Chrysler's refreshed 2021 Pacifica minivan has an all-wheel-drive version a first on Chrysler minivans since 2004 and now the automaker has announced that a few 2020 models will get the option of AWD, too.
The Chrysler Pacifica AWD Launch Edition is a package available exclusively on the Touring L model, and it should arrive at dealers this fall.
The Pacifica AWD Launch Edition minivan will be equipped with the same all-wheel-drive system as the 2021 Pacifica, and the new layout helps retain the Stow 'n Go seats.
The all-wheel-drive system features a brake-lock differential that helps route all available torque to the rear wheels or whichever wheels have the most traction and can detect when all-wheel drive is not required and stop the three-piece driveshaft from spinning.
It's interior features black McKinley leather seats and Light Diesel Grey stitching. There's brushed metal trim in the cabin, too. Customers can add options like navigation and tri-pane panoramic sunroof.
The Pacifica's all-wheel-drive system can send up to 100 percent of the available torque to the rear axle. When traction at the back isn't necessary, it can also disconnect as a way to improve fuel efficiency.
The tech uses a variety of inputs to decide when to activate AWD, including interesting things like a cold exterior temperature, use of the windshield wipers, and rough road conditions.
America’s only minivan to offer AWD along with Stow ‘n Go seating, the available system delivers enhanced traction in a wide range of driving and road conditions from dry pavement to snow-covered roads to non-paved surfaces and engages seamlessly at any speed without the need of driver activation.
The Chrysler Pacifica’s AWD system – the first available in a Chrysler minivan since 2004 – uses mechanical and electronic technology proven durable and capable on FCA vehicles. In addition, the system was put through its paces, with more than 1 million customer-driven-equivalent miles of testing prior to introduction.
Key mechanical components of the Chrysler Pacifica AWD system include:
Power Transfer Unit (PTU): Splits torque from the nine-speed automatic transmission and routes it to the rear drive module.
Three-piece Drive Shaft: Connects the PTU and the rear drive module. Even with the additional driveline components, the Chrysler Pacifica AWD retains its second-row Stow ‘n Go seating storage
Rear Drive Module: Houses electronically.
controlled wet clutch that manages torque to rear wheels; second-generation one-speed drive module optimized for weight and low-speed drag torque reduction.
Other mechanical changes resulting in improved driving dynamics include the addition of a rear sway bar and revised tuning for the front and rear suspension. Ride height is increased 0.78 inches (20 millimeters).
Pacifica’s seamless, fully automatic AWD system is the only one in the segment capable of transferring 100 percent of the available engine torque to the rear wheels, or whichever wheels have more available traction.
The Pacifica AWD system, the most capable AWD in the class, is also able to sense and stop the drive shaft from spinning when AWD is not required, a class-exclusive feature in the segment that improves efficiency.
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