The updated 2021 Chrysler Pacifica minivan comes with more safety features, bigger and better tech, available all-wheel drive, an available hybrid powertrain, and a new loaded Pinnacle trim that costs $ 54,885, including $ 1,495 destination.
On average, the upgrades to the family hauler amount to a $ 1,000 increase over the 2020 model in Touring, Touring L, and Limited trims.
As a much roomier and more functional alternative to three-row SUVs, the Pacifica has been TCC’s Best Minivan To Buy every year since 2017. That should continue, even as the value proposition erodes and the top Touring and Pinnacle trims can be had in either all-wheel drive or as a plug-in hybrid, but not together, and not with the standard V-6 in front-wheel drive.
At the base level, the 2021 Voyager continues as FCA’s budget minivan with third-row seats that fold into the floor, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It gets a $ 250 price bump to cost $ 28,730 or $ 31,540 for the LX trim, but driver assist systems such automatic emergency braking cost extra. The fleet-only LXi model is $ 34,740. Chrysler calls it a separate model but it’s pretty much the same thing stripped of any features and powered by the same 287-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 with a 9-speed automatic transmission powering the front wheels.
In addition to that standard engine, all Pacificas come loaded with standard safety features, including LED headlights, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control down to a stop, lane-departure warnings, blind-spot monitors and more. Standard convenience features include power sliding doors, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a faster Uconnect 5 operating system, AppleCarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and seating for up to eight passengers, though seven is standard.
For the first time, except for a limited introductory run at the end of last year, the Pacifica comes with available all-wheel drive across the lineup for an extra $ 2,995. While that helps it compete with the 2021 Toyota Sienna—the only other minivan with all-wheel drive that now comes standard as a hybrid—the 2021 Pacifica with all-wheel drive still come with Stow ‘n Go seats that fold into the floor for a large flat cargo area.
The Touring model costs $ 36,540 or $ 39,535 for AWD. The plug-in hybrid with up to 32 miles of range but without Stow n’ Go second-row seats costs $ 41,490.
The 2021 Pacifica in Touring L comes with leather seats, heated front seats and steering wheel, and USB ports for second-row riders. The gas model in front-wheel drive is $ 39,640; AWD is $ 42,635; the plug-in hybrid is $ 43,790.
In a reversal from Touring and Touring L trims, the plug-in hybrid models are cheaper than all-wheel drive versions of Limited and Pinnacle trims. Limited models either come in AWD for $ 49,885, or as the plug-in hybrid for $ 47,340.
New for 2021, the Pinnacle trim jumps the $ 50,000 shark to cost $ 52,340 for the hybrid or $ 54,885 for AWD. It comes with quilted nappa leather on all three rows of seats, lumbar pillows for the second-row captain’s chairs, a massive tiered console, wood trim, suede headliner, and other appointments for families who aren’t wary of having nice things.
On the other side, Chrysler is discounting the 2020 Pacifica by up to $ 3,500 through the end of September.
Built in Windsor, Ontario, the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager will be available in the fourth quarter this year.
