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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