One doesn't have to be addicted to gasoline fumes to know that the crossover/SUV trend has nearly buried some traditional rides, minivans included. There was a time when such models used to cruise the roads nationwide, yet most companies discontinued them, focusing on high-riders instead.
One brand that totally gave up on the people carrier is Dodge. The Stellantis-owned marque currently has two high-riders in its portfolio, the old Durango and the smaller Hornet. The discontinued Challenger and Charger still appear on its official website, and the brand-new Charger (Daytona) is almost ready for launch.
If you missed it, the brand-new 2025 Dodge Charger is the first-ever battery-electric muscle car and the only one of its kind for the moment. Ford remains committed to the 2.3L EcoBoost and 5.0L Coyote V8 in the latest Mustang, and Chevrolet hasn't decided what road to take with the upcoming Camaro, having dropped the sixth-gen at the end of 2023.
The new Charger Daytona lineup will include the 400-volt variants with 496 hp (503 ps/370 kW) in the R/T and 670 hp (680 ps/500 kW) in the Scat Pack. The punchiest is said to take 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 kph) from a standstill, dealing with the 1/4-mile in 11.5 seconds. Early next year, the Sixpack H.O. and Sixpack S.O. will join the lineup with Hurricane power.
Photo: Dodge
Dodge says the Sixpack S.O. will be good for 420 hp (426 ps/313 kW), and the Sixpack H.O. will enjoy 550 hp (558 ps/410 kW). Other vehicles will eventually adopt the Hurricane lump, which comes in various states of tune, and one ride that features it is the 2025 Ram 1500. But could we see the Hurricane firepower in a brand-new Dodge (Grand) Caravan people carrier?
We are tempted to say no, as the minivan game is on its dying bed, as we told you above. The last Caravan rolled off the line for the 2020 model year, leaving a void in Dodge's lineup that hasn't been filled yet and probably never will. Since the mid-80s, the automaker gave the automotive world five generations of its minivan, which were constantly refined over the years.
Now, while a brand-new Caravan seems like an impossible stretch at the moment, jlord8 on Instagram gave it a new and unofficial lease on life. The rendering artist adapted the new Charger's face on it and spoke of the Hurricane firepower. The result is not bad at all, and with a few adjustments here and there, it might become profitable, especially if the company builds it on the same platform as the latest Chargers.
But would you spend your hard-earned money on it if it came back from the dead using this recipe?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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