Magna Lends a Hand to Provide Ingenious Seating for Chrysler Minivans

Anthony Fontanelle
February 15, 2007

Car makers are always known for coming up with radical new ideas to provide better convenience and comfort to their customers just like in the development of the EBC Redstuff brake pads. In the development of such technologies, car makers usually enlist the help of other companies. Case in point is the development of an innovative seating arrangement for DaimlerChrysler minivans. The cutting edge design of the seats in the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country is developed with the help of Intier Automotive Seating which is an operating unit of Magna International Incorporated. The two models from the DaimlerChrysler family boast of a relatively new technology in terms of their seating arrangements.

The two minivans showcased at this year’s North American International Auto Show both have the Swivel ‘n Go technology developed by Intier Automotive Seating. The technology allows the second row of seating to pivot a hundred and eighty degrees to face the third row of seats. The patented technology allows better comfort and relaxation by allowing the occupants of the second row seat to face those who are in the third row of seats especially when having a chat. A removable table is also a part of the technologically advanced seating arrangement. The swiveling seats can also be removed which means that added cargo space can be provided easily.

The swiveling chairs rotate outward which makes it easier for occupants to enter and exit the vehicle. It also makes the installation of a child safety seat much easier.

The cargo capacity that a minivan is known for is evident in the two Chrysler vehicles. This is because of the fact that the third row of seats can be folded down by a single touch of a button. This feature easily increases the cargo capacity of both the Town & Country and Grand Caravan minivans. The fold-down operation takes only a matter of fifteen seconds to be completed is also another radical technology for a minivan. The versatility of the seating arrangement is evident in the number of ways which the third row of seats can be folded down. Another innovative feature that the third row seat offers is an obstacle-detection system. This means that the seats will not fold down if an object or a person is in its way.

The dedication of Intier Automotive Seating in developing this radical seating arrangement is stressed by Jeff Lambert, Intier Automotive Seating Chief Engineer for the Chrysler Group minivan seats, in his statement. “Consumers today are spending more and more time in their vehicles, ultimately placing a greater emphasis on comfort and convenience. The Swivel ‘n Go seating system, an industry-first in the North American market, raises the bar by offering a family room on wheels.”

The parent company of Intier Automotive Seating which is Magna International Incorporated is one of the leading automotive suppliers in the world. The company performs a variety of services for the automotive industry which includes designing, developing and manufacturing of automotive systems. The company also engineers and assembles complete vehicles that go on sale mostly to original equipment manufacturers of cars and light trucks in the North American region. The company also covers a wide array of services like the designing, engineering, testing and manufacture of automotive interiors. They also specialize in the production of plastic body panels as well as powertrain and drivetrain systems for vehicles. The Intier Automotive Seating is their division which develops complete seating systems and seating mechanisms for their customers in the automotive industry.

Source: Amazines.com