Chrysler is updating its Pacifica minivan for 2027. The model may not be as popular as it once was, but it remains an important player in the industry. Worse, it’s Chrysler’s only player, which only adds to the significance of its presence on the market: nobody wants to see brands disappear.
During the first two generations, the model could be ordered with a manual transmission
Over the years, commercial versions were offered
To date, the company has sold 16.6 million units over 42 years
Still, Chrysler’s minivan has been on the market for 42 years. Since the model is getting a refresh this year, why not look back at the key dates in the history of a model that shaped the destiny of the automobile?
1 — Ford’s Carousel Concept (1972-1976)
Yes, the modern minivan is indeed a Chrysler invention. However, the man behind it, Lee Iacocca, was still at Ford when he launched the Carousel project, a family vehicle with a flat floor, sliding doors, and front-wheel drive. Ford’s executives, worried it would cannibalize sales of wagons like the Country Squire, killed the project. Lee Iacocca was fired by Henry Ford II in 1978. He brought the idea with him to Chrysler, where it would become, a few years later, the minivan we know today.
Take a look the model in the background, to the left. It’s very likely the Carousel concept.Without that initial rejection, the history of the segment would probably have taken a completely different turn, and it might be Ford celebrating the model’s 50th anniversary today. Mind you, in the mid-1970s, the world may not have been ready for this kind of vehicle.
2 — Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager (1984)
The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager arrive on the market in the fall of 1983 for the 1984 model year. The world already knows vans, but here Chrysler offers something more compact, designed first and foremost for families rather than hauling cargo. The vehicle is compact enough to fit in a residential garage and spacious enough to seat six or seven occupants. Put simply, it redefines North American family transportation.
Success is immediate and exceeds Chrysler’s expectations, coming just as the company was emerging from the financial crisis that had required, in 1979, loan guarantees from the U.S. government. More than 40 years later, that bet remains one of the most profitable in automotive history.
Note that 1987 marks a turning point in the model’s history. Chrysler then launches the Grand Caravan and Grand Voyager, long-wheelbase versions offering more room for passengers and cargo. This configuration would gradually take over and become the standard across the lineup.
3 — Chrysler Town & Country (1990)
Chrysler quickly realizes there’s a market for a more upscale minivan. The Town & Country version debuts for the 1990 model year, with standard leather seating, front and rear air conditioning, and a V6 engine. It marks the segment’s arrival in the world of the luxury family vehicle, a category competitors would take years to pursue seriously.
The formula works well, and the Town & Country becomes, for more than 25 years, the flagship of Chrysler’s lineup, until it’s replaced by the Pacifica in 2017.
4 — The Second Generation (1991)
It’s not until the early 1990s that a second-generation model appears. Adjustments had been made since the product’s debut, but the vehicle had remained essentially the same.
Mechanically, the same components carry over, but the styling is revised, especially at the front, with a rounder design. The headlights and grille are also slimmed down, for a less imposing, more modern look. On the sides and at the rear, things stay fairly square, which still serves the model’s purpose well: offering plenty of space. Worth noting, the front doors and sliding door remain identical to those of the first-generation model.
This second batch sees the arrival of the driver’s side airbag (1994 for the passenger), as well as all-wheel drive, offered as an option.
2027 Chrysler Pacifica First Drive Review: What’s Left of the “Autobeaucoup”?
Above all, the model consolidates its position in the market and cements its role as a pillar within the company.
5 — Third Generation (1996)
Technically, this is the third generation in 1996, but in fact, it’s the model’s first major overhaul. That overhaul had begun back in 1991, which gives an idea of the effort involved. In total, some three billion dollars were poured into it. The innovations are numerous, starting with a second sliding door, initially offered as an option on the driver’s side, but which would later become standard.
Design-wise, everything is rounded, and the cab-forward styling is also adapted to the minivan. The model would go on to win numerous “vehicle of the year” awards, tangible proof of the quality of the work accomplished.
Fun fact: Honda and Toyota, major players in this category today, stepped up their efforts in this segment.
6 — Fourth Generation (2001)
With this new generation, the model is mostly evolutionary compared to the previous batch. Still, some very welcome features make their debut, like the power liftgate and the removable center console, which make life on board easier, especially when it’s time to settle small disputes in the back.
It’s also during this cycle, in 2003 to be exact, that Chrysler introduces the very first rear DVD entertainment system, a feature that would transform long drives for millions of families.
It’s also with this generation’s model that, in 2005, we see the debut of the Stow ‘n Go seating system, which lets second and third row seats disappear completely into the floor. Twenty years later, this feature remains an exclusive of the brand in its segment.
We’re talking about a feature inseparable from the Pacifica’s very identity.
7 — Fifth Generation (2008)
It’s under the direction of Montreal-born designer Ralph Gilles that the fifth generation appears, adopting a squarer profile. The short-wheelbase version is also dropped with the introduction of the Dodge Journey in 2009. The Stow ‘n Go system becomes standard across the lineup, and the new Swivel ‘n Go system makes its appearance. This lets the second-row seats rotate 180 degrees to face the third row, with a removable table that can be set up between the two rows.
It’s also the model year marking the minivan’s 25th anniversary, celebrated with a special edition. This generation, even though minivans were starting to lose ground to SUVs, would go on to enjoy huge success, mainly due to its more affordable price, an element appreciated by families working with tighter budgets.
8 — Dodge Grand Caravan Canada Value Package (2011)
In 2011, Chrysler pulls off a major coup with the Canada Value Package (CVP) version. It’s a bare-bones Grand Caravan, but priced at $19,995, a figure that defies all logic for a seven-passenger minivan. Designed specifically for the Canadian market, this variant is an immediate success. The fact that it’s assembled at Chrysler’s plant in Windsor, Ontario, only reinforces its homegrown character.
The formula works beyond expectations. This variant becomes one of the best-selling vehicles in Canada, year after year, thanks to an unbeatable value proposition. A symbol of affordability that marked an entire generation of Canadian buyers.
9 — 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
In 2017, the model takes a major step forward, but this marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. Chrysler retires the Town & Country and Grand Caravan (in the U.S.) names, bringing its entire lineup under a single name, Pacifica, a name already used for a crossover SUV between 2004 and 2008.
The newcomer also becomes the world’s first plug-in hybrid minivan, with roughly 30 miles of all-electric range.
When the model gets a refresh in 2021, the outgoing version is kept unchanged and given the Grand Caravan name in Canada, owing to its popularity. After 36 years, the name moves from Dodge to Chrysler.
10 — 2027 Chrysler Pacifica
After more than 40 years of history, the Pacifica begins its next chapter with a styling refresh focused on the front end, a new illuminated wing logo, and a notable price cut across the Select, Limited, and Pinnacle trims.
It’s also the first appearance of the new visual identity, which will serve as the roadmap for the rest of Chrysler’s lineup in the years ahead. And yes, an entry-level version called the Grand Caravan is still on the menu, with the styling of pre-2027 models.
With a price tag of $49,999, that’s a far cry from $19,999. For reference, 10 years ago, a Dodge Grand Caravan CVP was listed at $27,995.
