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The Chrysler Pacifica is more than just a freshened-up Town & Country (pictures)

The all-new Chrysler Pacifica replaces the Town & Country as the minivan of note for buyers angling domestic. With a new hybrid variant and loads of technology, it's going to heat up the segment in a hurry.

Andrew Krok
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
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The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica marks the end of an era, as Chrysler retires the Town & Country badge.

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This has nothing in common with the Pacifica crossover that Chrysler sold several years ago.

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Chrysler stressed the "vault-like" interior hush of its new Pacifica, owing some of that to a standard active noise-cancellation system.

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The sliding doors come with an available hands-free system that opens them after you put a foot underneath the door.

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The Pacifica's styling owes much to the Chrysler 200, including most of its front fascia.

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This "Silver Teal" paint is exclusive to the plug-in hybrid variant, oh-so-aptly called the Pacifica Hybrid.

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The Pacifica Hybrid will pack a 16kWh, lithium ion battery mated to a conventional internal-combustion engine.

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Chrysler claims the Pacifica Hybrid will be able to travel up to 30 miles on electricity alone, and that it should achieve 80 MPGe once the EPA tests it.

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Non-hybrid Pacificas will make do with a 3.6-liter, naturally-aspirated, six-cylinder engine mated to a nine-speed automatic.

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It appears that the Pacifica will be front-wheel-drive only.

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The Pacifica offers a wide variety of active safety features, including forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure mitigation, blind-spot monitoring and an adaptive cruise control that can bring the car to a full stop without assistance.

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Other safety-related equipment includes a backup camera, rear parking sensors, and active parallel-and-perpendicular parking assist.

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The Pacifica's key fob can be programmed with hard limits on speed and audio volume for teen drivers. It will also remove the ability to disable any active safety systems.

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The minivan's sliding-door tracks are tucked under the rear glass to prevent the unsightly gashes from being displayed prominently.

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The Pacifica will also pack a surround-view camera system that lets the driver see the van's immediate surroundings on the infotainment display screen.

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The Pacifica can be purchased with seating for either seven or eight individuals.

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Chrysler has not yet mentioned any pricing information.

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The gas-powered Pacifica goes on sale this spring, with the hybrid variant to follow later in the year.

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There is no word on market availability, but it's highly unlikely that the Pacifica will be sold anywhere but the US.

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The Pacifica's interior owes much to the 200, as well. The steering wheel, gauge cluster and rotary shift knob (or very similar parts thereto) are also on Chrysler's midsize sedan.

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Buyers can opt for a panoramic moonroof up front, with an additional, standard-size unit for third-row passengers.

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There's a massive screen between the gauges, displaying pertinent information for the driver.

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The Pacifica will also pack Chrysler's latest iteration of its Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system, which should include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone-connectivity capability.

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Chrysler's positively wonderful Stow 'n Go seating returns, as well, which allows owners to fold both the second and third row flat into the floor.

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As if you didn't know that you could shove a ton of stuff into a minivan without any seats.

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