• This year marks the 20th anniversary of Chrysler's Stow ‘n Go system.
Innovation is a crucial element of the automotive industry, and it has forever been so. Every year, manufacturers conjure up new technologies to seduce consumers, and just as importantly to stay ahead of the competition.
Some advances are ephemeral. If consumers don't get on board, the technology eventually disappears. Comes to mind the automatic parallel parking function introduced by Ford. It was brilliant, but the company stopped offering it for lack of interest on the part of consumers.
At the other extreme, there are those inventions quickly adopted by buyers. Comes to mind the Stow ‘n Go seating system introduced by Chrysler 20 years ago.
And as it happens, the 20th anniversary of the Stow ‘n Go coincides with the company's 100th birthday.
The history
Chrysler first introduced the system in 2005. Stow 'n Go seats placed in the second and third rows could be folded directly into the floor. The ingenious concept offered increased versatility for families, always on the lookout for more space when transporting children. Folks also loved the system's ease of use.
Cherry on the cake, when the seats were up and in place, the compartments designed to hold them could be used as storage bins.
Chrysler estimates that over five million Chrysler vans equipped with the system have been sold since then. Today, the Chrysler Pacifica still offers the technology, but it varies according to trim level, i.e. whether it's the second- or third-row seats that can be concealed in the floor.
The Stow 'n Go Challenge
To celebrate 20 years of the technology, Chrysler is launching the Stow 'n Go Challenge, a competition in which participants will have to demonstrate their speed and efficiency in stowing equipment in a 2025 Pacifica minivan equipped with the system.
The challenge will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, which opens its doors to the public today and runs through January 20, before appearing at other auto shows and events throughout the year.
That won't be the case in Montreal or Toronto at the start of the year, however.