Dodge Magnum and Stow 'n Go™ Minivan Technology Awarded Popular Science Magazine's "Best of What's New" for 2005

Stow 'n Go seating and storage system in Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans named "Best of What's New" in Auto Technology Category

New York, New York, Nov 10, 2004 - Dodge Magnum, the new shape of American muscle, continues to turn heads, this time at Popular Science. The magazine’s editors chose the Dodge Magnum as the Grand Award winner in the Cars Category for their annual “Best of What’s New” competition. In addition, the Stow ‘n Go™ seating and storage system that is featured in the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans was named “Best of What’s New” in the Auto Tech Category for the innovative technology that allows both the second- and third-row seats to be easily folded flat into the floor.

To win a Popular Science “Best of What’s New” award, a product or technology must represent a significant leap in its category.

“Best of What’s New" is the ultimate Popular Science accolade, representing a year’s worth of work evaluating thousands of products,” said Editor Mark Jannot. “These awards honor innovations that not only impact the way we live today, but change the way we think about the future.”


Stow ‘n Go Seating and Storage System:
Stow ‘n Go seating and storage system is the latest of more than 50 minivan and industry firsts that Chrysler Group has developed for its market-leading minivans. The 2005 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase minivans feature Stow ‘n Go as standard equipment.

“Stow ‘n Go has helped Chrysler leapfrog the competition once again in the minivan segment, and we are proud to be recognized by the editors of Popular Science,” said Larry Lyons, Vice President – Front-Wheel Drive Product Team. “Our engineers did a great job designing a system where both the second- and third-row seats easily fold into the floor. When not folded, the storage space is the best ever in a minivan.”

Other minivan firsts featured on the 2005 Chrysler and Dodge minivans include:


Super High Density (SHD) Foam Cushion Seating
Split-bench third-row reclining tailgate seating
Third-row easy entry system – with the pull of a single strap, the second-row seat tumbles out of the way
Driver-side inflatable knee blocker
Door Alert
Overhead rail system with movable/removable storage bins
Highlights of Chrysler Group’s other minivan firsts include:


Front-wheel drive (1984)
Selection of engines, V-6 or four cylinder (1987)
First to offer long-wheelbase minivans (1987)
First luxury minivan with introduction of Chrysler Town & Country (1990)
Standard driver-side air bag (1991)
Child safety locks on sliding door (1991)
First minivan to offer four wheel antilock brakes (1991)
First minivan to offer all-wheel drive on front-wheel-drive platform (1991)
Integrated child seat (1992)
Standard passenger-side air bag (1994)
First minivan with dynamic side-impact protection (1994)
First electric minivan, EPIC - Electric Powered Interurban Commuter (1995)
First minivan in U.S. market to offer driver-side sliding door (fourth door) (1996)
First minivan capable of transporting 4' x 8' material on top of folded seat backs or with seats removed and liftgate closed (long wheelbase, 1996)
First minivan with rear seat back-mounted grocery bag hooks (1998)
Wireless headphones for in-vehicle entertainment systems (2000)
Power up and power down liftgate (2001)
First minivan with power dual sliding doors, allowing for minivan-first manual override, powered by an industry-first inside-the-door motor (2001)
First minivan to offer power sliding door obstacle detection system when opening and closing (2001)

After more than 20 years, the minivan segment is still a vibrant part of the new vehicle market, averaging 1.2 million vehicles sold in the U.S. in each of the last 10 years. Roughly one of every 15 vehicles sold today is a minivan. The Chrysler Group continues to be the leader of this segment, with more than 34 percent of the market in 2003.

DaimlerChrysler Media

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