2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Pacifica Hybrid shares its styling with the handsome non-hybrid Pacifica (covered in a separate review). The only real giveaways for the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model are the charge port (located on the driver’s side front fender) and some badging. Chrysler is in good company, as it’s hard to think of a current plug-in hybrid — regardless of body style — that uses its design to advertise its powertrain. That idea seems to have died with the first-generation Toyota Prius Prime.

Even though it’s been around for almost a decade, the Pacifica still looks contemporary. The exterior is sleek and clean, with no extraneous details like those of other current minivans. The rounded front fascia, with a small grille nicely integrated with elliptical headlights, is a welcome contrast to the in-your-face appearance of other minivans. Chrysler owns the minivan aesthetic, and it doesn’t feel the need to compensate for anything.

For 2024, the Pacifica Hybrid is offered only in Select and Pinnacle trim levels, with the Select base model unique to the plug-in hybrid. This means the Pacifica Hybrid skips the Touring, Touring L, and Limited grades available with the non-hybrid powertrain. Both trims feature all-LED exterior lighting, including headlights, taillights, fog lights, and daytime running lights.

Select models come standard with 17-inch wheels, while the Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle gets 18-inch wheels as standard equipment. The Pacifica Hybrid Select can also be upgraded to 18s with the S Appearance Package or Road Tripper Package. The former also includes darkened exterior trim and black seats with light grey stitching. The latter adds unique exterior trim and graphics, along with a cargo liner and all-weather floor mats. Even the base Select model is equipped similarly to a mid-level Pacifica Limited non-hybrid model, while the Pinnacle dials things up even further with Nappa leather upholstery and small pillows for the second-row seats. However, in our test car, we found premium elements like this clashed with the leftover bits from lower-level models, like the grained plastic on the door panels. Even some things Chrysler considers premium, such as the piano-black dashboard trim and metallic-looking bezels, looked a bit cheap.

Name aside, the Pacifica Hybrid is in fact a plug-in hybrid that can be charged from an external source like an all-electric car. This allows for a bigger battery pack, which in turn gives plug-in hybrids significant all-electric range that conventional hybrids can’t match. The Pacifica Hybrid’s powertrain builds on the one from the non-hybrid model. It uses the same 3.6-litre V6 engine (albeit running on the more efficient Atkinson cycle), but tacks on a two-motor hybrid system fed electricity from a 16-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack. This makes a big difference in fuel economy (see below) but the spec sheet shows some compromises.

Total system output is 260 horsepower, compared to 287 hp for non-hybrid models. And while the standard Pacifica is available with all-wheel drive (AWD), the Pacifica Hybrid is only offered with front-wheel drive (FWD). Chrysler also doesn’t recommend towing with the plug-in hybrid, while other models have a respectable 1,630-kilogram (3,600-pound) towing capacity.

The horsepower deficit is more than made up for by electric-motor torque, which gets the Pacifica Hybrid off the line quickly and provides a nice punch when overtaking on the highway. The electric assistance also means the gasoline engine isn’t working as hard under low loads, so it’s making less noise most of the time. Because while this V6 has many good qualities, its exhaust note isn’t one of them.

Maximizing use of the all-electric driving mode is an important part of any PHEV, and Chrysler gets high marks in this area. A normal amount of pressure on the accelerator pedal doesn’t kick the gasoline engine on, nor does the Pacifica Hybrid feel too slow on electric power. The shift from electric to hybrid mode was a bit clunky, however. Regenerative braking also fell well short of one-pedal driving, although that’s not unusual for a plug-in hybrid.

Like the standard Pacifica, the well-tuned chassis offers a comfortable ride without being too floppy. The plug-in hybrid powertrain also makes an already-quiet vehicle even quieter, so it will be easier to converse with passengers in the second and third rows.

Vehicles like the Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-90 offer plug-in hybrid efficiency and three rows of seats, but the Pacifica Hybrid is the only vehicle currently on sale to combine a plug-in hybrid powertrain with the superior packaging of a minivan. Its low step-in height and sliding doors make accessing the rear seats much easier than in any crossover SUV.

Most interior dimensions carry over from the non-hybrid Pacifica, meaning the Pacifica Hybrid compares favourably to other minivans as well. First-row and second-row headroom and legroom are nearly identical to the competition. The Chrysler minivan offers slightly less third-row legroom than the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, but more than the Kia Carnival. And it has a slight advantage in third-row headroom as well.

However, the Pacifica Hybrid isn’t available with the Stow ‘n Go second-row seats offered in other Pacifica models, getting second-row captain’s chairs instead. The battery pack occupies the space these seats normally fold into to create a completely flat load floor, which also serves as underfloor storage when the seats are deployed. The Pacifica Hybrid still offers the same amount of above-floor cargo space as other Pacifica models, though, at 911 litres behind the third-row seats, 2,477 litres behind the second row, and 3,978 litres behind the first row. That’s also comparable to rival minivans. A power liftgate is standard as well.

