2027 Chrysler Pacifica Redesign Barely Qualifies, But I Think There’s An Upside

Given the best way occasions have unfolded, I usually really feel like time stopped within the yr 2016. But for the Chrysler Pacifica, that’s really the case. Since its arrival a decade in the past as a 2017 mannequin changing the Town & Country, the Pacifica has carried on with minimal updates as the remainder of Chrysler eroded round it. When Chrysler celebrated its 100^th anniversary final yr, the Pacifica was the final mannequin left sporting the model’s winged badge (until you depend the Voyager, which was the identical van bought underneath a distinct title, with older styling).

A minivan looks like a very weak basis for a automotive model within the yr 2026. Image-conscious households fled for SUVs way back, leaving solely the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, and Toyota Sienna as competitors for the lone Chrysler. And Kia refuses to name the Carnival a minivan, preferring the (equally boring) time period “multipurpose car.”

And whereas the Pacifica will get a refresh for 2027, the adjustments are minimal. There’s new styling up entrance, however not anyplace else. The lineup is compressed, dropping the Pacifica Hybrid and Voyager, and a few choices are reshuffled. That should not be ample for the final mannequin from a dying model, in a dying section. But remarkably, it’s.

After a lot teasing from Chrysler, the updates for 2027 are the definition of anticlimactic. Styling adjustments are restricted to new headlights and a reshaped grille, and people solely seem on the Select, Limited, and Pinnacle trim ranges. The Pacifica LX base mannequin (previously the Voyager) retains the decade-old look, skipping even the entrance fascia from the Pacifica’s final refresh for the 2021 mannequin yr.

There’s a extra minimalist Chrysler brand as effectively, which is the one approach you may inform from the again that you are looking at a 2027 mannequin. It additionally seems on the steering wheel as the one change to the inside that every one prospects will get. A brand new Blue Agave coloration for the non-obligatory leather-based upholstery can be accessible, and whereas it was a refreshing change from the same old black or tan, it additionally clashed with the check automotive’s Hydro Blue paint.

It’s embarrassing that Chrysler mum or dad Stellantis waited this lengthy to roll out such a weak refresh. Even having it prepared one yr earlier, for Chrysler’s centennial, would have made issues appear much less dire. But it is not shocking. Stellantis and predecessor Fiat Chrysler Automobiles performed this sport earlier than with the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Dodge Charger and Challenger. The Pacifica’s predecessor, the final-gen Town & Country, lasted eight years, albeit partially due to its maker’s chapter. And as soon as once more, Stellantis would possibly simply get away with it.

It might not be new, however the Pacifica remains to be good. That’s partly as a result of it is competing within the stagnant minivan section, and partly as a result of Chrysler did a great job designing it within the first place.

The Pacifica does not look dated on the skin. It’s a handsome car that wears its minivan-ness proudly with out resorting to styling gimmicks just like the Odyssey and Sienna, or SUV kitsch just like the Carnival. It’s additionally aggressive with these vans with regards to inside house, whether or not we’re speaking about passengers or cargo. Available fold-flat third-row seats and the signature Stow ‘n Go second row that disappears into the ground make utilizing that house so much simpler. And you may still get a built-in vacuum cleaner.

The inside is unquestionably beginning to look dated design-wise, however even that is not a nasty factor. The reasonably-sized touchscreen and plethora of buttons and knobs is likely to be holdovers from an earlier stage of technological evolution, however they’re nonetheless as straightforward to make use of as they have been a decade in the past. Nicely framed by wing-shaped vents that echo the Chrysler brand, the touchscreen integration additionally appears to be like so much cleaner than these in many more recent vehicles. Why designers and product planners determined to do something completely different stays a thriller.

There was additionally nothing that wanted altering about the best way this minivan drives. With its well-damped, comfy experience to enrich its spacious inside, the Pacifica carries on the legacy of the New Yorkers, LeBarons, and Newports that after crammed Chrysler showrooms. If the B-52s wrote their hit “Love Shack” immediately, the lyrics would nonetheless make sense. This Chrysler “seats about 20” in a lot larger consolation than ones on the highway in 1989.

Instead of the ocean-swell flop of a standard American land yacht, the Pacifica takes corners with out drama. Body management normally comes second to tender damping when tuning for consolation, and is simply plain exhausting to attain in a car with a tall middle of gravity that additionally wants to hold plenty of folks or stuff. But that is precisely what you get right here, teamed with steering that is not the sharpest, however helps preserve smoothness. I really like a solo drive on a abandoned stretch of twisty highway, however generally it is good to carry folks alongside for the experience—and never make them car-sick.

With the Pacifica Hybrid gone, the only powertrain is the acquainted 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, linked to a nine-speed computerized transmission. Front-wheel drive is commonplace, with all-wheel drive accessible on all however the base LX mannequin. With 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, the V6 pulls enthusiastically and musically, with a pleasant exhaust be aware unmuffled by turbos. Standard lively noise cancellation filters out undesirable noises and makes conversations with third-row passengers straightforward.

