It’s been a rough few years for Chrysler. From being reduced to essentially a one-model brand to the Airflow concept seemingly going nowhere to Walter P. Chrysler’s grandson putting out a message to save the brand, this marque definitely seems like it’s been left to wither on the vine. However, it does have a plan for revitalization, and the first point of action is to refresh a model that first entered production back in 2016. Minivans forever, I guess.
At the same time, Infiniti has previewed a less-practical version of its three-row crossover that’s sure to invoke some head-scratching, there’s some interesting stuff going on underneath the Acura RSX electric crossover, and Porsche sends belated birthday wishes to one of the best driving roads on this pale blue dot.
Welcome back to The Morning Dump, our daily effort to corral all the little stories you’ll want to read about into one neat, easily-digestible, carbohydrate-free package. I’m on the decks once again, so let’s get into this rather new car-heavy edition.
The Chrysler Pacifica Gets A Life Extension
In the absence of a traditional flagship or, indeed, new product for showrooms, Chrysler has been celebrating its 100th anniversary with, among other things, a video series. Sure, much of it’s been a little bit sad as it’s detailed Chrysler’s history, but upon releasing the final video in the series, the dropped a tidbit of information in a press release: The Pacifica isn’t coming to the end of its product lifecycle.
Chrysler’s future will focus on how technology and design seamlessly integrate to create meaningful experiences, spotlighting new future vehicles, including a refreshed Chrysler Pacifica in 2026, a new crossover soon after and a third product inspired by the Halcyon concept.
Hang on, the plan is to refresh the Pacifica again? The minivan that’s been on sale in its current generation for nearly a decade? I know that the minivan segment isn’t as cutthroat as it used to be, but that thing is getting up there in age. It’s the longest-running minivan out of the current crop, but it is still the only one to offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Still, considering the Pacifica starts at $44,445 including freight, a mid-range Sienna is worth the slight premium thanks to standard hybrid efficiency, and the Kia Carnival offers exceptionally strong value for money. Sure, neither of those vans have Chrysler’s convenient stowable second-row seats, but money and refinement talk. Unless the refresh is heavier than a Chrysler Aspen, I doubt a regular facelift will really move the needle. At the same time, a new crossover sounds like exactly the sort of vehicle Chrysler needs, but it doesn’t sound like those are coming until late in the decade. I guess we really are in Chrysler’s lost years, huh?
Yep, That’s A Car
Have you ever woken from slumber thinking “I need a less-practical Infiniti QX60”? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening anyway. It’s no secret that the C-segment Infiniti QX50 is ready to die, and although sloping the roofline of a QX60 won’t completely fill the void left behind, it should pick up a small handful of buyers in the niche of not wanting to been seen in a three-row crossover. While production-spec details haven’t been announced yet, Infiniti just showed off the QX65 Monograph concept at Monterey Car Week, and it seems like it’s trying to harken back to glory days without doing the legwork. Let’s see what the press release has to say:
“QX65 Monograph has extraordinary character, combining inspiration from our innovative FX coupe SUV with Artistry in Motion design principles to create a stylish two-row that proudly stands apart in the cluttered midsize luxury space,” said Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president for Global Design. “It’s sculpted with an underlying sense of speed and elegance, blended with very muscular and strong proportions – all headlined by the expectation-defying fastback roof silhouette.”
Okay, a few things to note here. Firstly, the FX was cool not because of its roofline, but because it was essentially a 350Z for families. It rode on the longitudinal FM platform, came standard with a VQ35DE 3.5-liter V6 and was available with a 4.5-liter V8. If Infiniti wants to make another FX so badly, guess what? The platform is still around. It’s still under the new Nissan Z.
Secondly, the prospect of a QX65 seems like a tough sell because not only is it a niche product, volumes for the regular QX60 aren’t outstanding either. While 13,106 examples through the first half of the year does make the QX60 the best-selling Infiniti by a longshot, Lexus sold 52,888 RX crossovers over the same timespan. As someone who once owned and loved a golden-era Infiniti, that’s a painful figure to acknowledge. The brand needs some big swings, and a QX65 doesn’t seem like the move.
…With RSX-y Results?
The moment purists have been dreading is here: Acura has pulled the sheets off the RSX Prototype and it’s an electric crossover. If you’re primed and ready to boo, that already happened a few months ago. Anyway, “Prototype” is Acura-speak for nigh-on production. Change the wheels and maybe the lighting and you’re pretty much there. We’ve seen this treatment on the Integra prototype, the TLX Prototype, and of course, the whole second-generation NSX rollout. Anyway, in the process of unveiling the RSX Prototype at Monterey Car Week, Acura dropped some pearls of information on the production model, and these details actually sound promising.
