Currently in its sixth generation, the model line is marketed worldwide, primarily in North America and Europe.

During the 1990s, the popularity of the model line led to its form factor becoming closely adopted by many of its competitors, leading to the Ford Windstar/Freestar, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and Nissan Quest.

From 1987 to 2007, the company supplemented production in North America with its Saint Louis Assembly facility (Fenton, Missouri).

The Dodge Caravan was an all-new nameplate, with the Plymouth Voyager adopted from its previous full-size van line.

Designated the Chrysler AS platform (as Chrysler switched to a two-letter platform nomenclature), the second-generation minivans underwent a substantial revision of the body (sharing only the front door and sliding door stampings) and chassis (the front suspension was retuned and the rear suspension was redesigned entirely); powertrain commonality shifted from the K-car sedans towards its larger derivatives.

In a first for the segment, the model line was fitted with a standard driver-side airbag (1991) and optional integrated rear child safety seats (1992).

While the model line was officially classified a light truck by the US government, the minivans were upgraded to meet 1998 federal safety standards for cars, adding side-impact door beams, dual airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, and a redesigned dashboard.

From 1993 to 1995, the Chrysler TEVan was a limited-production electric vehicle based on the Dodge Caravan; sold to fleet buyers, between 56 and 80 were produced.

For 1994, Chrysler offered a CNG (compressed natural gas) version of its minivan; the fuel tank replaced the spare tire well.

As a first in an American-market large minivan, a driver-side sliding door (originally intended for the first-generation model line, but deleted to reduce costs) was introduced as an option.

Models: The CS is a variant of the RS platform made specifically for the Chrysler Pacifica crossover SUV.

In a major change, the short-wheelbase configuration was dropped, alongside the Chrysler Town & Country, all Dodge minivans were now Grand Caravans.

The first Chrysler minivans to be powered exclusively by V6 engines (in North America), the RT platform marked the introduction of a 4.0 L SOHC V6 and a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The L and LX trim levels respectively adopt the SE and SXT designations from the outgoing Dodge Grand Caravan.