While much maligned, no one can argue that minivans haven’t stood the test of time.
Chrysler brand is celebrating four decades as the leader and innovator of family mobility, marking 40 years of the minivan with the recent start of production of the 2024 Chrysler Pacific and Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid at its Windsor, Ontario assembly plant, the company announced.
What’s called the original minivan—a Plymouth Voyager—rolled off the line in Windsor on Nov. 2, 1983, as a 1984 model. Chrysler notes it was the first of more than 15 million Stellantis minivans sold to date.
The company says it has innovated 117 minivan firsts, spearheading evolving technologies and features that push the segment into the future and make life easier for owners and their families.
“For 40 years, Stellantis minivans have been along for the ride, helping families and road-trippers create a lifetime of unforgettable moments,” said Chris Feuell, Chrysler brand CEO – Stellantis. “Many of today’s consumers first experienced the road in a Chrysler minivan, and we’re proud that, four decades later, a new generation is making its own memories in a Chrysler Pacifica or Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid.”
As the Chrysler brand moves forward to an all-electric portfolio in 2028, Feuell added, the minivan will continue to play an important role in the company’s lineup.
Chrysler recently celebrated production of the 100,000th Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid, called the first and only plug-in hybrid in the segment. Available for the 2024 model year, the award-winning Pacifica lineup includes a new Sepia interior color for the premium Pacifica Pinnacle model, as well as two new exterior colors: Red Hot and Baltic Gray.
Stellantis has innovated 117 minivan firsts, according to the company, including:
- First minivan to offer integrated child seat (1992)
- First minivan with Stow ‘n Go seating and storage system (2004)
- First minivan to offer dual rear seat video system able to play different media at same time (2007)
- First electrified minivan with the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid (2017)
- First minivan with USB type C (2021)
- First minivan with Amazon Fire TV (2022)
