The US automaker has one of the most challenging jobs inside Stellantis – come back from the brink of death with the full force of a treasured and storied brand. For now, they are playing low-key with what they have, and it's really not that much.
So, the brand right now consists of just three vehicles – the 2023 Chrysler 300 sedan kicking off at $35,515 and two minivans. The latter is the 2023 Pacific Plug-In Hybrid, starting at $51,095, and the 2023 or 2024 Pacifica, going for $38,020 or $38,425, respectively. That's it – nothing else.
The only one that entered the 2024MY, as you see, is the Pacifica and did so at the beginning of the month with minor upgrades and some reshuffled grades – like Touring L and Limited trim levels were ousted from the Pacifica PHEV roster and the plug-in hybrid will be offered with the Select and Pinnacle trims.
Interestingly, at the end of August, Chrysler celebrated Pacifica PHEV number 100,000 as it rolled off the assembly line at the Windsor Assembly Plant in Canada – that's in less than seven years of production. But the anniversaries don't stop there – now the American brand is also celebrating a more important milestone: 40 years of "minivan memories."
And it marked the occasion with the start of production for the 2024 Pacifica and Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid. Stellantis may be taking credit for the milestone, but the originator of the celebration is the former Chrysler Corporation – its first minivan, a Plymouth Voyager – came out of the production line at Windsor Assembly on November 2, 1983. That 1984 model year paved the way for more than 15 million MPVs sold by the multinational automaker!
According to the company, these 40 years have seen no less than 117 minivan innovations, and the Pacifica PHEV started Chrysler's (prolonged) road toward electrification, which is set to continue with the "first all-electric Chrysler vehicle in 2025 and an all-electric Chrysler brand portfolio in 2028." Chrysler's Pacifica gas gathered at least 175 "honors and industry accolades," the most in the minivan category over the past seven years.
Interestingly, as interest continues to shrink and since there aren't a lot of competitors left in the MPV field, Chrysler is not bothering to invest in a special series, a pack, or a limited-edition model to celebrate the four decades of minivans. Instead, all we get is the 2024 model year Pacifica and Pacifica PHEV, which can only be had with the new Select and Pinnacle trims plus two new exterior colors (Red Hot and Baltic Gray) and a new Sepia interior color for the premium Pacifica Pinnacle. Additionally, the Select version can also be upgraded with the S Appearance, Premium S Appearance, and Road Tripper Package.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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