I haven’t looked at the sales figures for Stellantis lately. Back when the Grand Caravan was still in production it outsold the Pacifica about 2 to 1. Of course that included fleet sales.
2023 Pacifica changes disappointing
Anyone else notice the decontenting of Pacificas for '23? While base MSRPs haven't changed much there have been some significant feature changes. Touring L seating has been downgraded from leather to "leatherette", which to me looks & feels cheap compared side-by-side to '22's real leather. Does not look like it will hold up well. (with regular care my '12 TC's leather still looks almost new). Leather is now restricted to the $50+k Limited & Pinnacle trims. Standard features for Limited trim have dropped the power 3rd seat & the great Harman/Karden stereo (now part of $$ theater option package), and Safety Sphere is now optional as well. I could go on, but you get the idea.
I understand there has been inflation, but historically feature content has generally expanded deep into a model's generational run (both to maintain consumer interest AND because the car maker has recouped its initial design/tooling investment for that generation). That has been the case with the 300, but sadly Stellantis appears to have done the opposite with the Pacifica (now in its 7th model year). Since competitors seem have not engaged in this decontenting for '23, I don't see this as a positive for Pacifica sales figures going forward.
I understand there has been inflation, but historically feature content has generally expanded deep into a model's generational run (both to maintain consumer interest AND because the car maker has recouped its initial design/tooling investment for that generation). That has been the case with the 300, but sadly Stellantis appears to have done the opposite with the Pacifica (now in its 7th model year). Since competitors seem have not engaged in this decontenting for '23, I don't see this as a positive for Pacifica sales figures going forward.
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if you look back at earlier generations of chrysler minivans, they have a habit of doing this as each generation ages. Goes back to at least 3rd Gen - the first two years had illuminated window switches, then last two didn't. Some of them have been trivial, but like you see here, some of it is more significant.
OK this is a matter of opinion. I consider this an upgrade as I prefer leatherette over real leather. As for longevity, it really just depends on the quality of the material. Cheap aftermarket leatherette is junk. But high quality leatherette can easily out last and out wear real leather.Touring L seating has been downgraded from leather to "leatherette"
Not in my book. The leather seats in my '12 Touring L and my '17 Hyundai both look showroom new. As did the leather seats in my prior vehicles from Chrysler (at the time) & other makes at sell/trade-in time. I have never seen OEM "leatherette" (vinyl) seats hold up that well. Also- Before I buy a new vehicle I try to look at used examples of the same model to get an idea of how things hold up over time. Barring obvious 'trauma', leather seats look better comparing similar age/mileage vehicles. Perhaps the best compare is among 7-10 yr old lower model BMWs or Benz's which were available with either leatherette or real leather. The latter have stayed in better shape (again for similar age/mileage). Even Toyota who heavily promotes their Softex uses leather over it in their higher-end trims/models. And in another industry- almost every furniture maker states that their leather upholstery is more durable than their leatherette products.OK this is a matter of opinion. I consider this an upgrade as I prefer leatherette over real leather. As for longevity, it really just depends on the quality of the material. Cheap aftermarket leatherette is junk. But high quality leatherette can easily out last and out wear real leather.
Will Stellantis' 2023 leatherette buck that experience and outlast real leather? I won't be risking $43+k of my hard-earning $$$ to find out.
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