The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is a Better Minivan

The Chrysler Pacifica is the most advanced minivan on the market and it happens to be the first one to have a hybrid powertrain offered.

While most tests are performed in a closed setting to optimize the numbers, a real-world test can reveal that this minivan is even better than you might expect. Let’s take a look at what makes the Pacifica a minivan that could be the perfect choice for you to drive with your family.

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Changes the Weight Distribution

In the standard version of the Chrysler Pacifica, the second row of seats is Stow ‘N Go seats that fold into the floor. This leaves a space where no weight is placed. In the hybrid version, there are 568 pounds of battery weight in this area to give you more weight in the floor and push the center of gravity to the middle of the minivan. This allows the Pacifica Hybrid to feel more planted and more confident when it’s on the roads. This feeling is excellent and allows you to drive the way you want.

Going on the Mountain Roads in the Pacifica

The Pacific Hybrid was recently tested on some mountain roads which made the range of the EV aspects of the vehicle a bit of a challenge. While there didn’t seem to be any driving that took place on only electric power, the initial drive allowed for the minivan to drive for 20.8 miles in EV power when the range stated 31 to start with. The van was able to pick up an additional seven miles of range when coasting down the mountain roads while using the regenerative braking system. This gave the minivan a much closer result to what’s quoted.

A Weekend of Driving in the Chrysler Pacifica

When testing this Pacifica Hybrid during a weekend that resulted in 121.4 miles of driving, the vehicle was able to offer 53.8 miles of driving from the gasoline engine and 67.6 miles on electric power. The minivan was charged twice, which means it was able to reach 33.8 miles of electric range from a full charge during the weekend. This also gave the vehicle a 31.3 mpg rating which is pretty close to the 32 mpg rating that’s offered by the EPA. This means the Pacifica Hybrid is capable of handling the challenge of mountain road driving.

Adding More Comfort for Good Measure

While we admire the Stow ‘N Go seating for the convenience of being able to fold them into the floor the seats are designed for this purpose and not as comfortable as they could be. In the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the seats are true captain’s chairs and more comfortable with more padding than those that are made to store away. This means your passengers in the middle seats of the hybrid version of this minivan will be more comfortable and enjoy the ride, even more, when they travel with you.