It carries Chrysler’s new winged badge, but that’s not the only change made to the 2011 model year Grand Voyager.

The latest in a long line of luxury people carriers – Chrysler invented the MPV in 1983 and has since sold more than 13 million examples – has been given a raft of enhancements for the model year change. Most notable is the new, more premium looking front end, featuring a revised grille, bonnet and lower fascia. It’s the first Chrysler model to adopt the new winged badge. The seven-seater’s rear gets enhanced LED tail lamps, new rear bumper and revised tailgate.

There is also the new Stow ‘n Place roof rack system, standard on Touring and Limited models.  Stow ‘n Place offers the added convenience of allowing the vehicle’s roof crossbars to be stowed longitudinally alongside the roof rails when not in use. Inside, the new Grand Voyager has improved Stow ‘n Go seating. Since November 2004, Chrysler has led the market with this award-winning, never-copied, feature. For 2011, the new second row Stow ‘n Go seats are larger, more comfortable captain’s chairs, which feature a new ‘fold-into-the-floor’ one-touch mechanism.  The system automatically drops the head rest and tumbles the seat forward, ready to be stowed – all with just one lever.

The interior of the 2011MY Grand Voyager also benefits from the introduction of new features. Specifically for the entry LX model, there’s a new leather wrapped steering wheel, steering wheel audio controls and cruise control as standard. Touring models benefit from the addition of Uconnect Phone bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, auto dimming rear view mirror, AM/FM/CD/DVD radio with a 6.5-inch touch screen, 30Gb hard disk drive and rear reversing camera. Limited models also receive blind spot monitoring, crosspath detection and new Nappa leather upholstery.

All Grand Voyagers are powered by a 2.8-litre CRD diesel engine producing 161bhp at 3,800rpm and 265lb ft of torque. This gives the people carrier a 0-62mph time of 12.8 seconds and a top speed of 115mph. Yet the car can return 33.6mpg (combined) fuel economy, and has a CO₂ figure of 222g/km.

“The sales figures speak for themselves – the Chrysler Grand Voyager has been a hugely successful story,” says Nigel Land, brand director, Jeep Chrysler UK. “This latest list of features and enhancements will further increase the desirability of this powerful, versatile and luxurious vehicle.”