cars news 10: Taking a Closer, Technical Look at the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Before I joined the automotive circus, I worked at Chrysler engineering the NS (’96-’00) minivan. So I geek out whenever a new minivan appears—as do my former boss, her boss, and his boss. We’re all still pals, and we all eagerly convened to examine the new Pacifica. Perennial guest COTY judge Chris Theodore served as minivan platform general manager circa 1990-1991, Herm Greif was executive engineer, and Camille White was my manager in advance vehicle packaging.

Camille and I worked to drastically lower the instrument panel and improve visibility versus the early S and AS vans. Relative to her current-gen (RT) van, she found the Pacifica’s visibility superior, but Herm found the A-pillars awkward to climb in under. We unanimously deemed the seats roomier and more comfortable, but Herm found the 1.25-inch lower side door openings harder to climb through now that curtain bags and the Pano-roof mechanism crowd the A/C vent ducts we put up there in the NS. Herm noted that the optional vacuum displaces the compact spare, whereupon Chris remembered having mocked up a vacuum on a minivan concept just before the NS came out. Camille lamented the loss of power vent windows in the way back, and of the 115 innovations Chrysler claims for its minivans, we counted 18 that have been abandoned. Some we truly miss, like the integrated child seats, Autostick (or some means of gear selection), and optional all-wheel drive.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround undercarriage view

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround undercarriage view 04

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround undercarriage view 03

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround undercarriage view 02

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround rear cargo

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Herm Greif

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Herm Greif checks interior

With the Pacifica on a lift, we tried to assess the ease with which AWD could be added. (I was told it was package-protected for it.) Herm and Chris agreed it looks complicated. There’s space between the Stow ’n Go wells now, but a prop shaft will displace the exhaust, and accommodating the rear diff and half-shafts will require redesigning many parts of this first independent rear suspension on a Chrysler minivan.

Speaking of, Chris had an IRS mocked up back in the day, but the toe-steer was out of control when loaded. Not so now! We marveled at Chrysler’s riff on Ford’s longitudinal control blades, which get elaborate dual-axis ride-isolation bushings that apparently work wonders. We also spied a conspicuous mass damper puck in front, which Chris felt didn’t completely eliminate an occasional idle vibration. We unanimously decreed this to be the best-driving Chrysler minivan yet. Does it leapfrog the competition like our NS did? I’ll leave that assessment to a Motor Trend Big Test.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround front interior view

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround front engine view

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Frank Markus interior view

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Chris Theodore interior talk

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Chris Theodore Frank Markus Camille White

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Chris Theodore Frank Markus and Herm Greif

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Chris Theodore and Frank Markus

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Walkaround Chris Theodore adjustable rear seats

Minivan Innovations Abandoned by the Pacifica

Chrysler published a list of 115 innovations it claims were minivan-segment firsts, 37 of which made their debut on the new Pacifica. Chris Theodore points out that many of the items on that master list appeared on the Ford Flex he also helped design ahead of their appearance on Chrysler’s minivans, but of course the Flex’s long schnoz and slightly lower roof stake a claim in the SUV/CUV realm. The next Pacifica says goodbye to 18 of those 115 innovations.

First minivan to offer selection of engines, V-6 or four-cylinder (1987); even the PHEV version will get the Pentastar V-6
First minivan to offer all-wheel drive on front-wheel-drive platform (1991)
First minivan to offer integrated child seat (1992)
First minivan to offer windshield wiper de-icer (1996)
First minivan to offer adjustable reclining rear child seat with molded seat cushion (1996)
First minivan to offer Flexible Fuel Vehicle availability, ethanol/gasoline (1998)
First minivan to offer Auto Stick transaxle (1999)
First minivan to offer removable, powered center console (2001)
First minivan to offer pop-up rear cargo organizer (2001)
First minivan with split-bench third-row reclining tailgate seating (2004)
First minivan with Overhead rail system with movable/removable storage bins (2004)
First minivan with Swivel ‘n Go seating system (2nd row seats swivel 180 degrees rearward) (2007)
First to offer removable, two-part sliding front console (2007)
First minivan with a removable, rechargeable LED flashlight (2007)
First minivan to offer SIRIUS Backseat TV with network programming (2008)
First minivan to have available FloTV with 20 channels of network programming (2010)
First minivan with an integrated “super” console for first and second row passengers (2011)
First minivan to include a selectable fuel economizer mode (2011)