What kind of cars? To be expected the PT Cruiser will continue forward, but for 2003 a turbocharged version has been added and a convertible will soon follow. What else can we expect? VP of Chrysler brand marketing Tom Marinelli commented, "With PT we moved the image of the Chrysler brand from mainstream up to aspirational. In early '03, you'll see two more Chrysler vehicles, the Crossfire and the Pacifica, that will move the image even more and account for significant growth and improved volume over the next several years," he continued.
The Pacifica is that all-new 'widget' mentioned earlier. It takes much of what's great about the PT Cruiser, combines it with a large dose of Town & Country attributes and then layers on a fare sampling of 300M for good measure. The full-size, 6-passenger wagon-cum-minivan-cum-SUV was recently unveiled in production trim at the 2002 New York International Auto Show.
"As promised, the production version of the Chrysler Pacifica remains true to the concept that we revealed earlier this year, a concept that generated tremendous consumer interest," said Dieter Zetsche, President and CEO of the Chrysler Group. "There is no other vehicle like Pacifica in the marketplace. With its low step-in height, first class seating, three rows of seats, and car-like handling, there's no question that the Chrysler Pacifica will redefine the large vehicle market segment much in the same way that Chrysler PT Cruiser revolutionized the small vehicle market."
Large vehicle market segment? That's right. At 2,014 mm (79.3 in) it's a trace wider than the Town & Country (18 mm or 0.7 in to be exact) and at 5,052 mm (198.9 in) in length, only 43 mm (1.7 in) shorter. The minivan also stands 61 mm (2.4 in) taller. That said at 1,689 mm (66.5 in) high, which is just shy of the PT Cruiser's height, the Pacifica still towers over the 300M sedan by 267 mm (10.5 in). But compared to a serious off-road SUV like the Durango it crouches down by a significant 140 mm (5.5 in).