Toyota has announced today that the made in the U.S.A. Toyota Sienna minivan will soon be sold in South Korea.

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.

A study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed a significant drop in fatalities involving accidents between a car or a minivan versus an SUV of comparable weight.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the 2009 Honda Odyssey for a possible liftgate malfunction.

The Fiat and Chrysler product osmosis continues. Chrysler first revealed its plan for a Fiat collaborated small commercial van for the North American market back in November 2009. Finally, here it is. Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi, Fiat’s Turkish joint venture, announced that it will supply Ram with 190,000 units of the Fiat Doblo small panel van over the course of seven years.

Fans of Italian cars should prepare to dry heave, as Lancia has just released an image of their new Flavia Cabrio, looking like a poorly rebadged Chrysler 200.

The only engine available is a 175-horsepower 2.4-liter V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic. Thrilling. Lancia will also get a re-badged Chrysler Town & Country, known as the Voyager as part of their rejuvenated, Chrysler-infused lineup. You can check back for  AutoGuide’s for live Frankfurt coverage starting on September 13th.

Hit the jump to see the press release below

Their list is quite interesting, as it makes mention of such odd-ball picks like the Acura Integra Type R, the Lamborghini LM002 and the 1934 Chrysler Airflow. It has some familiar favorites also, like the Ferrari F40, the Bugatti Veyron and the Lamborghini Countach, which probably adorned more teenage bedroom walls than Brooke Shields back in the 80’s.

In Japan, the most popular car is neither big, nor powerful, but it fills the needs of most of its motorists. Since 2003, the most popular car sold in Japan is the Suzuki Wagon R.

It’s not often that automakers go to the trouble of bringing a car to Canada, but refrain from selling it in the United States. With one tenth the population and different homologation laws than the United States, the costs rarely make it worthwhile for automakers to import unique products to the Canadian market.

Volkswagen executives are reportedly “very serious” to add the Bulli to their production lineup, as part of a “Heritage Range.”

Owners of Dodge‘s 2008 Grand Caravan, Chrysler‘s 2008 Town and Country (or Voyager) should keeping their eyes out for a recall letter to be sent out next month. Those who receive it may feel like they’re in familiar territory since this is the second recall for a similar issue on the 2008 minivans. Earlier this year a recall was issued because of the possibility that water from the air conditioner could leak onto the electronics, causing the airbag light to go off or even set off the bags.

Ford concealed documents pertaining to a case it won in 2010, according to a Florida judge who has thrown out its verdict.

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.

For next year, Toyota will start offering AC electric outlets as an option on the Prius hybrid so drivers can plug in accessories or appliances to their car. Toyota developed the idea through the March 11 earthquake disaster in which people used the Toyota Estima hybrid van (pictured above) as a source of emergency electricity when the power went out.

The original Nissan Quest was, at best, a bit player in the minivan segment, selling a tiny fraction of the units moved by its Japanese rivals. Much of that had to do with its design. To call it polarizing would be a compliment.

Once upon a time, before 1983 in fact, vans in North America only came one way – full-size. These days, with fluctuating fuel prices and the push towards greener more thrifty alternatives, fleets have more options when it comes to purchasing delivery vehicles.

Who says driving around a van has to be boring? The all new third-generation Nissan Quest, known as Elgrand in Japan, just got a whole lot wilder thanks to the tuners over at Impul. Though these styling packages are made for the Japanese Elgrand front-end, those ambitious enough to outfit it to their USDM Quest should be able to proceed with a little effort. The result will be a one-of-a-kind looking van, and we’d love to see one driving around in North America.

The Barrett-Jackson auctions are famous for selling rare exotic cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Usually the cars that command the highest prices are limited production Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and Aston Martin’s.

Speed Channel is gearing up to release The Car Show, a talk show led by Adam Carolla, Dan Neil, John “Spider” Salley and AutoGuide contributor Matt Farah.

The show hits the air on July 13. In the short clips released, the hosts tell us about their very first vehicles and driving experiences, ranging from a Honda 400 Four in the case of Adam Carolla to Matt Farah’s 1993 Mercury Villager LS. Oh Matt, look how far you’ve come.

Check out all the hosts stories of their first cars after the jump!

Typically, such collaborations start from the very beginning, but that is not the case with Nissan and Mazda. While Mazda has been selling its Mazda5 mini-van (called Premacy in Japan) for a few years now, Nissan has just rebadged a version of it for itself, and are calling it the Lafesta Highway STAR, and it will be on sale in Japan, not some market where Nissan exists and Mazda doesn’t.

