Chrysler Pacifica Overview

Chrysler has introduced an all-new vehicle for 2004 called the Pacifica. Pacifica is not a minivan. It's not an SUV nor is it a station wagon. Chrysler is calling it a "sport tourer." We don't know what to call it, other than terrific.

Pacifica combines the best elements of Chrysler's sporty sedans and pioneering minivans and borrows heavily from Mercedes-Benz to create an entirely new kind of six-seat family conveyance. Pacifica takes its name from Chrysler's Pacifica design studio in Southern California, where it was conceived several years ago.

Pacifica doesn't look like other crossovers. It's comfortable, easy to get in and out, and offers a large cargo capacity and three rows of seats. A 250-horsepower V6 from the sporty Chrysler 300M sedan delivers plenty of thrust and the automatic shifts smoothly. On the road, Pacifica is smooth and quiet, with a rear suspension that comes from a Mercedes E-Class sedan. Available all-wheel drive provides all-weather traction and handling. The ride is smooth and supple and the four-wheel antilock disc brakes do a good job of bringing Pacifica to a smooth and undramatic stop.