A minivan is not a stone that lends itself to sculpture. A description of the overall shape of the
2008 Dodge Grand Caravan wouldn't sound too much different from a description of the 1982 model. People don't buy minivans so others will look and say, "That's the new minivan. Some styling!"
So the styling of the redesigned 2008 Grand Caravan doesn't represent a sea change. But it is clearly different. It looks fresh, as the old styling is ubiquitous. All the sheetmetal is new, as is the front fascia, rear fascia, and taillamps.
It's more aerodynamic, although it seems boxier because of the nose, which now looks more like it's in the Dodge family. It's attractive in a SUV-ish kind of way. The hood is less sloped than before, and it bears character lines. The grille is more upright, making the Dodge crosshair grille look more like a Dodge truck, especially in chrome.
The pillars are fractionally thinner, although because they're black and the glass is tinted, you'd never notice from the outside. Sixteen-inch wheels are standard, an increase over the previous 15s. They're boring looking, but the optional five-spoke 17s are better.
The wheelbase of the new Grand Caravan is 1.9 inches longer, and the overall length stretched 2.5 inches, so the overhangs are about the same. The front track has been widened by 2.5 inches, and the rear by 0.8 inches, without widening the vehicle at its sides. However the roof has been widened by 6 inches, allowing more overall interior room. Interestingly, the front track is now wider than the rear, a reversal from the previous generation. next page