SW17LS

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...ago-auto-show/

2021 Chrysler Pacifica gets all-wheel drive, Uconnect 5 and... throw pillows?

At the Chicago Auto Show, one of our favorite family haulers gets mildly SUV-like styling, all-wheel drive and a raft of new safety and tech gear. Plus, pillows.

Chris Paukert

February 6, 2020 9:13 AM PST

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Enlarge ImageLooks good, but maybe a bit more anonymous.
Steven Pham/RoadshowAfter putting tens of thousands of miles on both long-term gas and Hybrid models, it's fair to say we at Roadshow know the Chrysler Pacifica well. It's also fair to say that we love this minivan -- it's one of the best of its breed. But with more and more new-car shoppers trading the segment's practical sliding doors and sensible-shoes reputation in favor of less efficient and frankly less practical SUVs, Chrysler is looking to increase its minivan's appeal by adopting some utility-vehicle hallmarks. Enter the new-look 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, which is debuting at this week's Chicago Auto Show with blockier, more SUV-like styling and -- more importantly -- available all-wheel drive.
Enlarge ImageYep, throw pillows.
Fiat Chrysler AutomobilesBeyond those two major changes, there's a whole host of tech, convenience, luxury and safety updates that should be welcome news to all shoppers, be they van enthusiasts or vanophobic. On the luxury front, there's a new range-topping model that sits above the Limited, dubbed Pacifica Pinnacle. It includes quilted Nappa leather seats, satin trim and even a pair of leather-covered throw pillows, just like a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. In terms of safety, Chrysler is claiming its new baby offers more standard security features -- 97 -- than any other vehicle in the business, sliding doors or no. All told, the 2021 Pacifica is available with up to 116 safety features.

About that new look

We've already thrown a bunch of superlatives the Pacifica's way in this story, but we're going to pump the brakes for a moment on this van's new look. An informal survey of the Roadshow editorial team reveals that we're not sure if the new, less-rounded front end is better looking than the model currently in showrooms. We appreciate the fact that the new light fixtures are all LED regardless of which model you opt for, but the enlarged grille and more traditional face don't seem to fit quite as well as the original design. The redesigned rear end, however, is markedly better, with attractive and modern-looking full-width taillamps headlining the visual changes.
2021 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle AWD out-luxes your minivan
73 PHOTOSIt's not that the new look is a terrible development, it's just that the old one was so good-looking that it might not be clear to everyone that the 2021 model is an improvement. It's also not immediately clear that the designers' intent to give the Pacifica more SUV-like cues has translated into the sheetmetal. (For anyone with memories of GM's ghastly redesigned GMT201 minivans of the mid-2000s, this might actually be a good thing.)

Like all Pacificas since the start of the 2017 model year, the 2021 model is powered by FCA's well-liked 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, tuned in gas-only models to deliver 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque matched with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The Pacifica's class-exclusive plug-in Hybrid model returns, utilizing a version of the same V6 tuned to run on the Atkinson cycle for better efficiency. Packing a pair of electric motors, total system horsepower is rated at 260, and the 16-kilowatt-hour battery is again expected to deliver 80 MPGe and around 30 miles of electric-only range. Unfortunately, you can't get the plug-in Hybrid model with all-wheel drive, at least not yet.
Enlarge ImageNote the new 10.25-inch UConnect 5 display and "Timber Hydro" wood trim.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Optional all-wheel drive

The Pacifica's new development in the drivetrain department is all-wheel drive, a nifty class option shared only with the aging Toyota Sienna. Aside from any obvious badging, you might be able to spot an AWD model on the street by slightly higher ride height (20 millimeters). The new system only engages the rear wheels when necessary, and it can route 100% of the engine's torque to the rear axle if necessary.

The American Axle-sourced hardware includes a rear-axle disconnect feature that stops the driveshaft from rotating to improve efficiency. The system will automatically activate when front-wheel slippage is detected, and it'll also preemptively engage under hard acceleration or abrupt steering inputs, or even when the temperature drops or the wipers are switched on. Most impressively, FCA's engineers have somehow managed to maintain the Pacifica's Stow n' Go seating, which requires carving out sizable wells in the floor for the second-row seats to flop and fold into.

FCA says AWD models tip the scales at 4,883 pounds, a substantial 362-pound weight increase over front-wheel-drive models. Part of that's the extra driveline componentry, but it's also due to an enlarged 18-inch brake package, self-sealing tires and unique front and rear suspension calibrations that include a new rear stabilizer bar.

2020 Chrysler Pacifica AWD?

In an unusual move, FCA will also make this new AWD system available for a limited window of time in the current-model-year 2020 Pacifica -- the pre-facelift model. In the next 60 days, FCA will open up 2020 Pacifica AWD orders to dealers, but only for a period of around 90 days. That should carry the company through to the third quarter, when the new 2021 model featured here will come online.
FCA's UConnect 5 packs OTA updates, wireless CarPlay and is 5G ready
6 PHOTOS

Uconnect 5 cabin

With minivans, it's all about what's on the inside, and the Pacifica has always had one of our favorite cabins. For 2021, there are some solid quality-of-life improvements, and they aren't all just clustered around the ultra-lux Pinnacle model (although that model's exclusive Ultra Console is both swish and massive, having a third more capacity than the already generous regular unit). The big news is that the Pacifica will be among the first to get Uconnect 5, the latest generation of FCA's easy-to-use touchscreen infotainment system.