Honda of Japan gets a new people schlepper with a familiar name. The Fit Shuttle is a mini MPV that will get two distinctively different powertrains: a VTEC gasoline engine, and a hybrid.

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

Ford will sell its C-Max minivan as a hybrid model only, in an effort to further compete with hybrid offerings like the Toyota Prius V, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, which are all offered in 5-door bodystyles.

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.

Toyota is taking product development authority away from Japanese bosses and putting it in the hands of North American executives as part of a larger change aimed at fixing quality control issues that hurt the automaker’s reputation last year.

Citroën was once the company bizarre enough to dabble in hydraulic suspensions, power steering, and swiveling headlights before anyone else. It’s good to see that legacy of damn-it-all innovation carry through to today, where the Gallic carbuilder has mounted the brakes in the passenger side.

Reports of the Toyota Prius V’s delay have been greatly exaggerated. According to the company, the Prius V is on track for a U.S. fall debut, after all.

Chrysler’s having a tough time of late convincing customers that its latest efforts really are improved. But given how poorly designed and built the automaker’s products have been over the last decade, it isn’t all that surprising. Trying to get a current Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna owner to even set foot in a similarly equipped Town & Country without resorting to flat-out bribery will be, ahem, challenging.

Honda’ s recent airbag recall in North America is a growing problem for the auto maker. The recall, which affect 2001 to 2003 model Honda and Acura vehicles, is related to a faulty airbag module that might have been replaced by a defected service part, when the original driver’s airbag was changed.

Toyota‘s Vietnamese division has been left red-faced after obfuscating the seriousness of a recall for their export-market Innova minivan, with Toyota being forced to recall nearly 10 times as many vans as they initially claimed.

It would seem that Nissan and Honda need to switch marketing departments. The all-new 2011 Nissan Quest minivan is being billed as the family hauler that ‘gets’ parenting more than any other. Arguably, however, it’s Honda’s Odyssey that includes the most unique parent-oriented features – and lots of them. To keep the ironic twist going, Honda bills its van as the most attractive vehicle in the segment to your adventurous right brain, and yet it’s the Quest that’s easily the most exciting to look at.

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.

Allied Systems Holdings, the carrier company that is responsible for taking vehicles out of the Windsor factory is in dispute with Chrysler over proposed wage cuts, when Allied workers were asking for a wage increase.

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.

Remember the retro-tastic Bulli from Geneva? If not, then this link should refresh your memory. Well, Volkswagen research and development boss Ulrich Hackenberg says it wasn’t just a snazzy show concept—the company plans to put it into production, under the MDS (modular design system) platform.

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 Germany, the Volkswagen Microbus was affectionately known as the “Bulli”, proving that terms of endearment and the German language aren’t always compatible. While Volkswagen had a false start with their Microbus concept in 2001, the same idea is back 10 years later, and it manages to be even more contemporary while still providing Baby Boomers with a hefty shot of nostalgia.

With the recent rollout of new and improved minivans for 2011 there’s a common theme. Automakers are keenly aware of the stigma associated with driving a minivan and as a result are trying to take the people haulers into different segments, adding luxury for some, more sporty driving dynamics for others.

The Routan was not much different from the Town and Country, even sharing the same mechanicals. It was also more expensive and lacked the ‘Stow and Go’ seating that made the Chrysler vans such a hit.

Driving down the road in the new Flex Titanium you would think you are driving a regular large luxury car. The ride quality is excellent, with the suspension soaking up the bumps and potholes with ease. Steering is reasonably quick and light, and the cornering is rather flat and doesn’t require mid turn steering corrections. Acceleration is crisp and the power comes on smoothly through the 6-speed automatic transmission. The ABS brakes have excellent feel and provide great stopping power. It is only when you glance in the mirror and see the rear window sitting waaaay back behind you that you realize you’re driving a stretched box on wheels that’s technically classified as a crossover.

It’s perhaps hard to grasp as concept. For most guys, the idea of driving a minivan, means the days of carefree driving are well and truly over; the sports car sacrificed for sensible family motoring.

Dodge will unwrap the ‘Man Van’ tomorrow at the Chicago Auto Show, a testosterone-infused version of its Grand Caravan family hauler. Officially billed as the Grand Caravan R/T, the new model is scheduled to arrive at dealers this Spring and is designed with a more masculine approach.

