The latest in a long line of people carriers – Chrysler invented the MPV in 1983 and has since sold more than 13 million examples – the Town & Country has recently been given a number of changes inside and out as the U.S. carmaker wields the scalpel across its model ranges.

There is a new front clip, featuring a revised grille, bonnet and lower fascia. The Town & Country is called the Grand Voyager on the European markets where it is sold, which has now been whittled down to just the UK and Republic of Ireland, and it thus becomes the first Chrysler model in Europe to adopt the new revised winged badge. The seven-seater also gets a new rear clip which includes LED tail lamps, a new rear bumper and a revised tailgate. There is also the new Stow ‘n Place roof rack system, standard on Touring and Limited models. Stow ‘n Place offers the convenience of allowing the vehicle’s roof crossbars to be stowed longitudinally alongside the roof rails when not in use.

Inside, the new Grand Voyager has improved Stow ‘n Go seating. Since November 2004, Chrysler has led the market with this award-winning, never-copied, feature. For 2011, the new second row Stow ‘n Go seats are larger, more comfortable captain’s chairs, which feature a new ‘fold-into-the-floor’ one-touch mechanism. The system automatically drops the head rest and tumbles the seat forward, ready to be stowed – all with just one lever. The interior of the MY2011 Grand Voyager also benefits from the introduction of new features. Specifically for the entry LX model, there’s a new leather steering wheel, steering wheel audio controls and cruise control as standard.

Touring models benefit from the addition of Chrysler's "Uconnect" phone Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, auto dimming rear view mirror, AM/FM/CD/DVD radio with a 6.5-inch touch screen, 30Gb hard disk drive and rear reversing camera. Limited models also receive blind spot monitoring, crosspath detection and new Nappa leather upholstery.

However the real Achilles Heel for the Grand Voyager comes underneath the bonnet as the unrewarding 2.8-litre CRD diesel engine sourced from VM Motori is being carried over. The VM engine's specifications remain unchanged and it produces 161 bhp at 3,800 rpm and 265 lb/ft of torque. This gives the people carrier a 0-62 mph time of 12.8 seconds and a top speed of 115 mph. The MY2011 Grand Voyager returns a claimed 33.6 mpg on the combined cycle and has a CO2 emission figure of 222 g/km. The petrol engine option has been dropped from the line-up.

“The sales figures speak for themselves – the Chrysler Grand Voyager has been a hugely successful story,” says Nigel Land, brand director, Jeep Chrysler UK. “This latest list of features and enhancements will further increase the desirability of this powerful, versatile and luxurious vehicle.”

Pricing in the UK is up by around a thousand pounds across the range, which kicks off with the Grand Voyager LX at £27,995 on the road. The three specification level range is completed by the Grand Voyager Touring at £29,995 and the Grand Voyager Limited at £35,995.