Chrysler S platform
Encyclopedia
The Chrysler S platform and its successors are automobile platform
s upon which the minivan
s manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC
are built. The minivan platform has evolved through five generations, from the original S platform forming the basis of the Dodge Caravan
, Plymouth Voyager
(now defunct) and Chrysler Town & Country — to the current RT and RM platforms, which underpin the current Dodge Grand Caravan
, Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler Grand Voyager
, and Volkswagen Routan
.
The minivans are currently manufactured at the Windsor Assembly
plant in Windsor, Ontario
, Canada
.
The S platform descended from the Chrysler K platform
and underpinned the Dodge Caravan
and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, as well as the now defunct Plymouth Voyager
minivan.
Chrysler manufactured the Generation I minivans, internally codenamed T-115 during development from 1984 until 1990. Origins of the T-115 platform date back to the late 1970s.
The earlier Minivan models included a sedan delivery model with optional double back doors in place of the one-piece lift-gate, as well as the overwhelmingly popular station wagon model.
As with the Suburban moniker for their Plymouth passenger-car based station wagons, Chrysler reportedly failed to trademark the Minivan name. The Suburban name was then trademarked by General Motors for their Carryall light truck-based vans which evolved into light-truck-based station wagons now commonly referred to as sport utility vans(suv) and the term minivan became applied to all Minivan-type wagons and is sometimes applied to cabover type vans.
Models:
Generation II was introduced in 1990 and called AS. This was the last K-based version of the S platform, as the NS platform switched to a new cab forward
design.
Models:
crossover SUV
.
Models:
Generation III of the platform was introduced in January 1995 and called NS.
Models:
Model:
Generation IV of the platform was introduced on January 10, 2000 and was called RS.
Models:
Model:
Generation V Chrysler minivan was introduced at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show as a 2008 model, based on the new RT platform. It offers a new 4.0 L V6 as its top engine, mated to a six-speed automatic. The short-wheelbase model was dropped, and, as a result, there is no longer a Dodge Caravan, only the Grand Caravan. A version of the Chrysler Town & Country is sold in Europe and several other export markets as the Chrysler Grand Voyager
. In Europe this version is equipped with a standard 2.8 L 4-cyl turbodiesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
Models:
A new Volkswagen
minivan, named Routan
, was introduced at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show
and is manufactured by Chrysler alongside its own minivans in Windsor
, Ontario
. The Routan, marketed by Volkswagen exclusively in the North American market, is based on the RT platform and drivetrain — with revised interior and exterior styling as well as feature content from the Chrysler vans.
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
s upon which the minivan
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
s manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
are built. The minivan platform has evolved through five generations, from the original S platform forming the basis of the Dodge Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
, Plymouth Voyager
Plymouth Voyager
In 1984, the Voyager name was applied to Plymouth's variant of Chrysler's all new minivan. This Voyager used the Chrysler S platform, which was derived from the K-platform . In addition to using a derived platform, the Voyager shared many components with the K-cars, most notably the interior...
(now defunct) and Chrysler Town & Country — to the current RT and RM platforms, which underpin the current Dodge Grand Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
, Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler Grand Voyager
Chrysler Voyager
The Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
, and Volkswagen Routan
Volkswagen Routan
The Volkswagen Routan is a seven-seat minivan and rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform, with revised styling, content features, and suspension tuning from the fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country....
.
The minivans are currently manufactured at the Windsor Assembly
Windsor Assembly
Windsor Assembly is a Chrysler automobile factory in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The factory opened in 1928 and started minivan production in 1983. Windsor Assembly is also Windsor's largest employer with about 4,450 employees.-Overview:...
plant in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
S
Chrysler K platform
The Chrysler Corporation's K-cars were compact-to-midsize cars designed to carry six adults on two bench seats and were aimed not only to replace Chrysler's nominally-compact F-body Aspen and Volaré, but also to compete with intermediates like the Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fairmont...
and underpinned the Dodge Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, as well as the now defunct Plymouth Voyager
Plymouth Voyager
In 1984, the Voyager name was applied to Plymouth's variant of Chrysler's all new minivan. This Voyager used the Chrysler S platform, which was derived from the K-platform . In addition to using a derived platform, the Voyager shared many components with the K-cars, most notably the interior...
minivan.
Chrysler manufactured the Generation I minivans, internally codenamed T-115 during development from 1984 until 1990. Origins of the T-115 platform date back to the late 1970s.
