Canadians who still love their minivans will find lots of reasons to continue their infatuation as the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica finally arrives in Victoria.
There is no doubt the Pacifica is more refined and up-to date technologically than the Dodge Grand Caravan — which it is supposed to replace.
The biggest hurdle is cost, as the base price of Pacifica is $43,995. That is going to be a tough pill to swallow, given the fact a Grand Caravan is selling for just south of $23,500.
I drove a 2017 Pacifica with major options such as the SafetyTec group, which includes park sense, rear park assist, vehicle blind-spot and cross-path detection ($995) and the Alpine Sound group, with its 8.4-inch screen, 13 speakers 506-watt amp, SXM satellite radio ($1,495). With metallic paint ($195) and Keysense ($175), my vehicle came to $46,855, not including a $1,795 destination charge and $100 AC tax.
Asking minivan buyers to cough up just under $50,000 for their favourite mode of transportation — especially when the outgoing vehicle sells for roughly half that price — is going to take some doing.
Actually, the Pacifica is supposed to replace the Town and Country, the more luxurious version of the Grand Caravan. That’s no comfort for Canadians, who generally opt for the less-expensive Grand Caravan. Our love for the more frugal has prompted Chrysler to offer a Canada Value Package.
In Canada, the Caravan outsells the Town and Country by a margin of more than five to one. In the U.S., the two are almost the same. Given that there is more profit in a vehicle with a higher list price, you can see why Chrysler is trying to push the Pacifica.
There are plenty of reasons to make the switch.
The new body is certainly a far cry from its boxy origins, with folds and creases that give it an attractive yet contemporary look. It will never look like a SUV, but it’s not too far from what some manufacturers call a crossover.
Chrysler is still ahead of the competition in style, because they hide their side-door track along the bottom edge of the rear windows, eliminating the channels on the body that the competition still use.
Another yet-to-be-copied feature is Chrysler’s ingenious Stow ’n Go seats. They were already a standout feature in the last generation, but they are even more so, with fewer pulls needed to drop the seats cleanly into the floor.
In the Grand Caravan, Stow ’n Go was standard on the third row and optional, or available, with different trim levels.
With springs and levers, the seat operation is light, something even a child could operate.
If not in use, the cavities in the floor can serve as storage bins for valuables. My tester came standard with two captain’s chairs for the second row. In the Grand Caravan, the standard second-row seat seating is a truncated bench for two.
The seats themselves seem a notch more comfortable. As I explained in my earlier Grand Caravan review, a minivan can move not just seven passengers, but seven adults, in comfort. Head and legroom would keep the majority of basketball players happy on a road trip, let alone a trip to the recreation centre.
Depending on the trim, a Pacifica buyer can deck out the rear to offer the latest in electronic entertainment, from screens to HDMI ports to ever-important power outlets to run the multitude of video equipment children can’t seem to get enough of.
One of the options is a built-in vacuum cleaner to clean up the byproducts of being entertained in the back seat. No, they haven’t invented a built-in popcorn machine — yet.
The dash is as styled as the exterior, with a large 8.4-inch touchscreen on the dash, which doubles as the back-up screen. My vehicle was “navigation ready,” which typically means it takes a trip to the dealership and parting with some more money to activate it.
Pack rats will love the multitude of bins, sleeves, pockets and cubbyholes carved out of the interior, especially around the front occupants. The bins includes one located between the front seats. Some parents may wish to remove it so as to be able to access the rear seats in a hurry without having to stop the vehicle.
Parents with children will appreciate the pull-up sunscreens built into the tops of the sliding doors. The windows also roll down, giving occupants a degree of control over ventilation.
The doors and rear hatch are powered, opening and closing with a gentle tug or press of a button. The rear hatch clears people up to about six-foot three, but watch out for low garages.
The engine is not new. It is the same 3.6-litre V-6 Pentastar found in the Grand Caravan, although Chrysler engineers managed to find four more horses and two more foot-pounds of torque, to 287 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque.
Towing remains the same, at 1,633 kilograms.
The transmission adds three more gears, to nine speeds. The extra gears help drop fuel consumption to 12.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 8.4 on the highway.
The Pacifica is quieter than its predecessor as well, both at idle and at speed. The power steering is an electrically assisted unit.
The Pacifica has gone through a substantial weight-reduction program, replacing hidden items such as suspension links with aluminum. The side doors also make use of the lighter material. Overall, it has dropped approximately 86 kilograms.
There is no doubt that the Pacifica is the one to beat in the minivan segment. Its combination of innovation and practicality is unrivalled. The big question is cost. At double the cost of the vehicle it is supposed to replace, it will be a tough sell to frugal Canadians. It will make sense to kill off the Town and Country, replace it with the Pacifica and keep the Grand Caravan alive.
If you are looking for the best minivan on the market today, buy the Pacifica. If you are looking for the best value, buy the Grand Caravan — while you still can.