It might not look as athletic as some crossover SUVs, however the Pacifica is best to drive than lots of them. And in case you’re critical about utility, it is so much simpler to dwell with.

Most folks do not dwell the lively life depicted in SUV advertisements. I did not use the Pacifica to hold mountain bikes to the trailhead, nor did I fill it with tenting gear. But I did use it to maneuver a two-foot disco ball, and to shuttle friends from airport to resort to venue for a household wedding ceremony. The Pacifica did all of it with poise of a well-drilled catering workers. Sliding doorways and the mix of a tall roof and car-like experience top meant passengers did not have pressure themselves to get in, or duck to succeed in the third row. This Pinnacle mannequin did not have Stow ‘n Go on account of its fancier seats, however these second-row captain’s chairs nonetheless did not intrude with third-row entry when slid ahead.

Even with the third row in place, there was sufficient room for 2 weeks’ price of bags for 3 folks, because of the deep effectively the seats fold into when stowed. That might be performed with one button contact in larger trim ranges, and an influence liftgate is now commonplace for 2027. With that liftgate open, not having to shot-put objects over a tall rear bumper was additionally useful.

In-car tech is best than one would possibly anticipate in a decade-old car, however are there some areas that might use updates. The 10.1-inch touchscreen is not one among them. As famous above, it is a cheap dimension, and the Uconnect 5 infotainment system nonetheless contains wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Uconnect’s graphics are decidedly dated, however they do not impression usability.

Another anachronism was the Pacifica’s rear-seat leisure system, a part of the non-obligatory Theater Group package deal. It’s unclear why automakers nonetheless promote built-in displays when each individual has a cellphone or pill, however for 2027 Chrysler at the least made the wise resolution to decouple the Theater Group from the Family Tech Group, which incorporates extra sensible options like further USB ports and energy shops and an upgraded audio system, in addition to a rear-facing digicam for maintaining a tally of children within the again seats.

Turn-signal-activated blind-spot cameras are new for 2027, however the digicam view reveals solely the touchscreen, not within the instrument cluster, as a result of the Pacifica nonetheless has analog gauges on all trim ranges. A bodily button for the surround-view digicam system would have additionally been appreciated, because it did not routinely activate with the parking sensors. And these sensors have been a bit too, effectively, delicate. A hands-free driving system—like those Detroit rivals Ford and General Motors have—would even be an enormous plus for highway journeys.

It’s not essentially new know-how that is lacking from the 2027 Pacifica although. Chrysler already had a plug-in hybrid model, and whereas the variety of recollects related to it point out that nobody ever discovered the right way to construct it correctly, the absence of this extra fuel-efficient mannequin nonetheless leaves a gap within the lineup.

Badged because the Pacifica Hybrid, it teamed the Pentastar V6 with a two-motor hybrid system and 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack. It wasn’t accessible with Stow ‘n Go or all-wheel drive, and was down 27 hp from the non-hybrid mannequin. But it had an EPA-rated 32 miles of electrical vary, and was rated at 30 mpg mixed in hybrid mode. The non-hybrid 2027 mannequin is rated at 22 mpg mixed (19 mpg metropolis, 28 mpg freeway) with front-wheel drive and 20 mpg mixed (17 mpg metropolis, 25 mpg freeway) with all-wheel drive.

The distinction between the town and freeway numbers is vital right here. I averaged 17.1 mpg in largely suburban driving, seemingly as a result of the transmission could not keep in its highest gears. Extra-tall gears for freeway cruising assist enhance gasoline economic landscape, however provided that you spend numerous time at freeway speeds. The Pacifica does have an engine begin/cease system, but it surely primarily prevented the local weather management for working effectively on muggy days and nights. This would not be an issue for the Pacifica Hybrid, which may draw energy from its battery pack to run equipment when the engine’s off.

The Pacifica could also be very outdated by auto-industry requirements, but it surely nonetheless has every thing one may need in a household automotive, and at cheap costs. The base LX mannequin begins at $43,490, which is greater than a Kia Carnival however barely lower than a Honda Odyssey (Toyota did not have 2027 Sienna pricing accessible on the time of writing). The LX nonetheless has the outdated styling, however with the identical powertrain and infotainment system as the opposite fashions, in addition to Stow ‘n Go seats.

The carryover trim ranges really get worth decreases. The Select begins at $45,540, which is $1,000 lower than the 2026 mannequin. The Limited is $1,710 lower than earlier than, at $49,990. All-wheel drive prices $2,995 ($350 lower than earlier than) on the Select, Limited and Pinnacle. The latter is now accessible with front-wheel drive as effectively, successfully decreasing its base worth. The automotive you see right here is an all-wheel drive Pinnacle with $495 Hydro Blue paint, retailing for $60,395.

It’s straightforward to criticize an automaker for laying aside redesigns, particularly one that hardly has a pulse. But there’s numerous that going round now. Mercedes simply gave its current-generation GLE and GLS their second refresh. Most of Volvo’s lineup is sort of as aged because the Pacifica, as is the Mazda MX-5 Miata. And that is okay. Newness only for the sake of newness does not assist anyone.