AUTOMOTIVES
New Chrysler Pacifica: Lightest Minivan on the Road
For cost-conscious motorists, fuel economy is a vital consideration when choosing a new vehicle and nobody likes to pay more than they have to for any journey
19 May, 2016
As motor manufacturers work hard to improve fuel economy, one of the most important issues they have grapple with is the weight of the vehicle.
Reducing the weight of a vehicle would be easy if it was simply a matter of taking out unnecessary items, but unfortunately for manufacturers, the trend at present is to add weight to cars in the shape of additional safety features and the latest technologies. These manufacturers face a certain dilemma: how can vehicles be more fuel efficient and still retain all the extra features that motorists now consider essential?
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles believe they have found a solution to this dilemma. The new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica will be the lightest minivan on the road. It weighs in at 4,315 pounds (1,957 kg), which is 250 pounds (113 kg) less than its predecessor, the Chrysler Town & Country.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles believe they have found a solution to this dilemma. The new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica will be the lightest minivan on the road. It weighs in at 4,315 pounds (1,957 kg), which is 250 pounds (113 kg) less than its predecessor, the Chrysler Town & Country.
This weight loss has been accomplished without any loss of quality or safety features. Chrysler has chosen to return to first principles and redesign the basic frame of the vehicle. The new Pacifica makes much better use of low weight aluminium than older models. In particular, the sliding minivan doors which previously added significantly to the overall weight of the vehicle are now made of aluminium instead of steel. As Jessica LaFond, chief engineer of minivans for FCA explains:
"What we decided to do was support the structure where it needed to be reinforced and take away weight everywhere we knew we could... and then went after just every ounce."
While the new minivan may be lightweight, LaFond is clear that the van is still sturdily constructed: "We weren't willing to sacrifice strength and weight where we needed it," LaFond said. "So that sort of doubled the challenge for us."
FCA has been developing the Pacifica and their Windsor assembly plant for more than five years, at a cost of $2.6 billion. However, the new model is a gamble for FCA as overall minivan sales in the US have more than halved over the last 15 years.
Chrysler invented the minivan, and it invested heavily in it, and has dominated the market. It makes sense for Chrysler to stay with it... my big question is how good is the quality going to be. They are going up against two brands that have great quality... and there is no way of knowing that until it is on the road.
Michele Krebs
Senior analyst at AutoTrader.com
Using aluminium saved FCA 40 pounds on the sliding side doors. The weight reduction means that the Pacifica achieves a 10% improvement in fuel economy compared to previous versions of the minivan. This level of efficiency places it near the top of its minivan class and with 22 miles per gallon, it almost matches the Nissan Quest and equals the Honda Odyssey. According to LaFond:
From our perspective we were proud of being able to match that level of fuel economy with the improvements we made.
Alongside the standard 2017 Pacifica, the Chrysler brand also recently introduced a hybrid model that can offer up to 80 miles (129 km) per gallon. By combining gas and electric power, the Pacific hybrid promises a combined range of 530 miles, with a 16 KWh lithium-ion battery that can deliver 30 miles (48 km) of zero-emissions travel before the combustion engine kicks in. Using a 240V source, the Pacifica's electric battery can be recharged in just two hours.
Banner photo: Chrysler.
Banner photo: Chrysler.