The earlier Minivan models included a sedan delivery model with optional double back doors in place of the one-piece lift-gate, as well as the overwhelmingly popular station wagon model.
As with the Suburban moniker for their Plymouth passenger-car based station wagons, Chrysler reportedly failed to trademark the Minivan name. The Suburban name was then trademarked by General Motors for their Carryall light truck-based vans which evolved into light-truck-based station wagons now commonly referred to as sport utility vans(suv) and the term minivan became applied to all Minivan-type wagons and is sometimes applied to cabover type vans.
Models:
- 1984–1990 Dodge Grand CaravanDodge CaravanThe Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
- 1984–1990 Plymouth Grand VoyagerPlymouth VoyagerIn 1984, the Voyager name was applied to Plymouth's variant of Chrysler's all new minivan. This Voyager used the Chrysler S platform, which was derived from the K-platform . In addition to using a derived platform, the Voyager shared many components with the K-cars, most notably the interior...
- 1988–1990 Chrysler Grand VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
(EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) - 1990 Chrysler Town & Country
AS
Cab forward
The term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs which place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.- Rail locomotives :...
design.
Models:
- 1991–1995 Chrysler Town & Country
- 1991–1995 Dodge Grand CaravanDodge CaravanThe Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
- 1991–1995 Plymouth Grand VoyagerPlymouth VoyagerIn 1984, the Voyager name was applied to Plymouth's variant of Chrysler's all new minivan. This Voyager used the Chrysler S platform, which was derived from the K-platform . In addition to using a derived platform, the Voyager shared many components with the K-cars, most notably the interior...
- 1991–1995 Chrysler Grand VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
(EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) - 1993–1995 Chrysler TEVanChrysler TEVanThe Chrysler TEVan was a battery electric vehicle produced from 1993 to 1995 by Chrysler and sold primarily to electric utilities throughout the United States. The first generation used either nickel-iron or nickel-cadmium batteries. Only 56 were produced and were sold for approximately $120,000 each...
CS
The CS is a variant of the RS platform made specifically for the Chrysler PacificaChrysler Pacifica
The Chrysler Pacifica is a mid-size crossover wagon produced by Chrysler from 2003 to 2007, for the model years 2004 to 2008.The Pacifica was the first jointly engineered product of the 1998 Chrysler-DaimlerBenz "merger of equals."...
crossover SUV
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
.
Models:
- 2004–2008 Chrysler PacificaChrysler PacificaThe Chrysler Pacifica is a mid-size crossover wagon produced by Chrysler from 2003 to 2007, for the model years 2004 to 2008.The Pacifica was the first jointly engineered product of the 1998 Chrysler-DaimlerBenz "merger of equals."...
NS
Models:
- 1996–2000 Chrysler Town & Country
- 1996–2000 Dodge Grand CaravanDodge CaravanThe Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
- 1996–2000 Plymouth Grand VoyagerPlymouth VoyagerIn 1984, the Voyager name was applied to Plymouth's variant of Chrysler's all new minivan. This Voyager used the Chrysler S platform, which was derived from the K-platform . In addition to using a derived platform, the Voyager shared many components with the K-cars, most notably the interior...
- 2000 Chrysler Grand VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
GS
The Chrysler GS platform is the European counterpart to the North American Chrysler NS platform.Model:
- 1996–2000 Chrysler Grand VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
RS
Models:
- 2001–2003 Chrysler VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
- 2001–2007 Chrysler Town & Country
- 2001–2007 Dodge Grand CaravanDodge CaravanThe Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
RG
The Chrysler RG platform is the European counterpart to the North American Chrysler RS platform.Model:
- 2001–2007 Chrysler Grand VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
RT
Chrysler Voyager
The Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
. In Europe this version is equipped with a standard 2.8 L 4-cyl turbodiesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
Models:
- 2008–Present Chrysler Town & Country
- 2008–Present Dodge Grand CaravanDodge CaravanThe Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
- 2008–Present Chrysler Grand VoyagerChrysler VoyagerThe Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
RM Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
minivan, named Routan
Volkswagen Routan
The Volkswagen Routan is a seven-seat minivan and rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform, with revised styling, content features, and suspension tuning from the fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country....
, was introduced at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show
Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Placeconvention complex. It is among the largest auto shows in North America....
and is manufactured by Chrysler alongside its own minivans in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The Routan, marketed by Volkswagen exclusively in the North American market, is based on the RT platform and drivetrain — with revised interior and exterior styling as well as feature content from the Chrysler vans.