Video from the Production Line: Chrysler Grand Voyager

Hold on a minute... Chrysler sells mini-vans in Europe?! Under what brand? I thought the Voyager name was phased out with Plymouth?
Why aren't they selling the diesel in the US? Surely there's a market for fleet sales and smart commuters who realize that diesels deliver superior mileage.

"Why aren't they selling the diesel in the US?"

Do we need to rehash that?

mind_ride, Sssshhhh! Don't use the "D"-word too loudly, the eco-nazi's will come get you.

I really hope this isn't the same 2.8 CRD that went into the 2006 Jeep Liberty. That engine was the biggest hunk of crap; barely enough power to move the vehicle, and fuel consumption was nearly DOUBLE the EPA stated figures (even after 10,000 miles of break-in).

Woe be unto all Europeans buying this mini-van!

At brn:
What am I missing here? Even if it's a mediocre engine, it'll raise the average mileage for Chrysler cars under the CAFE rules, letting them sell more Hemis. Should please the environmentalists and the muscle-jocks.

does that thing have a floor shifter? I noticed it's shifter on the dash is missing and there is something stick up between the seats. It's not a manual is it?

Looks like its a regular auto, just mounted on the floor

http://www.autoevolution.com/image/chrysler-grand-voyager-limited-2008/32349.html

Chrysler has been putting diesels in minivans for a long time in Europe. The 2.8L is made by VM Motori and started out as a 2.5L quite a few years ago. Chrysler has used this basic engine in minivans, Jeep Cherokee XJ, and Jeep Liberty. The engine itself is very robust; it started in industrial applications. Some of the ancillary emissions equipment, maybe not so much. And that's the real reason diesels aren't offered here. US emissions are more stringent than the rest of the world's. Given enough resources and money, emissions can be overcome, but not many companies are willing to do that considering the existing low diesel market penetration in the US. If consumer demand increases now that the German automakers have 'stepped up', maybe other companies will be more willing to risk introducing them here as well, along with the more expensive emissions systems necessary to make them 'legal' in the US.

My parents have a 2006 Liberty CRD. They love it. It is very quick off the line, and has a lot of grunt. They live in hilly terrain, and it thrives there. They get 22mpg average in the hills, 26-28mpg steady highway. That's 35-50% better than the gas Liberty.

Thinking about it, the Liberty CRD is quite a brick and it still gets 27 mpg on the highway. The minivan is actually more aerodynamic. Using data from here: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tcldata.htm I calculate it takes 223 lbf. to move the Liberty at 70mph. It takes the minivan 187 lbf. at 70mph. Assuming gearing is optimized in each case, the minivan CRD should get 27*(223/187) = 32 mpg on the highway at 70mph. Current gas minivans get 23-25mpg at highway speeds, so the diesel is like a 33% improvement. I guess that makes sense. How much extra are you willing to pay for that improvement?

Oooh I wonder if the video shows rear bumper assembly. Hehehe

@mind_ride
They're selling under the name on the post: Chrysler. Plymouth was never used in Europe for minivans; the Voyager name was used under the Chrysler brand, initially with a Dodge grille.