With powerful dual-motor all-wheel drive, sport-tuned double wishbone front suspension, low center-of-gravity and Brembo brakes – all standard – RSX promises to deliver a fun to drive and engaging driving experience. RSX also will further advance the brand’s top-of-class driver assistive technologies.
Hey, wait a second. Forget the driver assistance stuff for a second because double-wishbone front suspension should be a big deal. It’s part of what made old Acuras so special, a more sophisticated setup than the MacPherson struts up front on most competitors. Also, standard Brembo brakes? Sure, the RSX Prototype looks derivative, but if it’s priced right and performs right when it arrives in mid-2026, maybe we can overlook appropriating a sport coupe name. Hold your horses, folks, this is getting interesting.
Ode To A Road
What’s the best driving road in the world? Some say it’s a canyon route in California, or a dash up an Alp, but right near the top of the conversation sits a Romanian road that’s absolutely stunning. If you watched “Top Gear” you probably know about the Transfăgărășan, a twirling ribbon of tarmac blasted into the southern Carpathian Mountains using more than 6,600 tons of dynamite. From hairpins to sweepers, it seems nothing short of epic, and while it officially celebrated its 50th birthday last year, Porsche has announced a limited 10-unit edition called the 911 Carrera 4 GTS ‘Tribute to Transfăgărășan’ as a belated celebration of sorts.
“When we experienced the Transfăgărășan during the 911 Turbo’s 50th anniversary last year, we found a lot of inspiration for this individualisation package,” explains Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualisation & Classic at Porsche. “Therefore, we decided to not only create one but 10 individualised cars that pay tribute to one of the most legendary and inspiring parts of Romania.”
So, what’s new on this special edition? Well, the slats on the deck lid grille are painted in the colors of the Romanian flag, there’s special badging and door sills, along with “50 Years” and a depiction of the legendary road embroidered into each headrest and embossed into the armrest. Otherwise, since this is a Sonderwunsch creation, buyers are able to spec everything else out to their heart’s content. While Graphite Grey with Guards Red accents might not be the boldest color choice, I’m sure at least some of the other nine owners will be a little more daring.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
Nostalgia for the 2000s is on the front burner, and there’s something extremely MySpace-coded about “Superbad” by Poptropicaslutz! despite its release date of last Friday. From the jittery low-res video to the two scoops of autotune, it’ll feel instantly familiar to anyone who listened to some of the more Warped Tour-adjacent electroclash that dropped around the time of the Great Recession.
The Big Question:
What are you most excited to see from Monterey Car Week?
Top graphic image: Chrysler
Apparently not, since the Pacifica still wins comparison tests.
I’m surprised at all the love. The 2014 T&C we rented to move our important stuff from NYC to FL. stranded us in VA. Only time that ever happened. Swore off anything Stellantis. Their reliability is in the toilet.
I had a rental Pacifica with ~5000 miles or so and the sliding door behind the driver just was not sealed. The wind noise was terrible and it also brought in a draft. I really wanted to like it, but the un-sealed slider would be a difficult adjustment.
I cannot stand autotune. Damn you, Cher (or rather, the producer/engineer most likely)! Now, if you play me some Futureworld-era Trans Am with the vocoder effect, I won’t complain. If that makes me a hypocrite, so be it.
The Pacifica is a fine looking minivan. I wonder if there are any plans to use the new Charger platform to bring back the 300, at least to give the van some company in showrooms.
Oh look! Another special edition Porsche. Anyway…
I see Acura is taking a page out of Ford’s mangled book, bringing back a car name, but now slapped on an EV crossover. How are Capri sales doing in Europe?
When the Mercedes R Class “SportWagon” came out in ’05 for the ’06 model year, I was infatuated with that sexy cockroach styling. Couldn’t afford one then, but now that I can, I opted for the loaded-to-the-gills Pacifica Limited instead.
Love how the body lines on this beast work with the 20″ shoes, and I have all the comfort/electronic geegaws and doodads that my buddies with Navigators and Escalades have – except that I can haul seven people (in comfort) or a stack of plywood.
Kink shame all you want, but the Pacifica body does it for me all day long, and that’s just icing on the cake of all it can do. No need to change.
Not unlike my wife – beautiful, smart, strong and capable. I love them both with undying loyalty.
Makes sense when you consider that the Pacifica is probably the only US market Stellantis product that has any sort of competitive advantage.
Stow N Go, the V6 + AWD is attractive to some, and the PHEV if it could stay out of the shop.
PHEV. I see so many with multi-thousand dollar repairs undone.
I would like to know why they keep dragging Chrysler’s dessicated body through year after year of nothing.
