Once the flagship of the Chrysler Corporation, the namesake brand is running on life support. The downfall started to become apparent when the late Sergio Marchionne blasted the people who penned the 200 for copying Hyundai, but problems go way deeper than that.
You see, Chrysler activates in only two segments for the 2021 model year. One of them is sedans, the other comes in the guise of minivans. About the latter, the Voyager opens the list with a starting price of $27,235 excluding freight, but at the very top of the lineup, the Pacifica in Pinnacle specification costs $50,845.
Yes, that’s completely right, dear reader! Chrysler is selling a more expensive people carrier than the most luxurious trim level of its full-size sedan, the 300S V8 that retails from $41,395 excluding destination charge. If that’s not uncanny, then I don’t know what is. Be that as it may, Doug DeMuro has understandably accepted the automaker’s invitation to review the minivan.
As the headline implies, the quirks and features are over the top in the Pacifica Pinnacle. From the diamond stitching on the seats to the diamond-stitched leather pillows with the Chrysler logo printed into them, the range-topping version is undoubtedly luxurious. A vacuum cleaner is also worth mentioning, along with adult-friendly legroom for the third-row seats.
The biggest change for 2021, according to DeMuro, is the Uconnect 5 infotainment system. Larger and more powerful when it comes to processing power, the touchscreen “feels like a smartphone” in terms of responsiveness. The highlight feature of the Pacifica Pinnacle’s Uconnect 5 is the FamCam, which uses cameras to display the second- and third-row seats on the central screen to check out if the kids are behaving.
All-wheel drive is offered exclusively with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. The plug-in hybrid is front-wheel drive, whether you like it or not, which is a bit of a missed opportunity for Chrysler in my opinion. Toyota's 2021 Sienna, for example, is a full hybrid as standard and all-wheel drive is offered as an optional extra.
Last, but certainly not least, “the driving experience feels very minivan-like” according to DeMuro. “It’s just fine.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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