Ace of Base: 2020 Chrysler Voyager

Digging up names from the past is a popular hobby at most car makers, to the point that a few of them would be well served to hire their own archaeologists to smooth out the process. Some are wantonly ditched prematurely in the pursuit of alphanumerics (*ahem* Legend, Vigor *ahem*) while others are relegated to the dustbin of history after being appended to a particularly horrid car.

Others simply slip away into the night like a silent bandit after the shuttering of its brand. Voyager is one of these, with FCA deciding to trot it out again and apply it to entry-level versions of the Pacifica (which, by itself, is a recycled name).

This Ace of Base was planned from the moment FCA made the announcement about this vehicle last week. However, it is appropriate that we should be talking about minivans today after the passing of Lee Iacocca. Without the first Magic Wagon, it’s unlikely we’d have machines like this at all.

For 2020, the Voyager is offered in three different trims: L, LX, and LXi. Those of you who lived through the ‘90s will recognize the latter, when American brand were busy appending the letter ‘i’ to various and sundry trim levels in an effort to keep up with the Germans and Japanese. This time around, the LXi is a fleet-only vehicle.

Base L models will start at $26,985. That number is gleaned from folks who were at the Chelsea Proving Grounds last week and not through the press materials, by the way. For that sum, the L comes equipped with FCA’s admittedly excellent Uconnect (in 7-inch form, not 8.4), Apple CarPlay, and the ubiquitous Pentastar V6 making 287 horsepower in this application. The transmission has nine speeds.

Be aware that your thrifty ways will be belied by the presence of black door handles and grille but at least the mirrors are color keyed. If it bothers you that much, get one in black paint so it all blends in. Tires are a sensible 235/65R17 across the board. The rig shown above is not the base model, given away by the presence of alloys instead of steelies with hubcaps. Until this thing shows up on the company’s build and price tool, we’ll make do with these distributed press photos.

Dual A/C is standard, as you’d expect, but rear seat urchins are on their own unless you pop for the LX and its tri-zone setup. Remote keyless, 3rd-row Stow n’ Go, cruise & tilt — all that stuff is standard as well. Satellite radio would be a welcome addition to the L.

Thanks for the minivan, Lee. Without it, the automotive landscape would be a hell of a different place.

[Image: FCA]

Not every base model has aced it. The ones which have? They help make the automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you can think of, B&B? Let us know in the comments and feel free to eviscerate our selections.

The model above is shown with American options and priced in American Dollars. Your dealer may sell for less.