Pacifica Hybrid Select models feature what Chrysler calls the Premium Console, with dual-level storage. Our Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle test vehicle had the more elaborate Ultra Console, which adds a storage nook that Chrysler claims is big enough for a purse or laptop. However, reaching it is a bit awkward, in part because the openings around the side aren’t as big as in the Toyota Sienna, which also features a raised console with storage space beneath. It’s also hard to see why Chrysler bothered with a traditional console when the Pacifica has a rotary shifter mounted on the dashboard, negating some of the need for a full console. It’s also easy to confuse that shifter with the volume knob.

Pacifica Hybrids can also be equipped with the Stow ‘n Vac built-in vacuum cleaner available on non-hybrid models. While not exclusive to Chrysler, it’s hard to think of a more appropriate feature for a minivan.

Like other Pacifica models, the Pacifica Hybrid comes standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system that feels nearly ubiquitous across Stellantis products. Expected features like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and Bluetooth are included, along with SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio. Built-in navigation and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system are available as well.

The Pacifica was one of the first vehicles to feature Uconnect 5 when it launched for the 2017 model year. All these years later, the system still feels current thanks to its inherent usability and strategic updates by Chrysler parent Stellantis. The main giveaway of the Pacifica’s age is the lack of a fully digital instrument cluster (the gauges are analog, with a 7-inch digital display in between). That might disappoint some tech nerds, but we had no issues with its functionality. We would have appreciated a shortcut button for the 360-degree camera system, though.

A maximum of 12 USB-C ports ensure people in all three rows have a place to plug in, while the optional FamCam rear-facing camera lets parents keep an eye on kids in the back seats. Unlike the Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival, though, Chrysler doesn’t offer a rear-seat intercom system. The available Uconnect Theatre rear-seat entertainment system adds a pair of 10.1-inch touchscreens attached to the backs of the front seats, wireless headphones, remote controls, a Blu-ray/DVD player, and HDMI inputs. Amazon Fire TV connectivity is bundled with Uconnect Theatre, including parental controls and the ability to watch videos on the central touchscreen while the car is in park.

Complete Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) safety ratings for the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid were not available at the time of publication. The non-hybrid Pacifica was named a 2023 IIHS Top Safety Pick, but the plug-in hybrid is rated separately.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2024 Pacifica Hybrid a five-star overall safety rating, with a five-star side crash-test rating and four-star frontal and rollover ratings.

Safety features carry over from the non-hybrid Pacifica, meaning the Pacifica Hybrid comes standard with blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear park assist. Pinnacle models get the aforementioned 360-degree camera system and parallel and perpendicular park assist.

An Emergency Vehicle Alert System is new for 2024. It shows warnings about nearby emergency vehicles or road hazards on the central touchscreen.

This plug-in hybrid minivan offers 51 kilometres of Natural Resources Canada-rated electric range at 2.9 litres-equivalent per 100 kilometres combined, and it also gets 8.0 L/100 km combined in hybrid mode. The fuel economy alone bests the Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival — which only manage 10.6 and 11.1 L/100 km combined respectively from their non-hybrid V6 powertrains — before even considering the Chrysler’s all-electric driving capability.

When it’s time to recharge that 16-kWh battery pack, a 6.6-kilowatt onboard AC charger takes about two hours to do the job, assuming you have a 240-volt Level 2 charging station. For those who don’t have access to a charging station, consider the Toyota Sienna, which extracts a maximum 6.8 L/100 km combined from its standard hybrid powertrain.

Chrysler offers a three-year/60,000-kilometre basic warranty and five-year/100,000-kilometre powertrain warranty, plus a separate 10-year/160,000-kilometre warranty for the battery pack.

The base Pacifica Hybrid Select costs an estimated $62,290 with the mandatory destination charge (which can vary across the country), while the Pinnacle trim level costs an estimated $75,790 with destination. That works out to a premium of roughly $1,400 for the Select over a Pacifica Limited (the equivalent non-hybrid model) and $6,900 for the Pinnacle over the non-hybrid version of that trim level. Unfortunately, the federal iZEV rebate that previously applied to the Pacifica Hybrid is now on hold, though rebates are still available in some provinces. While our Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle test car was an impressively versatile vehicle, it’s hard to call it a good value at its current MSRP. The monetary picture may look different for buyers who regularly plug their vehicles in to realize the maximum fuel savings and emissions reductions. Because while the Pacifica is a great plug-in hybrid, owners need to be ready to use it as such for it to be worthwhile.

Note: Images show a US model.