Street Life Auto Club

When Jeep introduced a pair of Dodge Caliber-based crossovers called the Compass and the Patriot less than two years ago, purists wailed in protest that Jeep was diluting its brand image. But alas, these very “distractions” might indeed be what saves the brand as it enters the era of unforeseen gas prices and all but the Wrangler risk becoming at least temporarily irrelevant.

Too bad the Patriot and Compass were launched with some of the worst interiors we’d seen since the 1984 Dodge Duster.

Well, evidently, someone inside Chrysler (clearly not the same person that signed off on the original interior) agreed, rushing an interior redo for the 2009 model year.

Chrysler shows a special-edition minivan and a couple of Jeep concepts at the 2008 Paris auto show.

A 25th Anniversary Edition Chrysler Grand Voyager will go on sale in international markets in early 2009. Improvements include a new dark gray interior, satin finishes, wood accents, new leather seats with French seams, and “25th Anniversary Edition” badging. The minivan has new 17-inch wheels, additional chrome, and some tweaks to the steering, suspension, and turbo-diesel engine to reduce emissions.