In the ongoing saga that is the development of Chrysler’s next-generation Town & Country minivan, we’ve seen everything from the likely death of the T&C’s Dodge sibling, the Caravan, to the promise that a plug-in hybrid powertrain option is coming. Between such learnings, we’ve spotted several 2017 Town & Country prototypes testing on public roads, but haven’t heard much more. That changes now, with a typically cavalier exchange between Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and reporters, covered by Automotive News.
In addition to the promised plug-in hybrid version, the 2017 T&C likely will offer a regular V-6 engine. However, Marchionne answered a reporter’s question about how all-wheel drive might be incorporated into a next-gen Town & Country with the popular Stow ‘n Go folding second-row seating option, and revealed a possible third—or maybe even fourth option. First, what does Stow ‘n Go have to do with AWD? The special seats collapse into compartments under the floor, meaning there’s no room for a driveshaft running from the front-mounted engine and transmission to the rear axle.
When asked about this potential issue as it pertains to the 2017 Town & Country, the often loose-lipped Marchionne was reported by AN to have said that an all-wheel-drive version would “either lose its foldable Stow ‘n Go seating or use an independent electric motor to power the back wheels.” The new van will share its underpinnings with a new three-row crossover that will offer AWD, so it’s not a huge leap to believe that an AWD T&C is a foregone conclusion. Toyota is currently the only automaker to offer Americans the option of all-wheel drive on its minivan.
We’re not so sure that an all-wheel-drive 2017 Town & Country and the plug-in hybrid Town & Country are two separate things. First of all, Marchionne has expressed reservations in the past over consumer acceptance of PHEV technology; bundling it with all-wheel drive (mechanical via driveshafts or via non-mechanically linked electric motors) would be a clever way to entice buyers into the plug-in, not to mention pricier T&Cs. Besides, an electric all-wheel-drive setup would require a battery pack, plus hybrid gear, so Marchionne’s comments further indicate that, if Chrysler is indeed looking at rear-mounted electric motors as an AWD option, that it’d likely pair that drive configuration with the PHEV bits.
Still, Chrysler could go the less-complicated route and fit the van with a mechanical AWD arrangement, but the popularity of Stow ‘n Go could relegate the option to a one-or-the-other proposition. We reached out to Chrysler for comment, but have yet to receive a response. We hope to have more details soon.
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