2017 Chrysler Pacifica - The Originator of the Passenger Minivan Segment Does it Once Again!

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, the minivan re-imagined.

The family minivan has evolved from its original boxy form of the early 1980’s, originated by Chrysler. With the new 2017 Pacifica, Chrysler has once again they have re-imagined the vehicle from the ground up, filled with standard safety and technology features in an enjoyable to drive vehicle.

Pacifica has an option of tri-pane panoramic sunroof.

The all new Pacifica, produced in and for the North American Market is fluid in design, sleek and aerodynamic, and comes with plenty of standard features no matter the trim level. From LX, Touring, Touring-L, Touring-L Plus, Hybrid Touring, Hybrid Limited Platinum, keeping it simple, or fully loaded with video screens for passengers, and the optional tri-pane panoramic sunroof front and rear, the Pacifica comes with plenty of features, technology, and safety build in, no matter the trim level. 

3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 a standard FCA powerplant is in the
Pacifica, including the hybrid version with up to 80 mpg.

The Pacifica has seating is for 7 with an option for 8 in the non-hybrid model. Powered by corporate standard drivetrain, a 3.6-liter gasoline fueled Pentastar V-6 that produces 287 hp, with 28 miles per gallon, with s 9 speed electrically controlled automatic transmission driving the front wheels. A hybrid option with an expected 80 miles per gallon, will soon be offered, and while an AWD model is not an option, there is an expectation that it will be in the future.

Pacifica's driver seat provide a commanding view of the road
 and controls are easy to read and reach.

Slide into the driver’s or passenger seat, and you are surrounded by comfort and safety, as well as innovative technology like the new Uconnect services and features that benefit not only the driver, but also the entire family. From the all-new Uconnect Theater and the available 7-inch full color driver information display to the easy-to-use 8.4-inch touchscreen and the acclaimed Uconnect Access services, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is the most technologically equipped vehicle of its kind.

Interior design is efficient, seating comfortable with all controls effortlessly at your reach. Visibility is excellent, and the optional forward and rear cameras provide a 360-degree surround view to keep the driver alerted to all that is around the vehicle, and more than 100 standard and available safety and security features, including ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Hold and Forward Collision Warning-Plus

Chrysler's Stow n'Go makes the Pacifica go from a
passenger van to a cargo van in a touch of a button.

Removing the passenger seats in a minivan to handle cargo when needed has been answered by Chrysler’s Stow’n Go mode of seats that simply fold into the floor. A built in vacuum is there to cleanup those messes, while the hands-free sliding doors and lift gate make entry easy.

Passengers as well as drivers have it all in the Pacifica.

Our short drive of the new Pacifica, showed that it has plenty of power and handles well. Our only complaint that the ride was not as smooth as one would think of for a Chrysler, and that tire noise was noticeable.

Chrysler was the innovator of the passenger minivan segment 30 years ago and now raises the bar for the segment once again. The Pacifica is only offered under the Chrysler badge, while FCA’s Dodge brand still uses thelast generation Caravan platform, and the RAM brand, a small European designed work/cargo van, called the ProMaster City.

- William West Hopper.
Photos by William West Hopper & FCA

Mercedes-Benz's C300 Coupe, Third Generation, A Smaller S-Class Coupe With Plenty of Tech!

2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe C300 Shown.
A cabriolet and the C43 & C63 AMG models due out in the fall.

At first look, you will do a double take: Is this Mercedes-Benz’s top-of-the-line luxury coupe? The lines flow elegantly from the hood to the trunk, Check! The long hood and sloping roof line, Check!  Muscular rear haunches and slippery, sexy looking trunk, Check! The 2017 C-Class Coupe is similar to the full size S-Class Coupe, but with more approachable proportions. The diamond grill, which became popular with the CLA, is the key design feature that differentiates the two.

C300 Coupe features the Diamond Grill.

The C-Coupe front and Rear show S-Class design cues.

Mercedes-Benz hopes that a coupe version of it’s biggest selling model, the mass-market C-Class, will appeal to a wider audience, a younger audience, one not needing extra doors, but still looking for all the safety, technology, and great design that the brand is so well-known for.  

2nd Generation and the '17 C-Coupe. 