The Pacific is a damn fine minivan. I’m not sure what a “new” minivan would be that’s a marked improvement. Finishes and infotainment are up to date. Handles well (for a minivan). Plenty of power is available at the appropriate times. Available phev. In-town mpg kind of sucks on the ice only version, but you probably only notice it if you only do in town driving, like me. In which case it doesn’t really matter.
**Somehow the Pacifica has been an oft discussed vehicle lately and I find myself in the very strange position of repeatedly being the Pacifica booster. My god. What have I done?
Seconded. If you get something right, why fundamentally change it? Just continue to hone it.
What are you most excited to see from Monterey Car Week?
The winner of Concours d’Lemons, of course.
(I will not be in attendance)
“The minivan that’s been on sale in its current generation for nearly a decade?”
And for such an old design with development costs that should be fully amortized, it’s really appalling how much they charge for it… and how much they charge for the marginally cheaper “Chrysler Grand Caravan”/”Chrysler Voyager” versions.
For example… why would I spend CAD$50,000 on base Grand Caravan when I can get a Kia Carnival for CAD$6000 less after shipping and tax?
Hell… I’d rather spend CAD$57K on a base Sienna Hybrid than $50K on a Grand Caravan because I’ll make up the difference in fuel costs over time.
And yeah you can get a Pacifica plug-in hybrid… for CAD$13,000 more than the Sienna.
Plug-in capability is nice, but not for an extra $13000.
Stellantis’ pricing is still seriously stuck in fantasyland and in my estimation, should be $10,000 lower right across the board
The Grand Caravan should be the cheapest van on the market in Canada given the age of the design… like was the case for years with the last gen DODGE Grand Caravan with the CVP package.
Well I don’t think MSRP isn’t set based on cost to produce or its time on the market. Marketing and business do it differently. Business will say how is it selling and how long is it sitting on the lot. In low availability as we saw anything was selling for too much. Marketing says set MSRP high so we can offer more in the way of a rebate. I don’t think the average buyer checks anything. Maybe they test drive it but then can I afford it. The dealer discounts that $10k over actual value the buyer thinks they are getting a steal.
The idea the price is set by year of technology or age of interior material and design is entertaining
I’d love to see Beau, if he had the time chime in on the reality of vehicle pricing
“business will say how is it selling and how long is it sitting on the lot”
Funny you should mention that because given the amount of inventory they have on hand, it also says their pricing is in fantasyland.
At least in the US, MSRP on these is a complete fantasy. That is NOT the case for a Sienna. No idea about the KIA.
I just looked and was shocked to see this thing can crest $60k these days. I know they probably have a mountain of cash on the hood like every other Stellantis product, but you’d think Stellantis would want to push the value angle of something like this.
When it comes to long-in-the-tooth car designs, I definitely agree with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset. The engineering and stampings are all paid for and the car continues to turn a profit. If people still want it, why not keep selling it?
Also, I rented a Pacifica for a trip and absolutely loved it. I do get the appeal!
And you can modernize it with better material or additional perks like cup holders infotainment screens HVAC control interior layout.
I tried renting one recently and they were all out on recall. I was glad to be able to get a little taste of what owning would be like. (I do own a Kia so I can’t really talk about recalls.)
Stellantis should put the Stow’n Go seats in a four door pickup. It would make the double cab so much more useable for those of us that rarely need passengers back there.
Hot take: the Pacifica will live with minor refreshes until the patent on the stow and go seats expires.
They were introduced for 2005, so the original patents would have expired already.
I still want the old design front row seats that had a swivel so you could exit gracefully
Somehow they got away with not securing the patent until 2013. So they’ve still got some time.
Controversial take: Its fine.
This means that we’re not about to receive a new Pacifica designed by over-the-phone email arguments from engineers in “best cost countries” and aggravated American engineers, (Like the disastrous early build 2025 rams and wagoner S)
We’re going to get a properly refreshed CHRYSLER designed van.
Will it be old and outdated? Surely. But the current gen Pacifica is still stylish enough, roomy enough, and efficient enough for most.
The idea that this gen will soldier on is a very good thing for the REAL user of the Chrysler minivan- the lower middle class 3rd owner, who can get a loan for 15 grand max, and that allows them a choice between a raggedy ass 15 year old Oddysee with 140,000 miles or a 5 year old Pacifica that still runs and smells good.
And rhat person will always be able to find cheap parts and body panels, because from 2017 to 2027, they all fit.
I know we’re in the business of getting excited about new metal, but this is good news for the ever growing lower and lower middle class.
The Pacifica rides eternal, shiny and chrome!
Witness!