Driving a vehicle around at a press introduction is one thing, but actually living with it is something else. That statement might not be more true than when reviewing a minivan.

Hot on the heels of its arrival at U.S. dealers last week, Nissan has now launched a 360 degree media campaign, including a 30-second TV spot entitled ‘Errands.’

These days Mazda doesn’t have a lot going for it and it’s not often that the automaker makes the headlines. But this story just proves what thinking outside the box can do.

Soccer moms sometimes get a raw deal because of the vehicle of choice. But it’s not like they have much of a choice – a minivan is the best-equipped vehicle to haul their aspiring David Beckhams to games and practices. It’s time to stop mocking the soccer mom, and automakers are setting out to make the minivan cool… but will moms jump on the minivan band wagon?

Ford has announced a recall for 425,000 of its 1999 to 2003 Windstar minivan models as a result of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The MR wagon fits under the kei-class category in Japan, which in English would mean, ultra sub-compact. There are many benefits to owning such vehicles in Japan, as you get plenty of tax cuts for driving economical vehicles. So like all other kei-class cars, the MR wagon features an engine displacing just 660 cc and three-cylinders.

Kia‘s Rondo small minivan and Borrego SUV have been dumped from the U.S. lineup, ostensibly after slow sales forced Kia to cease importation.

Ever wonder what would happen if you let a high-performance tuning company run wild on a minivan? Well wonder no longer, as Nissan‘s NISMO division has just debuted a version of the new Elgrand (sold as the Quest in North America) at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon.

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If any other automaker announced they wanted to bring back the van, we would have expected something practical and utilitarian. We’d picture a family-friendly minivan or perhaps a commercial vehicle for small businesses. But when a company like Kia says it, we expect something entirely different. After all, this is the company that gave us giant hamsters.

Ford‘s last minivan, the Freestar, left the market in tatters roughly 6 years ago, lagging badly behind the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. For 2011, Ford is back, with a vehicle that couldn’t be more different.

Although Toyota has been hyping their new Prius MPV for months, Ford‘s announcement of not one, but two hybrid minivans is sure to take the wind out of Toyota’s sails (no pun intended).

As part of Ford‘s “One World” plan, a single platform will be used across all markets worldwide. While we reap the benefits with the all-new Focus and C-Max, there can be trade-offs when different markets require different attributes in a vehicle. With the Ford Vertrek Concept, unveiled today at the Detroit Auto Show, the Blue Oval is hoping to synchronize the very American Escape SUV, and the equally European Kuga compact crossover.

Few people pay attention to minivans, but an interesting sales war is heating up, with what could be Chrysler’s first major sales victory in their post-bailout era.

The major players in the minivan segment are re-doubling their efforts for 2011. Honda, Nissan and Toyota have brand-new offerings in the Odyssey, Quest and Sienna, and Dodge couldn’t let that go unchallenged.

After an initial investigation and then a recall on the Ford Windstar for rear axle failure, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put the minivan on notice – again. This time NHTSA’s investigation involves the van’s subframe, which reportedly suffers from the same structural rusting as the rear axles.

The recent death of a Massachusetts man has put the spotlight on the Ford Motor Company and its handling of the recall of its Windstar minivan. The van itself was recalled back in August due to rear axles that could snap. The vans date from 1998 to 2003 and initially Ford was reluctant to issue the recall (as was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) as Ford insisted it wasn’t a safety issue.

The death of Sean Bowman, however, is certainly challenging that assertion and thanks to an ABC News report highlighting the family’s tragedy we now have some pretty shocking video of just what could happen when a rear axle breaks. The official government test video clearly shows just how dramatic and dangerous a snapping rear axle could be, with the side stability bars used on the car the only things preventing it from rolling over.

The death of Sean Bowman has caused Ford to reexamine the Windstar recall, and even expand it to include 37,000 move vehicles, including those in Utah – which are at risk due to extreme corrosion caused by road salt.

UPDATE: NHTSA is now investigating the Windstar for rusting subframe issues. Click here to read the story.

See the video after the jump:

Michelle Squires had parked her 1964 VW Bus at an upholstery shop in Spokane, WA., back in the 1970s when it was stolen. When the vehicle could not be found, the insurance company eventually paid out and Squires lost all hope of ever seeing her treasured Vee-dub again.