Optional Burmester® Preimum
 Surround Sound 

While the US government classifies the C-Coupe as a sub-compact, is four inches longer, and three inches wider than the previous generation. While the exterior of this high-strength, steel-reinforced cabin, complete with a panoramic sunroof, is impressive, it is inside where the driver and passenger benefit most. Similar to the sedan, the coupe has touches that are different. The sound system’s speakers are built into the frame for more bass. Sportier high-back seats feature extendable thigh support, so no matter your height, you are comfortable on long drives in the coupe. The iconic seat belt extenders, once a hallmark of the classic full size S-Coupe, the SEC, hand you your seat belt. Cup holders that will hold 1 liter bottles are larger than before. The dashboard is still round gauges, not flat screens like the S-Coupe. The center instrument stack provide easy reach to controls for the radio and HVAC. Keyless start and Mbrace are standard. Optional features are many: Heads up display, Burmeister premium surround sound, and Air Balance (just like the S-Coupe), as well as a number of premium packages.

C-Coupe's cockpit features a 7" color screen and plenty of  center stack controls with a choice of wood or aluminum trim. 

C300 Coupe features a 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine

C-Coupe has muscular lines fore and aft.

Performance is impressive for a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo charged engine, with 241 HP, 273 LP torque, mated to a 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission with DYNAMIC SELECT provides a 5.9 seconds zero to 60 time. Select one of the multiple settings (Eco, Comfort Sport, Sport Plus and Independent,) to adjust engine, steering, and transmission to fit your driving style. While rear-wheel drive is standard, there is a 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive (a $2K option,) that provides additional traction and peace of mind in areas that experience inclement weather. I was pleased with the 28 miles per gallon the 4MATIC equipped model I drove during two days in a mix of city, suburban, and highway driving.

Nimble handling, a hallmark of the C-Class. While the ride is tight with the standard sport suspension, if you want more control of the softness or sportiness of the ride, order the optional AIRMATIC Air suspension (a $1200 option,.) Eighteen inch wheels are standard, or chose the optional 19” AMG rims. You can also customize the coupe’s appearance with a number of optional packages. 

Technology is abundant in the C-Coupe both as standard and optional.

Advanced technology is what the new C-Coupe is all about, providing added safety to the equation in the long list of standard equipment. In addition to the normal Anti lock Brakes, Mercedes-Benz provides Brake Assist System®, Electronic Stability Program®, Attention Assist®, Collision Prevention Assist ®, Pres-Safe, and Adaptive Brake technology. The C-Coupe has LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail lamps as standard. Rearview camera options including surround view, are available. DISTRONIC PLUS with steering assist, lane keep, and speed limit assist, blind spot and pre-safe can all be added to the mix.

The 7" center screen is for more than just entertainment
lots of engine management information can be displayed.

For those wanting a drop top or more power, wait until this Fall when the C-Coupe Cabriolet, a C43, and a C63 Coupe with a wide-body option become available. Unlike the C-Class Sedan, the C-Coupe, as well as its engine and transmission is made in the German assembly plants. (The US-sold sedan is made here in the award winning, world-class Alabama factory.) With the C-Coupe, you can take European delivery, which offers the added advantage of a few days in Europe and a chance to experience Mercedes-Benz’s delivery center.

Again Mercedes-Benz provides a strong value in the ownership of their vehicles. The only downside that I can see is that the $42,600 base price can elevate quickly with a few desirable options to a $60K plus price tag. While the past two generations of C-Coupes have failed to generate market buzz, this one surely will with its elegant and sporty design, as well as a complete cadre of safety features.

For more information or to build and price a C-300 Coupe, go to MBUSA.com

William West Hopper at the end of my two day test drive.

Photos and words by: 

William West Hopper

Racing the Mortal Minivan.Toyota's Sienna on the One Lap America Circuit

Sienna R-Tuned (rear) and Sienna SE+ front at Summit Point

Toyota and Racing: Toyota vehicles racing is nothing new, from enthusiast’s auto crossing Scion’s to Camry’s chasing round the NASCAR oval; Toyota Trucks going at it in the dessert in an off-road rally; Lexus IS F-Sport in a street race. Toyota has a racing brand, TRD, that you see proudly on street vehicles, pretty much everywhere you go. But the common family hauler, the Sienna minivan, that is not what is thought of when the topic of competitive racing is discussed.

