Filed under: Crossovers/CUVs, Chrysler, LLC.
Rumor Mill: Chrysler Pacifica being cancelled
News of the next generation Pacifica being cancelled and the model dropped from Chrysler's lineup has come to us right out of the rumor mill, albeit from a source we trust. We're told that official word of the Pacifica's fate is forthcoming and could arrive as early as today.
The Pacifica was never the sales success that Chrysler hoped it would be, a fact that could be blamed on its lukewarm launch. Its sales were slow to gain momentum on account of the absence of a lower-priced base model, and when such a model was added it seemed too little too late. Talk to a Pacifica owner, however, and you're likely to find someone who is very satisfied with his or her choice of transportation. The big four-door wagon (oops, Chrysler hates it when you call it that) was a competent crossover before the term was cool, combining the all-wheel drive attributes of an SUV with the slicker shape of a traditional wagon, effectively offering a vehicle as useful as a minivan without the suburban stigma. Sales of the vehicle are off 10% year-to-date, with Chrysler managing to move 60,885 units through October. We'll keep our ears open all day today in case Chrysler makes this rumor an official act.
UPDATE: A piece just posted on the Detroit Free Press website corroborates what our source has told us about the next generation Pacifica, codenamed the CT, being cancelled. The DFP has word from several suppliers who told the paper they have been ordered by Chrysler to stop work on the project and even lay off associated contracted engineers and designers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
iibbmm 1:31AM (11/08/2006)
Doh.
I bought a new 2006 Pacifica Limited in mid august of this year. We like the car, but I'm a little down on it now.. there's creaks and the transmission is horrible. I owned a 300M with this same powerplant, and it was a competent car. In the Pacifica, however, it's far too little punch, and sucks down fuel like mad. We've average 14.6mpg since we bought it.
However, it is a comfortable car, and has plenty of electronic goodies. We have a base limited, which comes with suede/leather seats, dvd player (no screen), power liftgate and heated seats, power everything else, etc, moonroof and 19" wheels.
Also, I paid $30,200 out the door after CA tax AND adding $1200 worth of warranty and prepaid maintenance. My base price was in the 25,000 range. Sticker was 35k ish
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Andy 1:33AM (11/08/2006)
Chrysler's CUV failed to launch...much like the average teen movie comedy.
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Bill 1:59AM (11/08/2006)
The Pacifica.
Shares its platform with the Caravan.
25 cu ft. smaller than a Caravan.
600 lb. heavier than a Caravan.
$7000 MSRP more expensive than a Caravan.
Sucks 2 mpg more gas than a Caravan.
0.5" more ground clearance (for 5.9" total) than a Caravan.
Just a styling exercise gone wrong.
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iibbmm 2:04AM (11/08/2006)
Ive never read that it's on the caravan platform.
It's plenty spacious for what is basically a 3 row suv made to look sleeker.
It has more sound deadening materials and more gizmos than a caravan. The door panels are thicker, and it's much more solid.
It costs more but you get more for your money. More standard features and much more style. Does an es350 cost more than a Camry? I wonder why...
Gas mileage DOES suck :(
It's not made to go off road and I've never seen it marketed as such. Does the elise suck because it has an even lower clearance?
Styling is subjective, and I think this was more than an exercise, as it went into production.
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Tom DCVA 2:09AM (11/08/2006)
"Sales of the vehicle are off 10% year-to-date, with Chrysler managing to move 60,885 units through October."
As has been pointed out on the "internets" for a while, even "mainstream" manufacturers need to learn to be profitable at 50K units, or less. Consumers are very picky and fickle, and have come to expect cars to come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. I don't see why Chrysler would so willingly give up 60K of sales when they don't have another model that is even vaguely similar. They need a midsize CUV ASAP.
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iQuack 2:53AM (11/08/2006)
DCX has so many vans and SUVs that it's hard to keep track of them. They're spread over 3 brands: Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep. There's plenty of overlap, too.
Now comes the Chrysler Aspen, a Dodge Durango in drag. How many Chrysler-branded SUVs are needed?
The Pacifica was always an odd, half van and half SUV. It's currently lost among newer DCX offerings, so why keep producing it if sales are slow and there are so many DCX alternatives now?
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Talis 3:54AM (11/08/2006)
Bill, the Pacifica was a totally new platform and was launched just before the R-class. The MB is the only other car that shares its platform with the Pacifica.
Too bad for DCX though, This is a really nice Crossover. One thing that you have to give Chrysler, is they always break into new markets before any other manufacture knows what to call it. Take the PTcruser. Sure it's a Neon, but in a world before upright box-cars, the PT gave people a different choice.
"Chrysler has a history of creating fun cars that appeal to a wide range of customers. The PT Cruiser looks to be another successful blend of price, practicality and personality." -Edmunds.com, 2001
The Pacifica was a loss due to lack of marketing. End of story; although 60,885 units is not a bad number. Maybe DCX should have readjusted their projections rather than force this waggon ..oops.. crossover to be
a show stopper.
