6 Alternatives to the Wheelchair Accessible Dodge Grand Caravan

Has the Dodge Grand Caravan been discontinued?

Sadly, yes. The mobility industry favorite will not be returning in 2021. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has confirmed that they have no plans to replace the Dodge Grand Caravan and production of new models stopped in May of 2020. 

It’s unfortunate this workhorse of the mobility industry will come to an end after such a long and storied history. The Grand Caravan was introduced as the first ever minivan in 1983 and Freedom Motors USA converted it for wheelchair accessibility in 1987. That being said, it’s been clear for a long time that the Grand Caravan was being phased out, with little changes or improvements being made to the vehicle for almost 10 years.

While the Grand Caravan has made a name for itself by being affordable, reliable and practical, it’s competitors like the Toyota Sienna and even Chrysler’s own Pacifica have far more features at a similar price. 

What vehicles will replace the wheelchair accessible Dodge Grand Caravan?

Although the Grand Caravan has been a favorite in the minivan and mobility markets for good reason, it’s time to leave it behind. The model will only become harder to find and service as time goes on, not to mention that it simply can’t keep up with its competitors.

While the minivan has served its job of being a comfortable ride with plenty of passenger space well for many years, it is quickly falling behind as SUVs and crossovers become more competitive. 

Modern SUVs leave the boxy, unwieldy van behind in favor of a premium, sporty look at a similar price. Freedom Motors USA’s exclusive line of wheelchair accessible SUVs provides a vehicle that can keep up with your lifestyle without sacrificing the spacious interior of a minivan. Here are six vehicles that offer a more modern alternative to the Dodge Grand Caravan. 

Kia Telluride

The wheelchair accessible Kia Telluride from Freedom Motors provides all the space you need from a van along with the premium cabin experience and sporty stylings of a luxury SUV.

Available as a rear-entry conversion with a spring-assisted manual or an automatic ramp, the Kia Telluride from Freedom Motors offers an accessible vehicle to fit your needs. Our manual ramp is easy to lift and lower, requiring only as much strength required to lift a gallon of milk. Our automatic ramp option is also available exclusively from Freedom Motors, allowing wheelchair passengers to enter the vehicle without assistance.

In addition to the Freedom Motors rear-entry conversion, the Kia Telluride comes standard with several premium safety and convenience features. Some of the features available include:

• Heated mirrors with turn signal integration
• LED fog lights
• Rear spoiler
• Privacy glass rear windows
• Simulated leather upholstery
• Touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Drowsy driver monitor, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist
• Rear parking distance sensor, safe exit assist, rear occupant alert, smart cruise control

An astonishingly large array of top-notch safety features ensure a safe and smooth driving experience. Adaptive cruise control allows the vehicle to follow a set distance behind other vehicles on the highway, with automatic emergency braking. Lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitors and parking sensors assist in everyday driving situations. 

Our rear-entry ramp allows you to park your vehicle anywhere, not just handicap designated parking areas. Check out the ramp in action below: 

Chevrolet Traverse

The wheelchair accessible Chevrolet Wheelchair SUV from Freedom Motors provides all the space you need from a van along with the luxury features and rugged stylings of an American SUV.

Available as a rear-entry conversion with a spring-assisted manual or an automatic ramp, the Chevrolet Traverse from Freedom Motors offers an accessible vehicle to fit your needs. Our manual ramp is easy to lift and lower, requiring only as much strength required to lift a gallon of milk. Our automatic ramp option is also available exclusively from Freedom Motors, allowing wheelchair passengers to enter the vehicle completely independently. 

In addition to our ramp conversion, the Chevrolet Traverse comes standard with several luxury OEM features. Some of the available features include:

• Lumbar support for driver seat
• Dual-zone climate control with separate zones for front and rear of the vehicle
• Remote access and entry via key fob
• Anti-lock braking system
• Driveline traction control system
• Heated mirrors
• SiriusXM and satellite radio capability
• Fog lights
• Parking assist
• Heated front seats
• Lumbar support for both front seats
• Leather or premium cloth seats

Premium upholstery, dual-zone climate control and lumbar support provide a comfortable cabin for drivers and passengers. Parking assist makes pulling into tight spaces a breeze and remote access allows you to enter with the push of a button.

Buick Enclave

The wheelchair accessible Buick Enclave from Freedom Motors provides all the space you need from any accessible minivan along with the features and sculpted exterior of a luxury midsize SUV.

Available as a rear-entry conversion with a spring-assisted manual or an automatic ramp, the Buick Enclave from Freedom Motors offers an accessible vehicle to fit your needs. As on other models, our manual ramp is easy to deploy and store.  For even easier entrance and exit, the Enclave can come equipped with an automatic rear ramp, a feature available only from Freedom Motors. 

In addition to our ramp conversion, the Buick Enclave comes standard with several luxury OEM features. Some of the available features include:

• Perforated leather seats and leather steering wheel
• Onboard 4G LTE Hotspot WiFi system
• Navigation system
• 8 inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 8-way power adjustable driver seat
• 6-way power adjustable passenger seat
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Lane keep assist
• Blind spot alert
• Rear cross traffic alert 

Perforated leather seats offer premium comfort and chrome accents on the interior provide an attractive cabin. Several infotainment features like onboard WiFi allow you to stay connected on the go, and mirror memory programming makes it easy for different drivers to use the same vehicle.

