All-wheel drive joins the options sheet—although some 2020 models will also be available with this feature—and the hybrid powertrain will be offered on more of the Pacifica's trims. Speaking of trims, the Touring L Plus model has been discontinued, and a new Pinnacle trim leapfrogs the Limited to become the Pacifica's top-spec model.
Inside, the Pacifica gains a new 10.1-inch infotainment display with the latest Uconnect 5 interface, which offers Amazon Alexa integration, a customizable home screen, an available wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an interior camera system to help keep tabs on kids in the back seats, and up to 12 different USB ports for charging devices. Driver-assistance features have been added as standard, including automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control, among others.
It's not the quickest minivan we've tested, but the front-wheel-drive Pacifica is far from sluggish (it reaches 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, about mid-pack in terms of performance) and feels plenty peppy around town. In non-hybrid guise, it packs a 287-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Pacifica hybrid makes less total horsepower (only 260 ponies) from its 3.6-liter V-6 and two electric motors backed up by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. In our testing, its zero-to-60-mph time trailed the gas-powered model by 0.5 second. We'll perform instrumented testing on the all-wheel-drive Pacifica soon and update this review with its results.
In addition to being space efficient, a minivan should also be fuel efficient. The Pacifica Limited we tested delivered an impressive 31 mpg on our 200-mile highway fuel-economy route, which is tops for minivans. According to the EPA, the Pacifica hybrid can travel up to 33 miles on electric power and is rated at 84 MPGe combined. Around town, we were easily able to match the EPA's 33-mile estimate. On the highway, the Pacifica hybrid managed 23.4 miles of electric-only driving before the gasoline engine kicked on. We haven't had the opportunity to test the new all-wheel-drive model, but we expect to update this review with test results soon.
Airy, spacious, and packed with cubbies, cupholders, slide-out bins, and connectivity, the Pacifica is big on the features that minivan buyers love. Fit, finish, and materials are several steps above the Dodge Grand Caravan, but a few downmarket plastic pieces lurk inside the cabin. Upscale Limited and Pinnacle models come with a taller center console which blends more seamlessly with the dashboard, giving those trims a more SUV-like feel from behind the wheel. The fancy Pinnacle model comes with quilted-leather upholstery and even offers matching lumbar pillows for the second-row captain's chairs—a feature we haven't seen since the last time the ultra-luxurious Mercedes-Maybach S-class visited our office.
The Pacifica's standard Stow 'n Go seats offer less padding than those in its rivals because they need to fold up compactly enough to fit inside the floor bins. As reparation for relinquishing the Stow 'n Go second row in hybrid models (the battery pack takes up all of the underfloor-storage space), Chrysler engineers added extra cushioning to the standard captain's chairs. When it comes to hauling cargo, the Pacifica doesn't disappoint. We managed to fit 53 of our carry-on suitcases inside with all the seats stowed. A built-in vacuum cleaner is available as an option, but it occupies space that can otherwise be devoted to an optional mini-spare tire.
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