(matching the Ford Windstar, bested only by the GM APV minivans). In the redesign, no body panels were carried over, with all three brands adopting new model badging. A central feature of the redesign (later becoming a standard feature on some trim levels) was the driver-side sliding door. While first used on compact minivans, including the Nissan Stanza Wagon and Nissan Axxess, the NS-platform minivans were the first mid-size minivans to adapt the feature. Though again using a 3-track mounting system for the sliding doors, the system was redesigned to consume less interior space; the exterior door track was hidden below the side windows. In addition to its styling, the function of the liftgate was changed for the first time, with an exterior handle available for the first time, eliminating the pop-and-lift maneuver of the two previous generations (adapted from the K-car station wagon). The exterior door handles were redesigned, switching from a flip-up design to a pull-out design. Alongside the exterior, major changes were made to the interior of the NS-platform minivans. Again offered with 7 passenger seating, the latching system for the 2nd and 3rd row seats was redesigned; in a single motion, owners could release 2nd and 3rd-row bench seats by floor latch, raising them onto rollers to move them out of the vehicle (the lighter 2nd-row bucket seats did not have them). For the first time, the seatbacks of front bucket seats folded forward. The mounting positions for the third-row seat were moved inboard, matching the second row, eliminating a separate set of seat mounts on the floor. While styled far differently from its 1995 predecessor, the dashboard of the NS-platform minivans adopted a similar layout to the second-generation minivans. For the first time since 1988, each Chrysler minivan shared the same steering wheel (among the only Chrysler Pentastars visible to the driver). While the glovebox was enlarged, the underseat storage drawer made its return as an option for vans with manual passenger seats. For vans with power-adjusted passenger seats, a locking storage compartment mounted to the side of the seat was offered in lieu of the drawer as a result of the power adjustment mechanism. As a first for minivans, the NS minivans introduced dual-zone climate control (as an option) and adjustable cupholders. Safety The 1996–2000 Dodge Grand Caravan received a "Marginal" rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 40 mph offset test. The