The four-door Plymouth Voyager was the first minivan in the North American market and, as such, was one of the most important vehicles ever released by Plymouth. For over fifteen years, regular redesigns and an affordable price tag kept it at the top of the minivan market. It offered its buyers space, a comfortable interior, and even a bit of towing power, but, ultimately, the Voyager was given to the Chrysler brand.
The last version of the Plymouth Voyager before the marquee change appeared in 1996 with a standard 3.3L V6 that offered about 158 horsepower and 203 pound feet of torque. For a minivan, the vehicle had decent fuel economy at about 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The front-engine, front-wheel drive minivan used a four-speed automatic transmission. The Plymouth Voyager was similar in styling to the Plymouth Grand Voyager, and the two were mainly differentiated by the wider wheelbase of the Plymouth Grand Voyager.
From 1974 to 1983, the Plymouth Voyager was a standard full-size van. However, a redesign in 1984 created the Voyager that... View more most people associate with the name: a minivan, the first of its kind. The design came from Lee Iaccoca and Hal Sperlich, who wanted to create a smaller van for family use, and the Voyager was assembled in Canada and St. Louis to become the first minivan in the U.S. market. In 2000, the Plymouth Voyager moved over to the Chrysler brand, and since that time, the Plymouth marquee has been phased out and eliminated by Chrysler-Daimler.
The Plymouth Voyager was a very spacious vehicle, especially in its later years thanks to a cab-forward design. The interior of the vehicle could be complemented with an optional CD player, leather steering wheel trim, sunscreen glass, power seats and an anti-theft system. Air conditioning and power equipment were options before the 2000 model, when they became a standard feature of the minivan. Base and SE trims were available. The SE trims each offered ABS brakes. Some models of the Voyager also offered four-wheel drive.
Over the years, the Plymouth Voyager won a number of awards for its design and popularity with consumers, especially in the North American market. Awards included the 1999 Automobile Magazine award for Best Minivan, a Best Buy" designation from Consumer Guide the same year, and the Car and Driver 10 Best list for 1997. While the Plymouth Voyager eventually became a Chrysler model, it's still remembered as the first minivan in North America and a very affordable and practical vehicle for American families. View less
