The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica draws a crowd after its introduction at the Detroit auto show.
Photo credit: BLOOMBERG
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles aims to pump new life into a segment it created more than 30 years ago with a new minivan that will carry the Pacifica badge. The comprehensive makeover — new platform, more safety and convenience features — means the retirement of the Chrysler Town & Country nameplate in favor of a design that is part crossover, part wagon and part van. Here’s what analysts, journalists and others are saying about the 2017 Pacifica:
“I’m sick of people hating on minivans. There’s something about two incredibly functional sliding doors that give people this idea that they’ve given up, and given in to family life. But if the van you see here had two fixed rear doors, and maybe an extra inch of ride height, it’d be gobbled up like mad as part of the growing crossover craze. So yes, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica — that’s right, Pacifica — is a minivan. But it’s so packed full of features, technology, and functionality, that you really ought to look past those sliding doors. There promises to be an incredibly rewarding vehicle within.” — Steven J. Ewing, Autoblog
“The long list of changes includes everything from the addition of an optional integrated vacuum (an idea borrowed from the high-end Honda Odyssey) to a new Uconnect Theater rear-seat entertainment system, designed to keep kids happy. The reboot also better positions Chrysler’s minivan offering against competitors including the Kia Sedona, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna. The new Pacifica looks like a minivan, but with sleeker, more sophisticated lines. It is clearly designed to appeal to families who may also be considering a crossover or an SUV.” — Rick Kranz, Edmunds.com
“Chrysler invented the minivan category and still holds substantial market share in this shrinking category. The company also needs to up its game in the alternative energy field. The new Pacifica leverages Chrysler’s minivan history with a forward-looking plug-in hybrid, giving the brand a much-needed shot in the arm. Chrysler had some of the highest incentive spending in 2015. It needs fresh and compelling product to remain competitive in today’s market.” – Karl Brauer, Kelley Blue Book senior analyst
“I’ll admit I was skeptical of the Pacifica when I first heard about it. After all, does America need a new minivan? I’m not sure. After looking at it and studying its features, though, I am kind of into the idea. For as shameful as that might be to write down, if you have to have a minivan, you might as well have the most efficient and techie one … and the Chrysler Pacifica seems to be that.” — Nick Jaynes, Mashable
“The minivan segment has been shrinking, while crossovers flourish, but there are still about a half-million sold annually. While Chrysler held on to nearly 40 percent of those sales last year against strong competition from Honda and Toyota, the best bet for long-term profit looks to be selling fewer minivans at higher prices. There won’t even be a lower-priced Dodge version. If this minivan’s future is based on appealing to more well-heeled households that might change its image, too.” – Consumer Reports
“Chrysler needs to hit a home run with the Pacifica, and the name change could also pose some challenges for the vehicle. … FCA sure could use some healthy numbers from the segment they invented.” – Rebecca Lindland, Kelley Blue Book senior analyst
“Overall, it’s a pretty good-looking car for a minivan, and the interior looks pretty cool. It’s a minivan, so it’s never going to be the most exciting vehicle to drive, but at the same time, practical cars like the Pacifica are the cars that provide all the practicality we need in order to justify owning impractical sports cars. If you’ve got a family, the new Pacifica looks like it’ll be a solid choice for practical transportation.” – Collin Woodard, Road & Track
“There’s still a lot we don’t know about the upcoming 2017 Pacifica family, from pricing to comprehensive fuel economy figures. Further, this new product raises questions about the rest of the FCA lineup — for example, will there be a Dodge version, or will the current Grand Caravan soldier on alongside the all-new Chryslers indefinitely? Is the venerable Town & Country name permanently dead, or will it someday adorn a super-luxe version of this van? … Perhaps most importantly, when can we expect a woodgrain appearance package?” – Graham Kozak, Autoweek
“The Chrysler brand desperately needs new product, as with its limited lineup, it hasn’t experienced the same growth as some of its sister brands such as Jeep. While not a massive volume vehicle, the Pacifica should help endear the brand to people who use their cars as family haulers. Furthering the brand portfolio will help Chrysler tremendously in the coming years.” — Akshay Anand, Kelley Blue Book analyst
“This new Pacifica is nothing like the old one, and it’s even stylistically quite a departure from the Town & Country. The 2017 Pacifica trades the upright, boxy look of the traditional minivan for a low-slung, sleek fuselage look that is smooth and visibly more aerodynamic. There’s more slope to the windows, and it rides on the longest wheelbase in the class. The front end borrows styling cues from the Chrysler 200 sedan, and the back features a change from vertically stacked taillights to horizontal ones. It still looks like a minivan, but it has a lot more SUV style to it than before.” — Aaron Bragman, Cars.com
“Inside, fit and finish looks like a big improvement, with an airy, spacious feel much improved over the rental fleet look of previous models. Drivers get a seven-inch color information display, and there’s an 8.4-inch center screen with the latest version of Chrysler’s excellent UConnect system. A new available rear seat entertainment system includes two ten-inch screens, and access to an assortment of apps and games. An improved version of Chrysler’s second row Stow n’ Go seating is simpler to operate, and access is made easier by hands-free foot sensors under the doors to open them. It’s all packed in a more spacious package, beneath an airy available three-pane panoramic sunroof.” – Jim Travers, New York Daily News
“The name change, Chrysler reasons, was necessary to help ensure shoppers approached the new minivan with an open mind, says Dodge head of passenger car brands Tim Kuniskis. “We don’t want them [buyers] to have any preconceived notions,” he says. Still, we can’t help thinking that the Millennial shoppers who are likely to buy the Pacifica have fond memories of family road trips in 1980s- and 90s-vintage Town & Country vans.” – Jake Holmes, Automobile
“Ditching the Town & Country name is apparently all part of Chrysler’s attempt at avoiding the minivan fatigue of such a known minivan name. Now it’s named after the largest ocean on the planet, because that bodes well for something traditionally large, like a minivan! … Are you a cool parent? Probably not, because you would be driving a Subaru ‘crossover’ and definitely not reading about a Chrysler minivan we all thought died a while ago. But, if you wanted a minivan for all of the space, but with the fuel economy of a hybrid, this is for you. It’s not terrible. If I had seven other people to deal with, I wouldn’t hesitate to check this thing out. And then I’d go to a bar and think about life.” — Justin Westbrook, Jalopnik
You can reach Jack Walsworth at jwalsworth@crain.com.
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