Chrysler not only invented the concept of the garageable van with it’s original 1984 T-wagons – the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager - but it also invented the concept of the Premium soccer mom special with the Town & Country. Now 21 years after the T&C’s introduction it’s packed with an incredible array of standard features and for 2011 it gets even more. With safety being all the rage these days key elements on the new Town & Country include a Safety Tec umbrella, which brings together more than 40 separate standard features, including Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection.Alongside safety; other improvements include a dual DVD system that can play two different media at the same time; Sirius Backseat TV and FLO TV (the latter which provides 20 channels of live programming); plus voice command functions for such things as iPod/MP3 players, radio control, phone communication and navigation.
Besides safety and gadgets, Chrysler has also made improvements to the interior – a new dash and instrument cluster; better quality upholstery for the seats; more ergonomically sound steering wheel with integrated vehicle functions and a revised HVAC system.
Under the hood the 2011 T&C also gets a version of Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter “Pentastar” V6, rated at 283 horsepower and 260 ft-lbs of torque. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission EPA fuel economy estimates are 17 miles per gallon in town and 25 highway. Those fuel economy numbers are the same as last year, but the power output has jumped considerably. The 2011 T&C will be built exclusively at Chrysler’s Windsor, Ontario assembly plant, with the first examples set to arrive in dealerships, sometime in the final quarter of this year. So if you are interested in obtaining one then stop by Planet Dodge Humble and see what you to do to drive this great vehicle.
