It feels tradition for an automaker to update a car, then immediately use its newness to hike the price. Sure, there’s a research and development cost in all of those updates, but for the average buyer, bigger price tags have big impacts over the course of a finance term. However, Chrysler is bucking that trend with the facelifted Pacifica. Instead of growing more expensive, many trims have shrunk their price tags over last year’s model. Some of them by a lot.
All Pacificas save for the base model (equivalent to last year’s Voyager) get a new schnoz, fresh tail lamps, and updated badging. What new thing does the base model get? Well, all trims now feature an adjustable-height power liftgate that can be set low enough to not hit the threshold of your garage door. The optional Safety Sphere package gains a blind-spot camera feed and parking sensor-activated camera feeds, and that’s about it. There’s been a slight juggling of colors and option availability, but otherwise, this is basically the same van as last year from the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 to the Stow-N-Go seats. However, that might be a good thing when you look at the price list beyond the base model’s carryover sticker of $43,990 including a $1,995 freight charge.
Let’s take one step up the range and look at the Select model, the least-expensive Pacifica to get the new styling. It gains power-sliding side doors and unlocks a whole bunch of available options, yet it’s $1,000 cheaper than the outgoing Pacifica Select at $46,540. Want all-wheel-drive with that? You’ll be saving $1,350 over the outgoing model with a new price of $48,535.
Next up, it’s the Limited trim, and here’s where things get really good. We’re talking a panoramic moonroof, hands-free actuation for the liftgate and power-sliding doors, wireless smartphone charging, leather seats, heated rear seats, and second-row window shades. Yet, it’s $1,710 cheaper than last year’s Pacifica Limited, with a new price of $49,990 including freight. That’s a lot of van for a sandwich under $50,000. Add all-wheel-drive, and the savings over the outgoing model grow to a noticeable $2,060, with the Limited AWD now retailing for $52,985. Plus, if you want the Safety Sphere package with its fancy cameras, that’s been discounted on the Limited trim by $395 and now costs $1,320.
Mind you, the discount does taper off on the fully-loaded Pinnacle trim, which comes complete with a 19-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, an integrated vacuum, and a set of 20-inch alloy wheels. The front-wheel-drive Pinnacle trim still costs the same $56,905 as the outgoing model, while the $59,900 Pinnacle AWD is a mere $300 cheaper than the 2026 model.
Still, making the high-volume trims of the updated Pacifica noticeably cheaper is a step in the right direction, especially with how ridiculously expensive cars have grown in general. Chrysler’s van might not have the efficiency of the Toyota Sienna or the Kia Carnival Hybrid, but now there’s another reason to consider it beyond its useful Stow-N-Go seats.
Top graphic image: Chrysler
That face says a lot of things to me, and “Chrysler” is not one of them. Lee and Walter P. would not approve.
It’s like they were competing to be even uglier than the Lexus Spindle and BMW Braver Face. They win by so much the other designs actually look pretty good in comparison.
We all know Stellantis MSRP’s are pure fantasy. They’ll be slashing 10% off for having a pulse, 5% for having credit under 650 and another 2.5% for complimenting the finance manager’s tie. But for the folks who learned at the Hank Hill School of Car Buying it’s a good thing.
Well, Kias are normally competitively priced.