Chrysler brand boss Tim Kuniskis wants the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica to be the new definition of a minivan. But some folks won't think of a minivan when they hear the name Pacifica.
In 2003, the then-DaimlerChrysler introduced the first Chrysler Pacifica, a three-row, all-wheel-drive vehicle that would fit comfortably among the legions of large crossovers now on the market.
The 2004 Pacifica was an early attempt to strike a compromise between the capability of Jeep SUVs and the comfort of three-row minivans.
DaimlerChrysler had high hopes for the vehicle. At the 2002 Detroit auto show, where the Pacifica debuted, then-Chrysler design boss Trevor Creed said: "We wanted to come up with the next big thing ... a vehicle that did not conform to the traditional proportions of a car, sport-utility or minivan, yet featured their best attributes."
Great idea, but the execution was lacking. The Pacifica got high marks for design and interior comfort, but despite boasting V-6 engines the big crossover was underpowered due to lackluster four-speed transmissions.
U.S. sales remained well below the company's projected 100,000 annually. The Pacifica peaked at 92,363 in 2004 and had dropped 42 percent by 2007 to 53,947, when it went out of production.