No worries when all the handicap parking spots are taken, as our rear-entry ramps allow you to park anywhere you like. Check it out below:

Kia Sorento

For those looking for a midsize SUV, the wheelchair accessible Kia Sorento from Freedom Motors provides a spacious interior with the convenient features and stylings of a sporty SUV. 

Available as a rear-entry conversion with a spring-assisted manual or an automatic ramp, the Kia Sorento from Freedom Motors offers an accessible vehicle to fit your needs. Our manual ramp is easy to lift and lower, requiring only as much strength required to lift a gallon of milk. Our automatic ramp option is available exclusively from Freedom Motors, allowing wheelchair passengers to enter the vehicle with just the touch of a button or two. 

In addition to our ramp conversion, the Kia Sorento comes standard with several luxury OEM features. Some of the available features include:

• Cloth seats treated with YES Essentials fabric treatment for easy cleanup
• Touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and bluetooth audio come standard for easy smartphone integration
• Satellite radio available for use with the 6 speaker stereo system
• Noise reducing windshield
• Roof rails
• 2 power charge USB ports
• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear cross traffic alert

Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert provide extra peace of mind while driving or parking in busy areas. Hauling extra cargo or large items is made easy by the inclusion of roof rails. Satellite radio, a 6 speaker stereo system and a noise reducing windshield provide for a comfortable cabin experience.

Kia Soul – Great For The Independent Driver

For those looking for a crossover with a smaller profile than a full size SUV, the wheelchair accessible Kia Soul is a great choice. With its small size and rear-entry conversion allowing you to park anywhere, the Kia Soul offers a one-of-a-kind look that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any other vehicle.

Available as a rear-entry conversion with a spring-assisted manual or an automatic ramp, the Kia Sorento from Freedom Motors offers an accessible vehicle to fit your needs. The springs in the ramp’s engineering are designed to aid in lifting and lowering so little strength is needed to use. 

For independent drivers who can transfer themselves, the automatic rear ramp is a perfect option when paired with a driver transfer seat. After lowering the ramp via key fob, the wheelchair user enters the vehicle. After moving the driver’s seat to the back position using the control, the chair user transfers to the seat and moves it into position. Freedom Motors also offers various models for hand controls, fully customizing the driving experience.  

In addition to our ramp conversion, the Kia Soul comes standard with several convenient OEM features. Some of the available features include:

• Woven cloth bucket seats
• Power driver seat adjustment
• Touchscreen infotainment system
• Back up camera
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for smartphone integration
• Music, phone and cruise controls on the steering wheel

Drive confidently knowing that the Kia Soul offers robust safety features, including a back-up camera, tire pressure monitoring, electronic stability control, hill start assist and a vehicle stability management system that comes standard with any Kia Soul model.

Our rear-entry ramp allows you to park your vehicle anywhere, not just handicap designated parking spaces. Check it out in action below:

Honda HR-V (update February 2022: The HR-V is no longer available)

For those who want a midsize crossover with a more traditional look than the Kia Soul, the wheelchair accessible Honda HR-V is a great option. While still offering a smaller profile than a full size SUV and sporting a stylish look, the Honda HR-V will get you where you need to go.

The Freedom Motors Honda HR-V is outfitted with a rear-entry ramp designed for easy use. Our exclusive design for the manual ramp is spring-loaded to make raising and lowering the ramp near-effortless. The rear-entry conversion allows you to park anywhere, not just handicap designated parking spaces.

In addition to our ramp conversion, the Honda HR-V comes standard with several convenient OEM features. Some of the available features include:

• 4-speaker, 180-watt sound system, 
• Two USB ports
• 7 inch high-resolution touchscreen display
• Smartphone app integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Pandora Radio
• HondaLink capability
• SMS text messaging capability
• Active Noise Cancellation for engine
• Rear windshield wiper
• Black exterior trim accents, underbody spoilers and roof rails

A multi angle rear-view camera provides better visibility than a standard rear-view camera, which makes backing in and out of tight spaces a breeze. A 4-speaker sound system with Bluetooth connectivity and speed sensitive volume control makes for a comfortable cabin environment. An active noise cancellation system helps eliminate engine noise in the cabin. 

Why Settle for a Minivan?

Although the minivan has dutifully served its role for years both in and out of the mobility industry, it’s time to move on to bigger and better. The Dodge Grand Caravan is only the latest in a series of minivan models to be phased out and discontinued.

Looking ahead, it’s clear that the SUV is positioned to take over the role that the minivan once filled. Coming equipped with more features and a similarly spacious interior for a competitive price, the decision to switch to an SUV is a no-brainer. With a Freedom Motors rear-entry conversion, you can upgrade to a vehicle with first-class features and premium stylings that fits your on-the-go lifestyle.

So why wait? Contact Freedom Motors today and find a wheelchair accessible SUV that’s right for you.