10 Things You Should Know About the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Limited S ・ Photo by Chrysler

Chrysler Corporation invented the modern minivan in the early 1980s, and nearly 40 years later, the Chrysler brand continues to innovate in the segment. The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is an excellent example of the breed, offering an unmatched combination of style, performance, comfort, utility, and technology.

This year, the 2021 Pacifica gets numerous updates to improve upon its already-appealing recipe. It comes with more standard safety features than ever, a better infotainment system than ever, more luxury than ever, and greater capability in the snow than ever. In short, the updated and upgraded 2021 Pacifica is the best Chrysler minivan ever. And an argument could be made that it’s the best minivan ever, period.

1. It's one of the only minivans with AWD.

If you live where it snows, you probably want all-wheel drive. Chrysler delivers with the Pacifica, and the only other minivan to offer the added traction of AWD is the redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna. You can’t get this feature on the 2021 Honda Odyssey or 2022 Kia Carnival.

Unlike the hybrid-only Sienna with its electronic AWD using a single rear motor, the Pacifica pairs a rear-axle-disconnect AWD exclusively with the minivan’s robust 287-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6. The Pacifica AWD is more powerful, but with an EPA fuel economy rating of 20 mpg in combined driving, it is also less efficient. And by a significant margin, since the Sienna gets 35 mpg in combined driving. But, as you’ll see on the next page, Chrysler does Toyota one better as long as you don’t require four driven wheels.

Photo by Chrysler

2. It's the only minivan with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid isn’t your typical gas-electric hybrid. It’s a plug-in, which means you can drive it on electricity when you’re running local errands, yet you can load the family up and take a cross-country road trip without ever plugging it in.

Here’s how it works. When convenient, plug the minivan in to charge the battery pack. When fully recharged, it supplies up to 32 miles of pure electric driving. When the battery reaches a minimum state of charge, the gasoline V6 engine starts, and the 2021 Pacifica Hybrid operates just like a typical hybrid vehicle while returning 30 mpg in combined driving. Now that’s what you call a win-win.

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3. You can operate the liftgate and sliding doors hands-free.

If you own a minivan, the chances are good that you’ve got your hands full both literally and figuratively.

For situations related to the former, Chrysler provides a hands-free power rear liftgate for the Pacifica. Just hold your foot under the rear bumper, and as long as you’ve got the key with you, a sensor will power the liftgate open to make it easier to load cargo. But about when you’ve got a kid in each arm? And they’re sleeping? Don’t worry. The 2021 Pacifica has a solution for that, too. Simply swipe your foot under either of the sliding doors, and they’ll power open for you.

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4. There’s lots of ’stowing.‘

Chrysler knows you’ve got stuff to stow. So the automaker makes sure that with a 2021 Pacifica, you can Stow ’N Whatever. First up are the Pacifica’s Stow ’N Go seats. Like with other minivans, you flip the third-row bench into a well in the floor to create extra cargo space. But, unlike with other minivans, you can do the same thing with the second-row seats.

Those same in-floor second-row seat storage wells double as Stow ’N Go Storage for other things. However, neither the Stow ’N Go second-row nor the Stow ’N Go Storage is available for the Pacifica Hybrid because that’s where the battery pack lives. Up top, Chrysler offers the innovative Stow ’N Place roof rack, which stores the crossbars within the roof rails for a cleaner look and a quieter cabin when you don’t need them. Lastly, when clean-up day comes, and it’s time to rid the Pacifica of cracker crumbs, dog hair, and whatever else your family dragged into the van, the available Stow ’N Vac integrated vacuum takes care of business.

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5. Uconnect 5 brings the technological bling.

For 2021, the Chrysler Pacifica gets a new and exceptionally sophisticated Uconnect 5 infotainment system.

Compared to the old Uconnect 4 and its 8.4-inch touchscreen display, Uconnect 5 provides a 10.1-inch touchscreen with dramatically improved graphics. The Android-based system is, according to Chrysler, five times faster in terms of processing time. This means it loads quicker, responds immediately to input, and offers speedy voice recognition. Additional highlights include Bluetooth support for two smartphones simultaneously, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Alexa Built-In, and Uconnect Market, through which you can access payment apps for gas, parking, food, and more.

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6. The dual-screen Uconnect Theater keeps the movies in the back.

Uconnect Theater is one of the better rear-seat entertainment systems available today. It comes with two 10.1-inch touchscreen displays mounted on the front seatbacks. You can play embedded games, watch a Blu-Ray disc or a DVD, attach devices using the dual HDMI or USB ports, stream content (sadly, not with an iPhone), and more.

Better yet, wireless headphones allow front-seat occupants to listen to something other than Warrior Cats for the hundredth time (that’s my situation; your repeat offending content may vary). And when you’re on family road trips with a group playlist, the Pacifica’s available 19-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system puts what you’ll find in other minivans to shame.

Photo by Chrysler

7. The FamCam helps settle squabbles.

Chrysler takes rear-seat occupant monitoring to the next level with its new FamCam, which supplies a high-definition, multi-angle view of the people sitting in the second- and third-row seats.

Is there a territorial dispute erupting in Third Rowlandia? You can serve as both judge and jury thanks to the FamCam. Want to check to make sure the sun isn’t piercing the retinas of a toddler riding in a reverse-facing car seat in the second row? FamCam comes to the rescue. You can even zoom in to view a single seat or choose the split-screen view to monitor the hijinks happening in each row.

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8. Safety comes standard.

For 2021, Chrysler makes 14 safety features newly standard on the Pacifica. In terms of driving assistance technology, every Pacifica now includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, a forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic forward emergency braking, a lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. Optional upgrades include front and rear parking sensors, automatic reverse braking at low speed, a surround-view camera system, and self-steering parking assist for parallel and perpendicular spaces.

Due to the Pacifica’s new headlights and standard safety technology, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hasn’t fully rated the 2021 model. It performs well in terms of crash protection, but until a further examination is complete, the Pacifica hasn’t yet earned a Top Safety Pick designation. In testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Pacifica earns a five-star rating and performs at the highest levels in all crashworthiness tests.

Photo by Chrysler

9. The Pinnacle model has its own pillows.

The top Pinnacle trim is new to the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. It adds a substantial dose of luxury to the van, complete with second-row seat pillows just like Grandma’s car had.

Caramel-color premium leather covers the first two rows of seats, with quilted bolsters, perforated inserts, and gray piping. The door panel inserts and center console armrest match and collectively provide deep contrast against the black interior, piano black dashboard accents, and dark headliner. Satin chrome detailing and unique interior trim complete the look. Naturally, the Pacifica Pinnacle is loaded with everything, which you’d expect for $54,885 (including destination charges). The only options are an engine block heater, a towing package, and a protective film for the rear bumper to protect against scratches.

Photo by Chrysler

10. A Chrysler Voyager is the same thing, but cheaper.

If you like the Pacifica but need a minivan, the Chrysler Voyager is the same thing but without all the goodies. Think of it as a bare-bones basic Pacifica, and you’ve got the idea.

In fact, up until the 2021 model year, the Voyager and Pacifica shared the same styling. But whereas the Pacifica gets a restyle for 2021, the Voyager does not. It comes in L and LX trim levels and carries a base price of about $29,000 — before you apply discounts — compared with $36,000 for the base Pacifica. 

Photo by Chrysler