The first minivan, a Plymouth Voyager, started appearing in American neighborhoods in 1983 as a 1984 model. With Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” playing inside and simulated wood grain trim shining on the sides (if you sprung for the top trim), it rewrote what families expected from a car.
Forty years later, it’s a bit heavier, can afford new luxuries, and is growing concerned about its carbon footprint. Sounds about right.
Oh, and its name has changed. The Plymouth marque has been retired, but the company that created it still sells minivans under the Chrysler Pacifica moniker.
No Birthday Party This Year
Chrysler has resisted the urge to release a 40th-anniversary edition (though we wish they would – imagine the 80s inspiration of the Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Edition filtered through the lens of 1980s family life. Saturday-morning cartoon themes and Slice soda-can cup holders).
But the company that invented the minivan is marking the type’s official middle age with minor updates to the Pacifica.
Changes include new colors like Red Hot and Baltic Gray and a Sepia interior color for the Premium model. The Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid lineup gets reduced to two trim levels – well-equipped Hybrid Select and comes-with-everything Hybrid Pinnacle.
Our favorite change? A new Emergency Vehicle Alert System uses the touchscreen to warn drivers of an approaching emergency vehicle. Anyone who learned to drive in the age of the minivan knows that teenagers sometimes crank the stereo loud enough to drown out an approaching ambulance.
A Bigger Change by 50?
By the time you hit 40, 50 doesn’t feel far away. What does the Chrysler minivan see in its future?
It’s wondering if its next car should be electric. It’s pricing chargers for the garage.
Chris Feuell, Chrysler brand CEO, says, “As the Chrysler brand moves forward to an all-electric portfolio in 2028, the minivan will continue to play an important role in our vehicle lineup.”
