News Source: topspeed.com

FCA  has officially pulled the covers off its completely redesign minivan, sporting all new look, a vastly improved interior, and a slew of new technology, entertainment, and safety features – all riding on an all new platform. It’s so new in fact, FCA calls it the Pacifica.  Gone is the Town & Country  name along (with what FCA hopes) is the stigma about driving a minivan. 

It’s no secret Chrysler  basically invented the minivan segment back in the 1990s. The 1990 Town & Country revolutionized family travel, combining the space and versatility of the then-popular full size van with a car-like driving characteristic wrapped in a medium-sized package. Thirty years later, the minivan is suffering against the crossover  SUV  with young, hip parents choosing style over functionality – refusing to “give up” and buy a mommy-mobile.

It’s also blatantly obvious FCA is shooting for the moon with hopes of erasing that stigma of minivans. The new 2017 Pacifica wears a very attractive face, welcomes passengers with an upscale interior, and even offers a hybrid version that appeals to the eco-friendly crowd.

Will the Pacifica be enough to reignite the minivan segment? Perhaps. Chrysler has typically ran the segment, even in recent years with its aging Town & Country. Honda  , Kia,  Nissan,  and Toyota  offer highly competitive products, though none seem on the same level as the Pacifica. If any automaker has the chance to impact minivan sales, it’s FCA.

Understanding this naming swap is key to grasping what FCA intends for its new minivan. Automakers don’t often abandon storied nameplates with hard-earned brand equity and familiarity with consumers. Just ask any random person on the street to name a minivan. I’d wager eight out of 10 folks would blurt out, “Town & Country.” It’s a name synonymous with the family-friendly carry-all that’s been parked in suburban driveways for 30 years. So why drop it?

It’s precisely the fact that the Town & Country has been parked in driveways for 30 years. The folks buying family-friendly vehicles today are the one who grew up with their parents having a Town & Country in the drive. Defaulting back to that might seem old-fashioned or dull. Plus, nobody wants to willingly drive the official vehicle of mom jeans and spilled Cheerios.

Adopting the Pacifica name is meant to inject newness into FCA’s minivan. Now buyers can opt for an FCA minivan without calling it a T&C. At least that’s the theory. Now exactly why FCA chose the Pacifica name is beyond me. The last vehicle wearing that badge was an absolutely dull, ho-hum crossover plagued with reliability issues that lived and died in that awkward mid-2000s time period before the market collapse of 2008.

Look at it. No seriously, look at it. Drop all your pre-conceived notions of what a minivan is, and look at it. It’s a completely new take on the family hauler, with it sharing not one inch of retro design or carry-over thinking. It’s sharp, it’s chiseled, it’s – dare I say – good-looking. Yep, the Pacifica is lightyears ahead of anything ever carrying the Town & Country name.

The front has obvious ties with the Chrysler 200 sedan, with its swoopy chrome accents, projector beam headlights, and modern feel. The front sends shapely body lines rearward, specifically a handsome crease that runs front the fog lights over the front wheels, and creates a slight ledge just under the side windows. An equally handsome body line comes off the front wheel and intersects the door handles before swooping downward at the rear.

Chrysler’s new-age designs aren’t scared of chrome, and the Pacifica is no different. Chrome lines the front grille’s shapes, runs the perimeter of the side windows to help show off their unconventional shape, accents the lower sections of the side doors, and caps the design via the roof rails. The rear stays fairly monochromatic, with only a slim piece of chrome along the lower bumper.

FCA’s current fetish with piano black accents is found here as well. The B- and C-pillars, along with a welcomed accent on the D-pillars helps further modernize the design. Even the wheels have a smoky chrome appearance. Of course, the exterior lighting is accented by LEDs. The headlights have LED daytime running lights underlining the bottom rime, while the taillights wouldn’t look out of place on a modern Dodge vehicle.

All told, FCA designers have moved the bar for the minivan segment. The Pacifica looks high-class, high-tech, and highly appealing. It abandons the old mommy-mobile feel for something more – something desirable – something cool. And that’s exactly what FCA needs.

The Pacifica offers 10 color choices that include Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat, Bright White Clear Coat, Molten Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Velvet Red Pearl Coat, Jazz Blue Pearl Coat, Dark Cordovan Pearl Coat, Tusk White Pearl Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat and Silver Teal Pearl Coat. That Silver Teal Pearl is only available on the hybrid version.