Uconnect 5 features a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen with improved resolution and processor power. The new hardware includes built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant functionality, dual-source Bluetooth, plus available wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There's even a 4G-LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and up to a dozen USB-A and USB-C ports on offer. Finally, there's a newly personalizable home screen to highlight commonly used functions (with multiple user profiles) and an optional new FamCam interior monitor with zoom function that allows front-row passengers to keep an eye on the kids in the back -- even those in rear-facing child seats.

If it's beginning to sound like the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica might just be a shoo-in for one of the most practical and family-friendly vehicles in the world, you're reading the details of this midcycle refresh the way we are. We'll need to get full pricing and some solid wheel time to know for sure if the AWD system and the new Uconnect systems are genuinely worthwhile additions, but all signs point to one of our favorite large vehicles getting even better. Well, other than that new front-end appearance...
2021 Chrysler Pacifica S gets snazzy new looks
29 PHOTOS

Toys4RJill

It’s definitely nice. The design is very good. Love the pillows. But it has crappy long term reliability (which is the norm for Chrysler anyway)

JDR76

It looks good and I like the rear cabin camera views. AWD is a good move.

But I just had a Pacifica rental in December and there's no way I'd consider one. Squeaks, rattles, some very weird (and loud) steering issue. Space and layout were good, but quality was shockingly bad.

SW17LS

Yeah, I can tell you first hand about that, I wouldn't buy another one for sure.

I'm a little dubious about the decision to close in the center console. Having had that on the Sedona and not having it on the Pacifica, in a minivan I prefer the big open area to put stuff.

situman

Yea I'm not sure how closely related the Grand Caravan is to the Pacifica, but dang the body flexes like it was held together by bubble gum. Adding AWD is a great move and the new Sienna can't come soon enough. If the Odyssey ever decides to follow suit with AWD, it is game over for the Sienna.

pbm317

Since Pacifica has shift by wire, this at least still has some more storage than the Sedona one.

mmarshall

Count me in with those who think the new front end looks better than the old wing-grille up front.

I was going to bring up the question of AWD vs. keeping the Stow 'N Go seat-folding, but I see that was addressed in the article. That, of course, was a choice one had to make with Chrysler minivans years ago. Good to see that the engineers have found a way to integrate the two...folding-space under the floor for the seat-wells and the rear drive-shafts/differential. Besides, for several years, the Toyota Sienna has been the only minivan in the American market with an AWD option.

Almost 4900 lbs. fully-loaded.....that's a lot of pork for a minivan. Hope the powertrain/brakes/suspension/underpinnings are up to it.

Throw-pillows? Even with the nice matching factory-logo, probably a gimmick, unless one has a bad back and needs them for support and pain-reflef.

SW17LS

The Pacifica is an entirely different vehicle than the Grand Caravan, and much better. I have no issues with drivability of our Pacifica, and it’s still pretty solid. My issues are all reliability.

if it weren’t for the the reliability issues I’ve had I would get this. Would be very hard for me to roll the dice again though.

Toys4RJill

lots is things are a gimmick. The pillows are a nice touch

SW17LS

Yeah the pillows are goofy lol. I tell ya though, there are a LOT of people who drive these things with no kids and post on the Pacifica forum, i bet there will be people who will buy that with no kids and love those pillows. They’d make more sense with a lounge seat like you get in the Sienna or the Sedona then they do with those stow n go seats which are thin and not very comfortable.

AWD I would get for sure. Depending on cost I would
probably get the Pinnacle also, if only for the regular console armrest. I hate skinny minivan pull down armrests.

SW17LS

No stow n go for the Pinnacle I just saw, so that’d be a deal breaker for me so Limited it would be.

mmarshall

Like I said, the pillows may (?) come in useful for those with back or sciatica problems. Otherwise, I see little practical use for them. They basically just say "Look at me.....I'm different from all the other minivans" .

Toys4RJill

Comfort. Long drives. All sorts of things. It’s a nice touch.

mmarshall

Even though I don't have kids and it doesn't affect me, I'd like to see the engineers come up with an updated, modern version of the nice pull-down child-car seat that the Chrysler minivans used to have.....that was a real Godsend for some parents. We've had several posts, in previous threads, on how and why that option was discontinued....so I won't get into that discussion again. But, seems to me that he if the engineers can solve the Stow-N-Go vs. AWD problem, they can eventually solve the problem of building an integrated car-seat that would meet current or future DOT/NHTSA requirements.

SW17LS

We’ve talked about this before. Pull down car seats are not safe in a modern world. There are much stricter requirements for car seats now, and it’s not feasible to build them into a car. Plus requirements are always changing, and anything built into a car would be quickly obsolete

What I have seen which is smart is a built in BOOSTER, Volvo’s have that and that’s very slick. But built in harness car seats just aren’t feasible today.