By Auto Trends Auto Editor

2017 Chrysler Pacifica HybridDelivering unparalleled levels of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling, the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica redefines the minivan segment. As the original creator of the minivan more than 30 years ago, FCA US LLC has transformed the segment with firsts – notching 78 innovations through the first five minivan generations. With the introduction of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica, FCA US adds 37 minivan firsts to its portfolio for an unprecedented total of 115 innovations in the segment.

“The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is truly a no-compromises minivan, giving customers everything they need or want,” said Timothy Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands, and FCA – North America. “We started from the ground up to design the most technologically advanced minivan, which offers bold styling, class-leading ride and handling, and unmatched fuel economy, with the Pacifica Hybrid delivering efficiency as good as 2.9 Le/100 km in city driving. The all-new Chrysler Pacifica was thoughtfully designed and engineered to provide unsurpassed levels of comfort, convenience, technology and functionality, making it the perfect combination for modern families.”

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica was re-engineered from the ground up on an all-new platform, delivering class-leading ride, handling and performance. Its body structure is the lightest and stiffest in its class, making it more responsive with lower levels of body roll and enhanced agility to absorb and distribute road inputs. Class-leading aerodynamics contribute to the Pacifica’s unsurpassed fuel efficiency.

The all-new Pacifica is engineered and executed to deliver a “vault-like” interior environment with low levels of wind noise, road noise, and related vibration/harshness characteristics. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is standard on all models to further heighten the Chrysler Pacifica’s refinement factor during a comfortable daily commute or an extended road trip with family and friends.

The Chrysler Pacifica boasts the largest interior volume in the segment, with clever storage, available eight-passenger seating, and – a requirement with all generations of FCA US minivans – the ability to fit an 8 x 4-foot sheet of plywood.

The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan features a choice of two powerful, efficient and advanced powertrains – the segment’s first hybrid vehicle, and the next-generation of the award-winning Pentastar V6 gasoline engine, which is mated to a segment-exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission. The Pacifica Hybrid, the industry’s first electrified minivan, will deliver an estimated range of 48 kilometres (30 miles) solely on zero-emissions electric power from a 16-kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. In city driving, it is expected to achieve an efficiency rating of 2.9 gasoline litres equivalent per 100 kilometres (Le/100 km) or 97 Imperial miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.

The pivotal technology behind the all-new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is its innovative electrically variable transmission (EVT). Patented by FCA US, the device features two electric motors, which are both capable of driving the vehicle’s wheels.

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is available in four models and the Pacifica Hybrid in two models, and is built at the Windsor Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario.