All-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Named Best Minivan in Popular Mechanics' Automotive Excellence Awards

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Apr 13, 2017, 09:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is the best minivan in Popular Mechanics' annual Automotive Excellence Awards.

To select the award winners, Popular Mechanics editors drive all the relevant class contenders over the course of the year, then pick the vehicle that they feel transcends the competition. The full list of Automotive Excellence Awards is in the May issue of Popular Mechanics, on newsstands today.

"Over three decades, Chrysler has refined the category it invented, arriving at the current standard for minivan excellence," said Ezra Dyer, automotive editor at Popular Mechanics. "The Pacifica looks sleek and low-slung without committing the unforgivable minivan sin of trying too hard. Other vans have disappearing third rows, but the Pacifica can hide its second row, too, instantly transforming from luxury people-mover to capacious cargo van."

As the original creator of the minivan more than 30 years ago, FCA US has transformed the segment with firsts – notching 78 innovations through the first five minivan generations. With the introduction of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid, FCA US adds 37 minivan firsts to its portfolio for an unprecedented total of 115 innovations in the segment, including the industry's first minivan available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica reinvents the minivan segment with an unprecedented level of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling. Re-engineered from the ground up on an all-new platform, the Pacifica delivers class-leading gasoline and hybrid powertrains to the minivan segment. With more than 100 available safety and security features, the all-new Uconnect Theater rear seat entertainment system, and a full array of comfort and convenience technologies, the Chrysler Pacifica is a no-compromises minivan ideally suited for today's families and has earned its spot as the most awarded minivan of 2016 and 2017.

The Pacifica Hybrid takes this revolutionary vehicle a step further with its class-exclusive, innovative advanced and class-exclusive hybrid powertrain. It's the first electrified vehicle in the minivan segment and achieves 84 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in electric-only mode and 33 miles of all-electric range.

About Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics empowers readers to navigate the increasingly complex, technological world around us. The magazine, published monthly by Hearst Magazines, inspires, instructs and influences 9 million curious readers. Their mindset – the hunger to know, the desire to investigate and learn – drives them to explore, experiment and experience a wide range of interests. Issues engage readers with breakthroughs in the latest innovations in science and technology; educates with informative "how-to" stories on automotive, the home and digital technology; and motivates action with product reviews and comparison tests of the newest equipment and products. Popular Mechanics is also the #1-ranked men's monthly magazine when it comes to reaching an environmentally conscious audience. The brand is a 21st-century must-read, with a robust website and an award-winning tablet edition. Follow Popular Mechanics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Chrysler Brand
The Chrysler brand has delighted customers with distinctive designs, craftsmanship, intuitive innovation and technology all at an extraordinary value since the company was founded in 1925.

Whether it is the family-room-on-wheels functionality of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica minivan, the groundbreaking, bold design of the Chrysler 300, or the simple elegance and extraordinary driving experience of the Chrysler 200, Chrysler brand vehicles reward the passion, creativity and sense of accomplishment of its owners. Beyond just exceptionally designed vehicles, the Chrysler brand has incorporated thoughtful features into all of its products, such as the innovative center console with pass through storage and sliding cup holders in the Chrysler 200, the industry-exclusive Stow 'n Go seating and storage system on the Chrysler Pacifica and the fuel-saving Fuel Saver Technology in the Chrysler 300.

The Chrysler brand's succession of innovative product introductions continues to solidify the brand's standing as the leader in design, engineering and value. The premium for the Chrysler brand is in the product, not the price.

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