Chrysler (8)
The minivan, once a shining beacon of the automotive future when they first gained prominence in the 80s, has seen better days. The SUV craze has taken over the auto world, and poor old minivan has generally gotten the cold shoulder.
But wait, that’s not quite true. Some manufacturers remain committed to the segment, and one company that never really left the segment and still represents it strongly is FCA. To follow up on their longtime minivan successes the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, the company a couple years back introduced the Chrysler Pacifica, and have seen strong success in the category since then.
I recently spent time in a 2018 Pacifica, and I’m back with a full report on how it compares in the segment, for those who still love the sliding doors and a perfect setup for half the baseball team.
The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica is now available with a new attitude, courtesy of the S Appearance Package. featuring black accents inside and out.
“The Chrysler Pacifica definitely stands out in the school drop-off line, and its class-leading style has won over many new customers,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat, FCA – North America. “The Pacifica’s S Appearance Package takes that style to the next level and offers our customers yet another unique personality that further differentiates Pacifica from the rest of the segment.”
The Pacifica’s S Appearance Package features Gloss Black accents throughout the exterior, including grille surrounds, eyebrow accents on headlamps, daylight opening molding and rear valance molding. Eighteen-inch wheels with a Black Noise finish are standard, while 20-inch Black Noise wheels are available. The Chrysler wing badges on the front and rear are Black Noise with a Gloss Black insert, while the “Pacifica” and “S” badges in the rear are also in Black Noise. A black roof rack is optional on the Touring Plus and standard on other trim levels equipped with the S Appearance Package.
Inside, the S Appearance Package includes black seats with Light Diesel Gray accents and the “S” logo; Light Diesel Gray stitching and Piano Black accents on the steering wheel; and Light Diesel Gray stitching and Anodized Ice Cave bezels on the instrument panel and door trim. All other interior elements are fully black, including the front overhead console, headliner, visors, second- and third-row cargo lighting bezel, A-pillar trim and center console.
The Chrysler Pacifica S Appearance Package is available for $595 U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) and can be added to any Touring Plus, Touring L, Touring L Plus or Limited models. The 20-inch Black Noise wheels can be added to any model equipped with the S Appearance Package for an additional $995 MSRP. The S Appearance Package will be available to order in dealer showrooms this fall.
The Chrysler Pacifica also receives additional updates for the 2018 model year, including standard SafetyTec across all gas and hybrid models, upgraded Uconnect 4 systems with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and available 4G LTE Wi-Fi (late availability).
-- Press release courtesy of FCA
Chrysler has announced the addition of the Touring Plus model to the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lineup.
“The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica arrived in dealerships a year ago, and in that time, it has both resonated with our current minivan customers and brought new minivan buyers to the brand,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat, FCA – North America. “The addition of the new Touring Plus model to the Pacifica lineup builds on this success, delivering another option to meet the needs and price point of more customers.”
The Pacifica Touring Plus model includes features like a power liftgate, three-zone automatic temperature control, premium fascia, projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, fog lamps, second- and third-row sunshades and universal garage door opener.
Judges called this year’s Canadian Green Car Awards process, “the tightest competition in its five-year history,” with six vehicles now vying for the overall title to be announced Friday, April 7 at the Green Living Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
“We’re truly thrilled that Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has been named the best ‘Efficient Three-Row Family Vehicle,’ by the Canadian Green Car judges,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO, FCA Canada. “No other vehicle in the marketplace can match Pacifica Hybrid’s combination of seven-passenger seating and game-changing efficiency, plus advanced safety technology and overall utility.”
The all-new, made-in-Canada 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid electrifies the minivan segment, adding an innovative, advanced hybrid powertrain to the Pacifica’s no-compromises combination of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling.
Let’s be blunt: Chrysler (and parent company FCA) have a lot riding on its new 2017 Pacifica minivan.
With the impending disappearance of the Chrysler 200 sedan, the Pacifica will soon be one of only two remaining Chrysler nameplates (the other being the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan). Sure, there is also a hybrid version of the Pacifica available (and a rumored all-electric version coming in the future), but if you’ve only got two vehicles in your portfolio, they better be great and they better be selling.
