“Hop in my Chrysler; it’s as big as a whale. And it’s about to set sail?” sang the B52s back in the early 1990s. I’m not sure which model they were thinking of, as the Grand Voyager wasn’t out then, but modern listeners may well call this massive people-carrier to mind.

The singer claimed that his car “seats about twenty”. The Chrysler Grand Voyager can’t quite seat this many – not legally, anyway – but it certainly can fit seven in comfort, ease and safety. This is a family car par excellence, and nearly every feature in it seems to be designed with convenience and practicality in mind. The Chrysler Grand Voyager is no “refrigerator on wheels”; this is an attractively styled vehicle with clean, crisp lines. The people carrying ability of the Chrysler Grand Voyager is superb and not many vehicles can match it for comfort and practicality.

The first of many stand-out practical features of the Chrysler Grand Voyager are the third row of seats. These do not merely fold forward if you require extra space in the already gargantuan boot; they lift out completely. This is a feature unique to Chrysler, called Easy Out Roller Seats®. The second high-convenience feature is the sliding door on the driver’s side that can be opened with the touch of a button. No more trying to control scatty toddlers and runaway shopping trolleys while wrestling a door open – press the button on your key fob and you’re able to get children in quickly and safely – there is a safety stop and reverse feature provided to prevent sensitive little fingers getting jammed, too (now, if only the shopping trolley handled as smoothly and responsively as the Chrysler Grand Voyager?). These doors, of course, also operate manually and the rear ones have childproof locks.

Once safely strapped into one of the seven comfortable and leather upholstered seats, you and your family are ready to roll. Mum or Dad – whoever’s driving ­ will find visibility inside the cabin excellent, with all instruments tastefully and conspicuously on display. The 3.8 litre V6 engine has a generous amount of grunt, delivering a respectable 142 kW of power at 5200 rpm and a frisky 305 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. The 2.8 litre turbo diesel motor is a lovely motor to drive. It remains silky smooth when pressed hard and delivers lots of low down pulling power – just what you need with a people carrier and heavy loads. The 360 Nm is impressive and is available from as low as 1600 rpm! The Chrysler Grand Voyager is available with either a front wheel or all wheel drivetrain. The on-road ability of the Chrysler Grand Voyager is very pleasant. Long journeys are a breeze in this vehicle. Road holding is very good and the Chrysler Grand Voyager is pretty nimble for a car of its size, with the suspension being just right for good grip and comfort, and the steering being nicely responsive. Drop off the kids and groceries, head out to a place where you can legally do it, and you will find that the Chrysler Grand Voyager accelerates briskly and will run to over 200 km/h without any problems.

From the passengers’ point of view, the Chrysler Grand Voyager is a comfortable car to travel in. Not only is there ample leg, hip and shoulder room for all, but the Chrysler Grand Voyager has been equipped with a 5-CD sound system with ten speakers, which allows for a rotation between nearly everyone’s favourite albums. A clever three-zone air conditioning/climate control will, with any luck, put an end to the familiar wail of “But I’m freezing!” from the third row that inevitably follows the “Mum, I’m hot,” complaint from the second row. The central console – which is removable like the rearmost seats – has a power point, so homework can be done on laptops if necessary.

In a family vehicle, safety is, of course, paramount. The Chrysler Grand Voyager has the necessary front and side airbags, side-guard door beams and crumple zones that are vital items in any car you would want to entrust your family to.

Own the Chrysler Grand Voyager, and you will certainly be able to extend invitations to people to “hop in your Chrysler.” But please don’t sing that old B52s song – the tune was irritatingly catchy, which is why the line about the Chrysler has stayed in my brain for so long.

Current model series include:

• Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.8 LX
• Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.8 Touring
• Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.8 Limited
• Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8 CRD LX
• Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8 CRD Touring
• Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8 CRD Limited

For any more information on the Chrysler Grand Voyager, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Chrysler dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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