Chrysler may be changing the minivan game
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum: Changing the minivan game again? Price: $47,885 as tested; a panoramic sunroof added $1,795.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes the “legit all-electric range, normal driving experience, Uncle Sam's mail-in rebate makes it a steal” but not “no second-row Stow 'n Go, still looks like a minivan.” Marketer’s pitch: “America’s first-ever hybrid minivan.” Reality: As efficient as advertised, but is it the total package? Bringing efficiency to the
masses: Now that everyone from Volvo to BMW is looking to hybrid power — a gasoline engine coupled with an electric motor and plenty of battery backup, plus the ability to charge from a wall socket — it was only a matter of time before someone realized the minivan was the ideal place for this setup.
Minivan buyers are by definition looking to get the most people/ kids/animals/stuff/nerdiness from Point A to Point B most efficiently, coolness be damned.
That Chrysler brought this to us first — something that had been designed into the Pacifica even before its initial introduction as a gasoline-only model late last year — shows the kind of thinking that was evident when Chrysler first initiated the front-wheel-drive, mainstream minivan in the mid1980s. Kudos to them.
A long test: We had wanted to see Maine for years now and wanted a different location for a summer family vacation. Unfortunately, Sturgis Kids 2.0 and 3.0 both had work commitments that wouldn’t allow them to join us, but four of us in two cars traversed 500 miles to Boothbay to get us some “lobstah” and salty air, a perfect test for the Pacifica Hybrid.
Double power: The 3.6-liter V-6 e-Hybrid engine is coupled to an unusual setup in the hybrid world, the e-Flite electrically variable transmission. Total output is estimated at 260 horsepower.
According to Fiat Chrysler’s website, “the device features two electric motors — both of which are capable of driving the vehicle’s wheels.” Usually hybrids have one motor designed as a generator and another that powers the wheels.
Shiftless: As noted, the transmission is unlike most others. It’s also operated by a dial, which some have panned, but which I’ve grown to like over the years.
So, how far? How does the Pacifica Hybrid do in squeezing the most out of a gallon of gas?
Pretty darn well. The minivan came to me with a trip computer recording more than 1,500 miles. It had run the gasoline engine for about half of those miles; it had used only the electric motor and
battery power for the other. The average? 33.5 mpg. In our case, we didn’t get to plug in nearly as often and used the engine in a 2-to-1 ratio over the motor. We averaged 30 mpg in 1,250 miles, and I ran the vehicle pretty darn hard for most of the trip, as I usually do.
During an initial 80-mile trip using only the engine and whatever power from the regenerative brake system, I averaged almost 28 mpg. So Chrysler has moved the needle on efficiency.
Friends and stuff: On the bright side, the second row gets comfortable captain chairs. On the not-sobright side, the batteries replace the Stow-And-Go seats in that row. They’re still standard on the third row.
Legroom is great all around. Headroom as well.
Cargo room is 140 cubic feet, about 10 percent less than the Sienna, the granddaddy of all minivans.
On the road: The Pacifica Hybrid sports the same nonsporty steering as the gas version. Moving around a driveway or a parking lot feels like playing a poorly designed video game.
But handling on the road is fine, if not exciting. Using one hand to steer can be tricky if you’re not paying attention, though.
Play some tunes: The standard Pacifica stereo system offers excellent sound and is fairly user-friendly for something that’s almost all inside the touchscreen. The backup camera is excellent.
Where it’s built: Windsor, Ontario.
How it’s built: Consumer Reports gives the Pacifica 2 out of 5 for a predicted reliability rating, with no separate rating for the Hybrid.
A recall for the battery diode has sidelined some Pacifica Hybrids and stopped production, but a spokesperson says they’re shipping to dealers.
In the end: I may regret this, but in spite of the previous two paragraphs, I’d still like to get a Pacifica Hybrid.