new design and the name of the child who submitted it will be aired during shows such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, and Stella and Sam. If you or you child sees their design, they need to log DisneyJunior.ca to enter the date, time, and show where they saw it. They will then be entered for a chance to win a new 2012 Toyota Sienna, which will be given away at the end of the contest. The more they spot their design on television, the more they can enter and the more chances they have to win.

Do people still buy minivans? That’s what Polk Research wants to find out.

With a common aversion to minivans that lies somewhere between stubbing a toe on furniture and ebola, it’s interesting to see that from last year, minivan sales have actually gone up. From a nice, even 3 percent of light vehicle sales in 2010, sales of the minivan increased .2%. But then again, this is the tail end of a trend from 2007 that saw a high of 4.3%, and slipped sharply last year.

Manufacturers are well aware of this too. Out of these minivan sales, a whopping 92% come from just four models: the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Town & Country, and Dodge Caravan. The other 8% consists of the Kia Sedona, Volkswagen Routan and the Nissan Quest.

Those, of course, are the only minivans sold on the market today. Gone are Ford and GM, for example, among others: manufacturers have known that consumers have avoided minivans for years now, and as a result are replacing them in their lineups with SUVs. Polk’s data supports this: last year, over 40% of customers who ditched a minivan replaced it with either a midsize or a compact SUV. 21% went with a midsize car, and given America’s aversion to small cars as well as minivans, only 16% bought one of those instead.

Since 2007, the number of minivans available on the market has dropped from 15 models to 7. Of course, all of this leads to a neat, tidy little Catch-22. If manufacturers decide that consumers aren’t buying minivans, they’ll stop making them. But if consumers can’t find the right minivan to choose from, they won’t buy one. So which came first: the manufacturers who won’t build minivans because nobody’s buying them, or the consumers who can’t find one to buy in the first place?

[Source: Polk]

The only automaker that currently offers an AWD minivan is Toyota, but that is about to change says Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne. In a recent product briefing Marchionne indicated that the next-generation Chrysler minivan (the Town & Country) will gain all-wheel drive.

Nearly a decade ago Chrysler did offer an AWD version, but it was axed due to low take rate and because it took up space that Chrysler then used for its Stow ‘n Go seats.

Previous reports have indicated Chrysler’s intention to deliver a small pickup truck based off the minivan platform. This news indicates that the truck could also get the same AWD system.

In addition, Marchionne referred to the new vehicle as a “classic minivan”, indicating a decision on an earlier proposal to drop a minivan model from either the Dodge or Chrysler brands. With Chrysle’rs van now moving ahead, it is expected that the Dodge Grand Caravan will be axed, and instead replaced with a smaller MPV style vehicle along the lines of the Mazda5.

The new Chrysler Town & Country is expected in 2014, roughly the same time an agreement with Volkswagen to extend the Routan could be extended.

GALLERY: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Chrysler Town & Country Review here

[Source: The Detroit News]

According to a published report; Chrysler’s Ram division is planning to build a light-duty pickup using its minivan architecture around 2013-2014.

The new truck takes aim at buyers who want the utility of a pickup, but don’t need the inherent toughness and capability of full-size rigs. Utilizing a smaller, unibody platform will also help improve fuel economy over the likes of the Ram 1500.

This new minivan based pickup, much like Honda’s Ridgeline, will feature a front-drive layout and although reports have yet to be confirmed, it’s likely some kind of all-wheel drive system will be offered.

Dubbed the TR Life Style truck, Chrysler projects it’s Ram division to sell between 15,000 to 20,000 units annually (for the record, the Ridgeline sold 16,142 copies last year, a drop of two percent from 2009).

Along with the rest of Chrysler’s minivan range, the TR will be assembled at the Windsor, Ontario plant and, according to Doug Shepard, editor of Automotive Compass’ weekly report, the truck is “an insurance policy that the plant will continue on three shifts at full capacity.”

Yet despite the existence of the report, Chrysler, at least officially, isn’t saying much at this time, only that the idea of a mid-size pickup is being “considered.”

[Source: Toronto Star]

Honda has announced it will recall 2,800 of its new Odyssey minivans to replace the windows on both front doors. The recall affects only 2011 model year versions of the Odyssey due to glass that can become detached from the mechanism that moves it, causing it to become stuck either open or closed.

No injuries or crashes have been reported in connection to the recall.

Honda will begin to notify owners in mid-April. Those with questions are encouraged to visit www.recalls.honda.com or call 800-999-1009 and select option 4.

Earlier this month, Honda issued another recall for the 2011 Odyssey for windshield wipers that could break in icy conditions.

Issuing its second recall in as many days, Honda has announced it is taking steps to replace a potentially faulty front wiper linkage rod on the 2011 Odyssey.

The recall affects 33,341 vehicles where the wiper linkage could be bent if the wiper motor is turned on, but the wipers themselves are frozen to the windshield. Honda says no crashes or injuries have been reported as a result.

Customers will be notified in mid-April and are asked to take their vehicle to the nearest Honda service department once informed. Those with questions can visit www.recalls.honda.com or call 800-999-1009, and select option 4.

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Honda Odyssey Review Here

Dodge has announced a cut to the base price of the 2011 Grand Caravan minivan, reducing the MSRP by $1,000 on the entry-level Express model. At just $23,995 the refreshed Grand Caravan is now the cheapest minivan on the market.

In addition, the Mainstreet model is $250 cheaper and priced at $25,745.

For 2011 the Grand Caravan received a significant mid-cycle update with an all-new interior, minor exterior styling tweaks, suspension changes and a powerful new 283-hp 2.6-liter V6 engine standard.

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan Review Here