I’m fortunate to be able to test cars as part of my work. A few months ago this intersected nicely with the Pacifica Hybrid Blog when I spent a week with the 2021 Pacifica Pinnacle AWD.
Chrysler has shaken up its minivan offering for the 2021 model year. The venerable Dodge Grand Caravan reached the end of the line after 12 years of service and has been replaced by a new Chrysler Grand Caravan based on the Pacifica that was first launched in 2016 – the same shape as mine. Meanwhile the 2021 Pacifica gets an appealing new front end, new lights, some interior tweaks and an AWD option for the first time.
2021 Pinnacle AWD side-by-side with Baymax, a 2018 Hybrid
The latter development is a great weapon in the armory when trying to convince people that an SUV isn’t always the answer. Unfortunately, the drive battery’s underfloor packaging means that there’s no AWD Hybrid available, but on the plus side this was a chance for me to compare regular and Hybrid Pacificas back-to-back for the first time.
Some of you reading this will already be Pinnacle owners but this was also my first time with this trim level (Baymax is a Limited). Chrysler has certainly gone all-out for the “living room on wheels” aesthetic. The result for me was a mixed bag. Personally, I wasn’t sold on the caramel leather, but others will doubtless prefer it to the black seats in my own car. The loose passenger lumbar cushions look great but are a bit gimmicky. The Stow ‘n’ Vac is a handy addition and the combination of Uconnect 5 and Type-C USB ports definitely brings the connectivity right up to date. I prefer the older instrument binnacle though – maybe it was unfamiliarity but the Pinnacle’s dials seemed harder to read.
It might seem trivial but the biggest step up over my car is the new Ultra centre console. What I would perceive as the wasted area in and below the lower dashboard in the older models is transformed in the Pinnacle with the new two-tier setup. I’ve always felt that my car’s combination of stowage slots and drawers in the lower-central dash, plus the low-sided floor stowage bin out of which items regularly fall (not great when it’s that close to the pedals), was an area ripe for a redesign. The new Ultra console rectifies this by integrating with the lower dash and providing a higher flat area on which to place your phone, keys, whatever, while retaining a lower pass-through storage area. It’s not necessarily a much bigger space, just a more usable one.
The kids noticed a change in the second row, too, where the central stowage drawer now pulls out by an additional 64mm (2.5in). We found that especially handy when it came to them reaching for drinks. There are new apps on the Uconnect Theater screens – chess was a particular favourite – and parents of younger kids will appreciate the FamCAM rear-seat monitor.
Rear drawer now pulls out further for easier reach. Credit: Chrysler
It was interesting to spend a week with the gas-only AWD powertrain, whose installation appears to come with no obvious penalty to the car’s practicality. I immediately missed the electric’s instant response and torque, and somehow the on-centre steering feel wasn’t as good, either. Official figures show the AWD drivetrain uses around 14% more fuel than the FWD gas model and more than twice as much as I average with the Pacifica Hybrid. I got overall consumption of 11.5L/100km in a week of mostly city driving in the Pinnacle AWD, which is lower than the 14.1L/100km official combined figure. I certainly didn’t relish having to fill the tank again at the end of the week!
I’m sure AWD will be attractive to some buyers though, especially if you live down an unpaved road or near steep hills that prove problematic on snow or ice, even with winter tires fitted. The Pacifica AWD is not a serious off-roader but the 20mm (0.78in) of extra ride height over the FWD car, which is just about visible in the comparison photos I took, combined with AWD traction, should prove useful in the right conditions.
I’m sure AWD will be attractive to some buyers though, especially if you live down an unpaved road or near steep hills that prove problematic on snow or ice, even with winter tires fitted. The Pacifica AWD is not a serious off-roader but the 20mm (0.78in) of extra ride height over the FWD car, which is just about visible in the comparison photos I took, combined with AWD traction, should prove useful in the right conditions.
Would I swap my PHEV for the Pinnacle AWD? I think you know the answer to that, but I recognize that it’ll be a good solution for others. I’d absolutely look at an AWD PHEV though, providing there wasn’t a major compromise to the load space. As it is, Toyota’s Sienna Hybrid is the only AWD minivan in the market right now that doesn’t guzzle the gas. Until next time!