WIth that in mind, Chrysler has worked hard to make the all-new Pacifica (a replacement for the long-running Town & Country minivan … not a reboot of the Pacifica crossover that stopped production after 2008) as competitive as it can be vs. the other minivans and boatload of SUVs available to families.
Did FCA and Chrysler do enough to make it work? I just spent some time in a Pacifica and I’m back with a full report to let you know.
The industry’s first-ever electrified minivan, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, rolled off the line at the FCA US Windsor Assembly Plant (Ont.) on Dec. 1, further expanding the Company’s leadership in the segment.
The launch of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid marks another milestone for the Windsor plant as it is the first electric vehicle to be built on its assembly line.
“The nearly 5,900 employees at Windsor Assembly are bringing more than 33 years of minivan production knowledge and expertise to the launch of the Pacifica Hybrid,” saidBrian Harlow, Head of Manufacturing, FCA – North America. “They understand, now more than ever, how critical it is for our manufacturing processes to be directly connected to our diverse and expanding customer base.
“Building the Dodge Grand Caravan, the Chrysler Pacifica with the traditional gas powertrain and now the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid on the same assembly line requires the expanded application of World Class Manufacturing methods and tools to ensure we deliver world class quality in every vehicle we make,” said Harlow. “The Windsor team is proud to build the industry’s first hybrid minivan, and is confident that it will provide a positive and delightful experience to our future customers.”
Since launching the first minivan in 1983, the Windsor plant has built 10 million of the more than 14.3 million vehicles that have been sold to date.
While the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica reinvented the minivan segment, the Pacifica Hybrid builds on its functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling with the addition of electrification technology, making it the most fuel-efficient minivan ever for hauling people and cargo.
The hybrid version of the sixth-generation family hauler will deliver a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved range of 33 miles solely on zero-emissions electric power from a 16-kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. The Pacifica Hybrid also earned a fuel-economy rating of 84 miles-per-gallon-equivalent (MPGe) from the EPA, reflecting the vehicle’s combined city- and highway-cycle performance in electric-mode only, as tested.
“Minivan drivers travel an average of around 30 miles each day, meaning that most Pacifica Hybrid owners will be able to complete their daily activities solely on electric power,” saidTim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat, FCA - North America. “For those longer weekend trips, the 33-mile all-electric range combined with a full tank of fuel will deliver an expected total range of 566 miles, alleviating the potential of any range anxiety.”
The battery pack – neatly packaged under the second-row floor in a unique battery case to retain maximum interior volume for both passengers and cargo – may be fully recharged in as little as two hours using a 240-volt plug-in system.
As the original creator of the minivan more than 33 years ago, FCA US has transformed the segment with firsts – notching 78 innovations through the first five minivan generations. With the introduction of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid, FCA US adds 37 minivan firsts to its portfolio for an unprecedented total of 115 innovations in the segment, including the industry’s first minivan available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid models feature a unique front grille pattern and wheel design, as well as distinctive badging and an exclusive Silver Teal Pearl Coat paint, differentiating it from the rest of the Pacifica lineup.
FCA US invested $2.6 billion USD to develop the Pacifica, including its hybrid counterpart, with $744 million USD (over $1 billion CAD*) allocated to the plant to add floor space, retool and upgrade equipment.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybridpricingstarts at $34,495 with available U.S. federal tax credit, not including state and local incentives, and will begin arriving in dealerships over the next several months.
* Based on currency exchange rate of 1.37% as of December 2015
-- Press release courtesy of FCA
You can’t always judge a book by its cover -- Exhibit A is the 2015 Chrysler 300S.
At first glance it’s attractive and high-class looking, and roomy enough for a small family; but you wouldn’t expect it to do what it can do -- and once you drive it you’ll find out that what it can do is fly.
Minivans were once an almost required vehicle for American families, but they have been mostly replaced in recent years by SUVs. With so many options to choose from, the number of companies offering minivans has gotten smaller.
In fact only one of the traditional Detroit Three still offers a standard minivan, that being the Chrysler family -- which has been in the minivan business since the very beginning. There are currently two in the family (Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country), but the Dodge variety will soon be going away.
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