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AUTO REVIEW AUTO REVIEW

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

By Stephen Schutz, MD

By the time you read this, Fiat Chrysler Corporation (FCA) will will remind you of the price differential every time you get in it.
have been acquired by Peugeot SA (PSA), joining Peugeot, Citroen, Driving the Pacifica is also good but not great, but it’s better than
DS, Opel, and Vauxhall in an ever expanding stable of automotive a GMC Denali because minivans (sorry, FWD-based vans) have less
brands. mass and lower centers of gravity than large SUVs. Obviously, the
It seems like a rare win-win in the automotive M&A world. PSA Pacifica is no sports car, but it is pleasant to drive around town and
has been ably led by CEO Carlos Tavares since 2014, and they have on the highway. (It’s especially good on the highway, by the way.)
successfully integrated the venerable Opel and Vauxhall companies One change I would make, if I could, would be to lose the con-
that they purchased in 2017. So they were ready for their next ac- tinuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT is more fuel effi-
quisition when they proposed a merger with FCA in early 2019, and cient, to be sure, but it drones under acceleration and just feels not
FCA needed a partner with scale who could take their good parts quite right. A standard automatic like the 9-speed included in non-
and make them even better. Hybrid Pacificas would be better.
Nevertheless, PSA was actually FCA’s second choice as a partner. Speaking of fuel efficiency, the Pacifica Hybrid gets 32MPG City,
Carlos Tavares’ former boss and mentor, Carlos Ghosn, former CEO 33 Highway, and gas-electric combined 84MPGe. Much of the
of Renault-Nissan, was deep into negotiations with FCA in 2018 credit for those good numbers goes to the plug in part of the Hybrid.
when he was arrested in a Japanese sting operation orchestrated by Because of that, the Pacifica Hybrid can go all-electric for around 30
Nissan, ending a deal that would have created the biggest automaker miles on a full charge, which for me meant that I ended up going
in the world. back and forth to work without using any gasoline at all since I have
Two-plus years after the Ghosn arrest, which I still believe was a short (7 mile) commute. An owner who plugs in every night and
one of the stupidest corporate decisions ever, Nissan and Renault uses their Pacifica Hybrid mostly to zip around town running er-
continue to shed market share, and both brands seem destined to be rands and taking kids here and there could easily go about their lives
absorbed by competitors—Nissan by Toyota and Renault by PSA hardly ever going to a gas station.
(just my opinion FWIW). Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) enthusiasts encourage everyone to
Anyway, FCA will undoubtedly help PSA, and not just because ditch internal combustion engines (ICEs) right now, but with recent
absorbing FCA gives PSA ownership of perennially profitable Jeep electric power outages in California and a stretched grid elsewhere
and Ram, but also because FCA has some excellent products unre- it seems prudent to retain an ICE backup in case your local utility
lated to those brands. runs short on electricity. The Pacifica Hybrid takes care of that.
Like the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan I just tested. The Paci- Nevertheless, the additional complexity of a battery pack, electric
fica is the latest Chrysler minivan, and it’s a good one. Featuring nu- motor, and a lot of extra software means that there’s more in the Hy-
merous innovative features and storage solutions (although the brid that could go wrong.
famed “Stow N Go” second row seats are unavailable in the Hybrid The PSA-FCA merger is likely to provide the strong Jeep and
because that’s where the battery pack is located), the Pacifica is per- Ram brands a more robust foundation on which to build, but PSA
fectly designed for parents and grandparents who have to lug kids is gaining more than just those two makes, as my time with the
and their paraphernalia around hither-and-yon. Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid proved.
Not only is the Pacifica’s interior cleverly designed, but it’s big—
big enough for 7 people and their gear—which reminds me to As always, call Phil Hornbeak, the Auto Program Manager at
quickly get this off my chest: vehicles this cavernous inside should BCMS (210-301-4367), for your best deal on any new car or truck
not be called “mini”. They’re just not. brand. Phil can also connect you to preferred financing and lease
The Pacifica, despite its many clever storage innovations, can’t rea- rates.
sonably be called premium inside. Even in its highest trim it’s nice
and comfortable but no GMC Denali wannabe with materials Stephen Schutz, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterol-
throughout the interior and dashboard that are good but not great. ogist who lived in San Antonio in the 1990s when he was
Of course, any Denali will be significantly more expensive than the stationed here in the US Air Force. He has been writing
Pacifica Hybrid, which starts at just over $41,000, but the Pacifica auto reviews for San Antonio Medicine since 1995.

40 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • January 2021 Visit us at www.bcms.org 41