FirstDrive/Chrysler Grand Voyager:If you have lots of children and lots of money, you won't find a better family vehicle than the Chrysler's Grand Voyager, writes Paddy Comyn
Being the first at something isn't always a good thing. You might come up with the good idea only for someone else to perfect it.
Chrysler was the inventor of the MPV, or minivan, as it is sometimes called in the United States. Starting off as little more than a small van with seats and windows, it quickly became as important a part of American life as Mom's apple pie, carting enthusiastic kids from the suburbs to soccer practise up and down the country.
From its birth in 1984, some 12 million Chrysler Voyagers have been sold in one form or another and while sales have been somewhat more modest in Europe, it did inspire many European and Japanese rivals to make their own entry into the segment.
So vehicles like the Renault Espace and Datsun Prairie gained a firm foothold on our shores long before Chrysler ever got the chance to claim dominance here in the segment they had invented.
Years later and, just like American waistlines, the Voyager got bigger and by the time we were first offered the model in Ireland in the early 1990s, it was a vast, high-end people carrier that was offered in two guises; the standard length Voyager and the longer Grand Voyager.
Since then, the Voyager has been a pretty slow seller, since it costs around €65,000 and the arrival of seven-seater SUVs has provided something else for the yummy mummy to lust after.
So what place, then, for the all-new Grand Voyager?
Well, quite simply, if you are all about family transport and if you aren't short of a few bob, there really are few better ways to be shuttled about.
There is a nice irony to the fact that you seldom see environmental activists getting overly upset by an MPV, even though the Grand Voyager is absolutely enormous and comes with a 2.8-litre diesel engine.
And that is pretty small when compared to the 3.8-litre V6 engine that is available in other markets, but which the Irish importer chooses not to take.
There is no standard Voyager anymore, so just the Grand Voyager will be offered and the new model has been completely restyled, taking some design cues from the successful 300C executive saloon.
The new version has a much squarer appearance than before, due to a widening of the roof by some 152 millimetres, and uses the same sort of proportions at the side of glass and metal as the 300C.
There are larger alloy wheels and cleaner, more tapered lines to aid the aerodynamics, which haven't improved, despite the growth of the interior space.
Overall, it is not a bad looking "bus", but let's be honest, the whole reason you will buy this car is for its interior functionality and this is where the Grand Voyager really starts earning its stripes.
Anything that can prevent the driver of several children to and from their various activities from having a nervous breakdown is always good.
And the Grand Voyager really does have the lot. First off, there is the seating. The Stow 'n' Go system in not new, but it is clever. All of the seats behind the front two can fold flat into the floor, turning this Grand Voyager into a pretty useful van if needs be. But there is a new Swivel 'n' Go seating system - available as an option in Ireland - that allows the centre row of seats to swivel around and face the rear seat bench, and you can pop a clever table between these seats and have lunch, play board games or whatever else takes your fancy.
Kids will go nuts for it and the physical operation of both systems is itself child's play.
They will also be pretty happy with the infotainment system, which should keep even the most e-number riddled child quiet for at least an hour. There are dual-DVD screens for the second- and the third-row of seats and on these you can watch either DVDs, or use a PlayStation or other games console. And each screen can display a different media to avoid fighting. These can be operated by a remote control too. There is also a hard-disc, called MyGig, which has 20-gigabytes of storage space that can store songs or pictures or movies.
Should you actually want to drive the Grand Voyager, then we had better mention that it comes with a new 2.8-litre turbo diesel with 163bhp and 360Nm of torque and it is a lighter engine than before, mated to an automatic gearbox.
It is a very easy car to drive and despite its vast bulk, it is easy to see out of and not at all daunting to park.
With your kids having so much to do in the back, then you can get on with the business of driving and while we found the 2.8-litre a little overwhelmed, it is fine for most purposes. It does struggle a little when you really want to overtake in a hurry, the automatic transmission taking its own time in getting the whole big show on the road.
Apart from engine noise at speed, the whole driving experience is whisper-quiet and we can report that when we sat in the back on our test route, we were fast asleep within seconds. Safety features include ABS, ESP, and more airbags than at the Playboy Mansion.
Don't expect to see many Grand Voyagers in Ireland after it comes here in late March/early April time. Almost €70,000 is a lot to pay - even for your children's happiness. But if you are that selfless - or rich - then there are few better family vehicles.
Just persuading the SUV-set to give up their Volvo XC90 or Land Rover Discovery is the Grand Voyager's main obstacle. And when you can buy a twin DVD screen in a German-owned supermarket for €249, the lure of some quiet children might not be worth the outlay.
Factfile
Chrysler Grand Voyager
Engine:2.8-litre turbo diesel
Power:163bhp and 360Nm of torque
Transmission:Six-speed manual or automatic
Performance:0-100km/h N/A Max Speed N/A
Fuel Economy:9.3 l/100km
CO2 Emissions:247g/km
Coming:March/April 2008
Price:Expected to be close to €70,000