If there is an automaker that can shatter the "minivans are boring" thing, it's Chrysler. Or FiatChrysler. Or Stellantis. Whatever.
Actually, as of this writing, it's Stellantis, and Chrysler, which has been a corporate name since it, as a stand-alone company, acquired Dodge in 1928, is now simply a nameplate for a line of vehicles that numbers exactly three---the 300 sedan and the Pacifica and Voyager minivans. And given that the Voyager is just a decontented version of the Pacifica, it's really only two.
There are two things Chrysler and its cousin Dodge are good at: Insane power and/or splashy cars that attract attention. And that last part is the story behind the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited with Red S Appearance Package.
There are two types of Chrysler Pacifica. Gasoline-powered and hybrid. The hybrid is the way to go. It's a plug-in hybrid, giving you 32 miles of pure electric range before switching to a gasoline/electric hybrid. That means if you live less than 16 miles from work and plug the car in every night, you could go a long time without using a drop of fuel or putting a particle of pollution in the air. The EPA fuel economy estimate for the hybrid is 30 combined city and highway. Estimated range is 488 miles. Add the 32 miles of electric power and the Pacifica Hybrid has 520 miles of range. That's something I verified the last time I tested one---in the summer of 2019, by driving it 346 miles roundtrip for a trip to the beach---and ending the day with a quarter-tank of gas still remaining.
So on a purely practical level, the Pacifica Hybrid is a neat machine.
The base price for the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited is $45,845. The window sticker is at the end of this review so you can see the standard equipment for yourself.
The extra-cost options are the UConnect Theater Family Group for $2,495, the Premium & Safety Sphere Group for $1,595 (details of both on the window sticker) and a whole lotta red and black which we'll discuss.
Start with the S Appearance Package, which brings Nappa leather seats with logo, body color exterior mirrors, a black premium rear fascia, a gloss black grille surround, black day light opening moldings, body color door handles, an S badge, a black Stow 'n Place roof rack, anodized ink badging and piano black interior accents. That's $795.
The Red S Appearance Package simply makes those Nappa leather seats Rodeo Red and changes the badging to red from black. And it's $195.
With $1,495 destination, the as-tested price of the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited with Red S Appearance Package is $52,420.
So.
I'll be honest. I don't know. If someone thinks a minivan as good (and it is) as the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is boring, is red leather with black accents gonna change their mind?
If I were a Mopar maniac with a Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody, a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and a Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody in the garage and needed a minivan, this would probably fit the whole vibe. But the fact of the matter is that the Pacifica Hybrid doesn't need Rodeo Red leather to be one of the best family vehicles out there.
