Not so long ago, minivans were the way to go. If you were in the market for a family-friendly, comfortable vehicle with decent performance and plenty of cargo space, you didn't need to look much further than a van like the Chrysler Town & Country. But lately, despite numerous refreshes and improvements to style and functionality, people are buying more and more crossovers and SUVs over minivans. So how does an automaker prove that a minivan is more than just a "mom car"? Redefine the segment, of course.

Chrysler took critics by surprise this year at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit when they made a last minute decision to bring their all-new Chrysler 700C concept to the show. They didn't say much about it before the show, and haven't said much about it since. Rather, they brought it just to see what the public has to say about it. It doesn't even have a name or a powertrain yet, the company has confirmed that it hints at the direction Chrysler is planning to go with their minivan lineup.

Here's what we do know about the concept: the Chrysler Design Studio cooked up the idea. And Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, with less than two weeks to go before the big show, decided to put it on display to see what people said. We also know that Chrysler has been looking for something that could take the place of the minivan without losing minivan loyalists. Could this be the answer to the minivan conundrum? Patrick Hespen, Chrysler Communications, says that the 700C Concept is nowhere near production ready, but is just one idea that's emerged from their brainstorming.

It certainly doesn't look like any minivan Atlantic Auto Group has ever seen before, and we look forward to more developments on this front. That said, be sure to stay tuned with us for more on this and other new Chrysler models. But, if you're still a minivan purist, we invite you to stop into our showroom, located at 6820 Tilton Road Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey 08234 to take one for a spin. Or, give us a call at (888) 543-0087 to speak with a member of our team and arrange a test drive.