Chrysler improves fuel economy in its minivans

Chrysler Town & Country New 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan models equipped with a 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine now deliver EPA fuel efficiency of 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, a label unbeaten among minivans.

"Chrysler and Dodge minivans continue to lead the segment," said Larry Lyons, vice president - Car and Minivan Product Team, Chrysler LLC. "With an improved 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine and a minivanfirst six-speed transmission, no other minivan has better fuel economy. We optimized both the engine and the transmission to give our customers the fuel economy they want and the power and responsiveness they expect."

A best-in-class aerodynamic exterior encapsulates the optimized 4.0-liter single overhead cam aluminum V-6 engine that produces a powerful 251 horsepower. A retuned six-speed transmission and higher numerical first gear launches Chrysler and Dodge minivans more briskly than a comparable four- or five-speed transmission.

The engine also provides smaller steps between ratios, which means the engine speed changes less with each shift, creating a smooth driving dynamic, with improved fuel economy. The end result is a fuel economy improvement to 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, or 8 percent versus the previous 2008 engine's fuel economy of 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

Dodge Grand Caravan Chrysler engineers have spent more than 25 years perfecting its award-winning minivan formula and have created more than 65 minivan-first features and more than 40 improved features from the previous generation minivans. Today, Chrysler and Dodge minivans command more than 40 percent of the U.S. minivan market segment.

Since November of 1983, Chrysler NISSAN

has sold more than 12 million minivans worldwide.