2017+ Chrysler Pacifica Minivan Forums banner
21 - 40 of 54 Posts
This make me wonder... buy the hybrid, then buy the gasoline 2nd row (3seats) and just use the middle one for the child seat with the latches... Anyone think any possibility that might work? :D
Nope, that won't work. There won't be any mounting brackets in the floor to attach the middle seat to.
 
I think the existing 2nd row seats would need to have less bolstering for the middle seat to work.

At least the impression I got from the reviews was that the non-hybrid seats were much flatter than the hybrid ones.

Perhaps I'll be proven wrong - but that's what I think. Obviously you don't agree, and that's OK. But I don't think there's any way we can really come to a definite conclusion.
If you "Build and Price" a non-hybrid and look at the pictures for the 8th seat option, it appears that the 8th seat is designed specifically to work with the stow-n-go 2nd row seats. If that's the case, it can't be added to the hybrid since the hybrid comes with the captains chair seats. Stow-n-go 2nd row seats are not offered on the Hybrid.
 
If you "Build and Price" a non-hybrid and look at the pictures for the 8th seat option, it appears that the 8th seat is designed specifically to work with the stow-n-go 2nd row seats. If that's the case, it can't be added to the hybrid since the hybrid comes with the captains chair seats. Stow-n-go 2nd row seats are not offered on the Hybrid.
The 8th seat cannot be added post-purchase to any 7 seater, regardless of whether it's a hybrid or gas-only. It requires anchor points in the floor and a seatbelt in the ceiling that would not be present.
 
This make me wonder... buy the hybrid, then buy the gasoline 2nd row (3seats) and just use the middle one for the child seat with the latches... Anyone think any possibility that might work? :D
Nope, that won't work. There won't be any mounting brackets in the floor to attach the middle seat to.
The 8th seat cannot be added post-purchase to any 7 seater, regardless of whether it's a hybrid or gas-only. It requires anchor points in the floor and a seatbelt in the ceiling that would not be present.
Maybe engineering the anchor points and seat to work with the battery in the floor and the larger captain's chairs was going to add too much time to the R&D, thus putting scheduling milestones at risk, so they tabled it for a future model year. That sounds like a very management-like thing to do. If you're trying to make either a cost target OR a scheduling target, start trimming things that are only "nice to haves".
 
Maybe engineering the anchor points and seat to work with the battery in the floor and the larger captain's chairs was going to add too much time to the R&D
The batteries are in the area in front of the seats where the stow-n-go wells would be. The seat anchors are well behind that. There are a million possible reasons why Chrysler made different decisions, but ultimately it seems like they just wanted the hybrid launch to be simple without a bunch of configuration versions and at a specific price point.
 
Hey - I just left a dealer and was talking about placing a pre-order. They told me the only way I could order a hybrid without the sunroof was WITH the 8 seat option. That didn't really make sense to me given that I've read in multiple places that it's not available on the hybrid - but that's what they told me. (Two different people at dealership said same thing. I have no way of knowing if this is true or not - but it's what they told me.)
 
Hey - I just left a dealer and was talking about placing a pre-order. They told me the only way I could order a hybrid without the sunroof was WITH the 8 seat option. That didn't really make sense to me given that I've read in multiple places that it's not available on the hybrid - but that's what they told me. (Two different people at dealership said same thing. I have no way of knowing if this is true or not - but it's what they told me.)
They are 100% wrong. What they said is true of the gas-only Limited. For the hybrid, the sunroof is a standalone option and the 8th seat is not available.
 
I was at the dealership today while reading this. They do have an 8th seat available. It's also says in the site 7 or 8 passengers
Not in the hybrid. It's only available as a 7 seater.
 
Do you really need 8 seats? I mean, how many families (or businesses) would really need 8 seats on day to day basis in the first place?
If the guy wants 8 seats, can't he want it? Geez man, first knocking on 20" rims in the other thread, then over here telling people they don't need 8 seats. It's not a need on a daily basis, but sometimes, it's useful. I, for one, occasionally take my nieces and nephews out with my 3 kids. It's a scenario that's common if people have extended families.

Expand your mind man, seriously.
 
My wife and I and three other couples are going out together to dinner in our 8 seater. I searched high and low for an 8 seater. It is so much more fun when you're going out to dinner with friends to ride together instead of taking separate vehicles. When not in use a provides a nice flat area with cupholders. It is also very easy to take out if necessary. Wouldn't have it any other way.
 
FYI Chrysler had told me that the limitations of 7 seats is due to the weight in the middle of the car. They would have to engineer it slightly differently to get the 8 seat and potential max weight of a 250 lbs individual (which I'm sure they consider when putting it in). On the flipside, the second row is supposedly beefier and more comfortable.

This is a bit similar to the Prius Prime issue of 4 seats btw.

I agree though, an 8th seat option would've been awesome and reports have initially suggested that. Perhaps we'd see an 8 seater option in 2-3 years depending how FCA does. I do expect competitors to follow suit with Hybrid Versions and possibly plugins....but we're still at least 2 years out on that!
 
Nothing is impossible with enough money. I would say it's possible if you really want the van just have to contact the right people. There are a couple avenues I see that you could try if you want to be the first 8th passenger hybrid Pacifica :)

Alot of wheelchair conversion van companies do custom fabrication for seating (I used to do this) and if we can cut the entire side out of a truck to load a wheelchair they can add a jump seat in the middle of a second row.

Image

Image


https://littlepassengerseats.com these guys do custom third row seating with shoulder belts integrated into the seat back (if your using a car seat you don't need the shoulder belt anyway just a lap belt and a custom LATCH system) but maybe they would look into making a second row middle seat. Probably a stretch as the demand isn't there but never know. My main reason for showing these guys is showing that there are alternatives to having a ceiling mounted shoulder belt mount.

Buy the middle seat from Chrysler and have a custom fab plate made to go between the two seats and just mount like the factory does it. You could use the integrated LATCH system and use a lap belt to secure a car seat. No need for shoulder belt.
 
It seems that FCA made the Hybrid 7 seater only, possibly due to the alternative access available through the center to the 3rd row. This would be crucial when there would be two child seats in the 2nd row in both captain's chairs, whereas you cannot get access into the 3rd row easily by just moving the seat forward if a car seat is buckled in. It was an ah ha moment and became very apparent when we started moving things around and getting in and out of the 3rd row area.
Sorry just so I'm clear, the captains chairs in the second row will NOT hinge forward with car seats in it? (I saw it working in a gas model which was a fantastic feature) I plan to have two car seats in those and was looking at easier access to the third row because we've got 6 frequent travelers.

Which dealership did you see them all in?
 
21 - 40 of 54 Posts