PERFORMANCE AND POWER IN A MINI VAN
SUV driver says Chrysler’s new Pacifica is ‘best suited for adventure’
After driving the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, Gerald Tonellato said it’s time to introduce a new vehicle segment.
“Calling this a minivan just doesn’t do it justice,” the Calgary driver said. “Maybe something along the lines of sports family vehicle or sports van? I don’t know, but something that describes a vehicle that’s best suited for adventure, and not a minivan where you’re just picking up groceries.”
That sentiment is just what the Pacifica’s maker, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, was hoping to achieve; the company believes its new vehicle reinvents the minivan market.
This isn’t the first time consumers have seen the Pacifica name. Chrysler used it in the past on a mid-size CUV that ran from 2004 to 2008. The name was dormant until Chrysler retired its Town and Country minivan, replacing it with the redesigned-from-the-ground-up and rebranded Pacifica.
Riding on an all-new platform with dynamic sheet metal sketched on a fresh sheet of paper, there’s nothing stale about the Pacifica. Powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, the vehicle is available in five trims: base LX, Touring, Touring-L, Touring-L Plus and Limited. The vehicle will also soon be available as a plug-in hybrid.
“I was immediately impressed with the Pacifica’s style and presence,” Tonellato said of the very well equipped Pacifica Limited he drove for a week, costing $62,340 before taxes. “It was very streamlined, and the windows blended nicely with the body lines — some of these new vehicles look odd that way.”
The van was finished in an optional $195 colour Chrysler calls Billet metallic; it’s a pewter silver hue, and one that Tonellato quite likes as it helps hide dust and road grime.
Raised in Calgary, Tonellato learned to drive using his dad’s 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air. His own first vehicle was a 1983 Kawasaki 550 motorcycle, followed by a 1981 Chevy van and then a 1983 Chevy Silverado pickup, a truck he still owns. After marriage and with children on the way, Tonellato bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee and was introduced to the sure-footedness of fourwheel drive.
Involved in plenty of outdoor activities, including camping and volunteering with the Mount Norquay ski patrol, Tonellato moved into large SUVs. He now has a 2003 GMC Yukon XL as a daily driver and weekend highway vehicle. His wife, Lisa, drives a 2006 VW Jetta.
In practical use, the Pacifica offered easy ingress and egress for Tonellato, who is five-foot-10.
“It’s a big door that opens up with lots of space to allow you to slide into the vehicle,” he said. “The driver’s seat (covered in perforated Nappa leather) is nice and comfortable, with a great design for the armrest and headrest, and plenty of adjustments to make it quickly adaptable.”
All controls were intuitively located, and it took Tonellato only a few minutes to become oriented with the dash controls, including the dial-style transmission gear selector.
“I thought it would take some getting used to, but it’s just ‘setit-and-forget-it’ easy to use,” he said.
The V6 engine provided effortless power around town and on the highway, while the ninespeed automatic transmission was smooth, with barely noticeable shift points.
Tonellato drove east to Strathmore on the Trans Canada Highway, and said the level of comfort in the cabin was exceptional — and exceptionally quiet. Regardless of the driving situation, the front-wheel-drive-only Pacifica felt solid and secure. There was no body roll in the corners, and the steering responded predictably to all inputs.
The expansive greenhouse provided good sightlines around the vehicle with no blind spots, and the Limited comes equipped with a blind-spot monitoring system. One of the options on Tonellato’s Pacifica was the Advanced SafetyTec Group, which added lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, among a host of other goodies.
“I had to get used to the lanekeeping assist,” Tonellato said. “I could see how it could get bothersome, but I also grew to like it.”
To understand how comfortable the Pacifica might be for all passengers, every seat was tested.
“I sat in the third-row seat, and I thought it would be quite comfortable for a passenger back there,” he said. “Those rear seats and the second-row seats were fully adjustable, and very functional. As the front- and secondrow seats are all buckets, they help provide a sense of isolation between the passengers, too.
“There’s lots of storage space with the third-row seats in use, but you can drop that row with the push of a button and load up the back. It certainly has the functionality of a larger vehicle, but it has a smaller footprint and a more economical engine.”
When handing back the keys, Tonellato said he was impressed.
“It fits people, hauls plenty of gear and has more than enough power,” he said. “I walked away thinking this vehicle was kind of cool, and overall changed my perception of the minivan segment.”