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Jason 4:27AM (11/08/2006)
I don't think one can blame a bad launch. That can only mess things up for so long. Then the car should catch on, but it never did. The car is just not appealing to the public for many reasons. #1 being it looks too much like a station wagon and those have been out of style since the Ford Taurus of the 80's. MBZ is having the same problems pushing their version. It's just a hard niche that is not in style today. I think Chysler should redesign it to not look so femme or wagon-like. If they pulled off something like what Lexus does with the RX (more elegant) or what Acura does with the MDX (more sporty), they'd have a winner. Still car/van based, but looking more like a traditional SUV. (not a low wagon)
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mb 8:36AM (11/08/2006)
I rented one of these while in Denver. Although they look ok, this vehicle seemed underpowered and the steering seemed to feel very loose and somewhat of a disconnect with the road. I had to gas pedel wide open hoping no one would run over me when traveling through the Eisenhower tunnel...scary it was.
It is way over priced, in my opinion. I then rented a convertable Sebring, which had a similar experience with the steering but was much more fun to drive.
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Anne 8:49AM (11/08/2006)
Don't believe everything you read, especially when it's coming from a supplier or source that wants to remain anonymous because they aren't supposed to talk on Chrylser's behalf (duh). The new 07 Pacifica has a new powerplant and transmission that addresses the concerns of others that posted with earlier model year, and it is still the nicest interior out there.
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Piter 9:05AM (11/08/2006)
One thing i never understood about this vehicle, its meant to be near-luxury (or whatever you want ot call it); but, have that Fisher-Price plastic strip that runs along the roof line and they cant find the money to paint the side mirrors.
If they're trying to exude a confidence of ruggedness, then it failed, it just screams cheap.
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Scott 9:12AM (11/08/2006)
The styling of the Pacifica is great but everything else about it is just plain wrong, especially the powertrain and price.
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chriseh 9:30AM (11/08/2006)
Celine Dion killed the Pacifica. Who in their right mind could listen to her singing and drive at the same time.
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Michael Karesh 9:34AM (11/08/2006)
Based on what I'm reading here, the Pacifica's main problem could well be that many people have major misconceptions about it.
First, the Pacifica (unlike the Aztek, Rendezvous, MDX, and Pilot) was not based on the minivan, but is on its own platform. It started development using the minivan platform, but they found that wasn't workable so they scrapped that approach. The R-Class is on a totally different platform. It has a much longer wheelbase, a much roomier third row, and RWD-based vs. FWD-based.
Second, the Pacifica's price hasn't been an issue for some time. While they started high, price cuts and $3,000 rebates fixed that. Base Pacificas could be had for about $19,000.
The 2007 Pacifica Touring is actually $800 less than the Town & Country Touring before rebates. They do have a $3,500 rebate on the minivan though, vs. $1,500 on the Pacifica. (They dropped both the price and the size of the rebate for 2007.) Adjusting for equipment differences tilts the table $600 in the Pacifica's favor, putting it $1,400 under the minivan before rebates.
I created a site to make this sort of comparison easy:
http://www.truedelta.com
If you want to know how much prices truly differ, use it.
Third, the powertrain is no longer an issue for 2007. The 4.0 plus six-speed automatic combo is STRONG. Much stronger than the specs suggests. This thing scoots. My full review:
http://www.epinions.com/content_262400806532
This might just be another case of Detroit cancelling a product after they've finally gotten it to where it should have been at intro.
Not that the Pacifica doesn't have real shortcomings. The main problem is probably the packaging--overly small windows (based on bad market research) and too tight an interior for such a large vehicle. One reason many people like SUVs is the amount of visibility they usually provide from the driver's seat, and the Pacifica does poorly in this regard.
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Skip 9:41AM (11/08/2006)
chriseh has it right. This thing was destined for failure when they launched it using a polarizing figure like Celine Dion. Half of the country can't stand her, and the other half tolerates her when they're told to do so.
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DC_1 9:42AM (11/08/2006)
Talis,
Where did you get that the Pacifica was all new platform. From my understanding it was build off the Caravan platform and it has nothing in common with the R Class. Please correct me if I am wrong.
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RayRay 10:01AM (11/08/2006)
Why don't US buyers like wagons? They were so popular and practical at one time. There any number of Euro-wagons I find very appealing, not the Pacifica however. A BMW 320D diesel wagon is rated at 50 mpg on the highway, how cool is that?
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Gardiner Westbound 10:06AM (11/08/2006)
That's too bad. I think it was a nice car, perhaps even ahead of its time, but pricey for what you get.
Unfortunately the generic shortcomings that bedevil all Chrysler products are killing it; substandard quality components and assembly, abysmal resale value, and spectacularly lousy customer relations.
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DJ 10:07AM (11/08/2006)
I'm willing to be that the announcement will be that a "new" Pacifica has been delayed significantly or even scrapped, but the current version will remain in production longer than anticipated. Due to the quality level of many of the parts and the fact that shares nothing more than a powertrain with any other Chrysler vehicle, the Pacifica is very expensive to produce.
I have a 2004 with everything on it. It's great from a quality standpoint, fantastic seats, but lousy mileage and underpowered. However, I'll be replacing it in the next few weeks, but not with another Pacifica. The competition is so much better.
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That One Person 10:08AM (11/08/2006)
The Pacifica and R-Class are two different platforms.
R-Class is RWD...
Pacifica is FWD/AWD...
And the Pacifica IS based off their minivan platform...
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