2024 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Plug-In Hybrid Review

This week I have been behind the wheel of the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivan, a great family hauler that gets extremely good fuel economy.  This is the only plug-in hybrid minivan available in America.

Powertrain / Charging

Pacifica comes standard with the Chrysler V6 Pentastar engine, but I have the hybrid version which takes the same engine, but it is modified to be a hybrid, and I must say it puts up some pretty impressive numbers.  For instance, it is rated in town at the equivalent of 82 miles per gallon.  It will also give you a total range of 520 miles combined gas and battery, which would be really nice on long trips. It does not lack for power either.  In spite of the great fuel economy, you still get 260-horses which moves this van very well.

Simply put, here is the way it operates:  You plug your van in overnight and then you have 32 miles of driving on just the batteries.  Once the battery power is exhausted, Pacifica seamlessly switches over to run on gasoline like every other vehicle.  In the center of the colorful gauge cluster, it will tell you the battery range, the gasoline range, and the total range to empty.  Pacifica comes with a 6.6-killowatt charger, but I used the Level 2 charger I have in my garage and obtained an 80% charge in about two hours.

Interior    

Inside the van, you’ll find very welcoming seating for seven people, but with a second-row bench seat, you can carry 8 passengers.  Being a minivan, the ride height is low and makes it very easy to enter through the key fob-controlled power sliding doors on both sides.  Since my review vehicle has captain chairs in the center row, getting to the 3^rd row seat is easy as well.

From the driver’s seat, everything is laid out logically and is easy to reach and see.  A round knob to the right of the steering wheel serves as the shift mechanism for the CVT automatic transmission.

High on the center stack is the terrific 10.1” Uconnect 5 navigation screen.  It operates the 20-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, the nav, the Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and check out the FamCam that checks on rear occupants. There are a host of apps that provide real-time information.  Below the screen are controls for the parking systems and the air conditioning systems.

FamCam is terrific if you have kids. You can easily keep an eye on the kids and the system has automatic day and night modes and a split-view screen option which allows you to monitor your passengers when you need to, even in rear-facing child seats. It’s like having eyes in the back of your head. 

My test vehicle is the Pinnacle, which is the top-of-the-line, and it comes standard with a lot of nice features like remote start, power liftgate, leather seating, heated steering wheel, heated but not cooled front power seats, and a panoramic moon roof.

It also has two 10” screens for rear occupants that operates Amazon Fire TV streaming.  You can search the streaming and gaming titles from a large library of content, and mirror to the front screen via the Uconnect Theater App.

Second row captain chairs are comfortable, and you even get pillows for your back.  Headphone jacks and USB-C ports are handily built into the back of the front seats.  Leg and headroom are terrific and the second row seats recline.

Safety 

On the safety front, you get at no charge:  blind-spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, rearview surround-view camera with cross-traffic alert, electronic stability control, and emergency braking assist.

Ride and Drive

The Pacifica hybrid is incredibly quiet inside, and the ride quality is very good as well.  Headroom is good throughout, in spite of the big panoramic moon roof. 

Utility

You can’t get the Stow N Go fold flat seats in the middle since it is a hybrid, but the third-row seat does fold easily into the floor and it creates a huge cargo area. If you fold down the 2^nd and 3^rd row seats, you can have an incredible 140.5-cubic feet or cargo.

What You'll Pay

MSRP is $61,685 before the $7500 federal tax credit and factory incentives from Chrysler.   

Verdict 

If you need a people hauler but also want great fuel economy, this might be the one for you.  If you get yourself a Level 2 charger, and your daily commute is under 30-miles daily, you’ll never visit a gas station again.  However, if you want to load this van up and head for Roy Wally World to meet the Griswolds, you can easily do that with the gas engine while still getting great fuel economy.