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Chrysler Pacifica Essay

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The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica arrives this spring.

If you thought the minivan segment was in its death throes, you aren’t alone. Last year, segment sales fell by 8 percent in a market where overall sales climbed by more than 5 percent.

However, much of that drop can be attributed to a shutdown at the Fiat Chrysler (FCA) plant in Ontario, Canada early in 2015 explains GoodCarBadCar.net. That cessation allowed FCA to retool the plant to prepare for an all-new model, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, now in production.

The minivan market is certainly a small one, with just over 500,000 units sold in recent years. In 2000, just before the crossover SUV craze took hold, manufacturers sold a record 1.37 million units according to Bloomberg. In 2009, that number plummeted to just 415,000 models sold, due in part to an overall collapse in vehicle sales.

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FCA’s most profitable models are its Jeep and Ram products. Minivans are lucrative too, especially when sold in greater numbers.

The end-game strategy for CEO Sergio Marchionne is to make his company more appealing to partners. Marchionne has made it clear that his company’s future lies in the arm of a well-heeled suitor.

New 9-Speed Automatic Transmission

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica does have something in common with the outgoing Town & Country: both models are powered by a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine. This engine makes 287 horsepower and 262 foot-pounds of torque.

Notably, the transmission has been changed with the Pacifica getting Chrysler’s new 9-speed automatic, replacing the previous 6-speed. That improvement will result in a boost in fuel economy to 18 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway; up from the previous 17/25 mpg city/highway.

Exterior and Interior Highlights

PHEV Variant Arrives

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