Toyota Sienna One Lap America Poster

This April, Toyota took two of their Sienna vans and put them on a week-long – multi-state racing event, One Lap America. And this was not just for show, though they did invite the press out, but more to compete one-on-one with other race cars, and to expand their own knowledge of how well these minivans were able to compete. Each day when the event was finished, they were loaded up with gear (not loaded onto a transport) and driven, often 700 miles or more, well into the night, to the next stop, and then competed again the next morning, only to repeat the process of picking up and driving to another venue that next night, for eight days! This was not just Toyota, more than seventy other race cars joined in this event to raise funds for Brock Yates Tribute Fund, Alzheimer’s Association, and Tire Rack’s Street Survival program.

Rutledge Wood and Craig Stanton
sign autographs for fans in the pit.

The minivan long the admission, that one has achieved stable adulthood and needs to transport their kids, friends of the kids, the dog, and a variety of belongings, around suburbia. It is no wonder automotive marketers are wanting to appeal to that “younger Dad”, and make him think of motorsports and minivan in the same sentence. With this experience, Toyota is not only showing that the family haulers can be the equivalent to racecars, as these two Sienna minivans indeed hauled it down the racetrack with the best of them.

TRD Logoed Oil Filler Cap

Using original Manufacturer built vehicles, not customized racecars, Toyota USA’s Engineering and Marketing departments got together and campaigned two Sienna vans: Sienna R-Tuned, that they modified, and the Sienna SE+ that was more like one that rolled off a neighborhood dealership lot, the day before. They brought on Top Gear America’s bearded hipster host Rutledge Wood, as well as Grand-Am Rolex GT Champion race driver Craig Stanton, to drive these vans, and a crew to support them as they raced the week away, everyone working together, like a seasoned race team.

Inside the Sienna R-Tuned  Rollcage, but
little else but the metal body.

A Toyota Sienna R-Tuned Concept vehicle, interior stripped out, caged with a custom suspension, and many modifications the Sienna SE+ was tricked out with TRD Badging, on the shifter and oil cap, dark tinted lights and Pirelli P Zero tires, and the fluids replaced those that perform better under racing conditions. Inside, sans roll cage, the seats were slipped in for passengers, or removed when out on the racetrack in competition. While they labeled both vans “Concept”, each appeared to be using off the shelf parts and products that any amateur racer could get.

Toyota’s purpose was both a promotional, but also a engineering one. Showing off that both Toyotas could compete heartily with serious racecars, but also this as an opportunity for the engineering team to tweak the van for better overall drivability in everyday situations and longevity.

Our brief visit with the SiennaOneLapofAmerica.com team was on its third day, a stop at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, we then followed the team online, as it completed the event in first place with 160 points, 65 more than its Acura MDX Competitor, the other entrant in the Truck/SUV Class.

Based on time, the Sienna was competing with Corvettes, Vipers
and other fast cars with more powerful engines.

One Lap America is the ultimate road trip, stopping at 12 different tracks over 8 days, in 7 different states. One Lap America is a race series for the enthusiasts sponsored by Grassroots Motorsports Magazine and Tire Rack. Starting in 1984 this is the 32^nd year running. A legendary race, made even more so by the movie Cannonball Run.

More information on the Sienna One Lap program and the Toyota Engineering Motorsports team can be found at SiennaOneLapofAmerica.com as well as on  

toyotaengineeringmotorsports.com. In addition, fans can follow along via Toyota’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channels.

Information on the One Lap of America event can be found at OneLapofAmerica.com.

As they say while out racing, "Keep the Shinny Side UP!"

Text and Photos by: William West Hopper

  

Driving the Nissan Mobility Concept Vehicle in New York City

Nissan's Mobility Concept Vehicles NMC in New York City.

We were welcomed to New York City prior to the New York International Auto Show by Nissan to take a drive in their Mobility Concept Vehicle (NMC), an ultra-compact, all electric, four-wheel runabout. This was an informal meet and greet with the #NissanFutureLab Team.

Nissan held an informal gathering
 prior to The New York
 International Auto Show
 to drive the NMC.

Prior to our taking this little quad out for an exciting drive in New York City’s crazy traffic, we sat down with Nissan’s JoshWesterhold, an Urban Planner by training and mobility guru by profession, to hear all about this vehicle. 

No rear window on the Nissan Mobility Concept Vehicle.

The NMC is all electric with a top speed of 45 mph and a range of 40 miles on a single charge. Designed for the sole purpose of transporting one or two people from place to place. The NMC vehicle has a rugged look with outboard fendered wheels and exposed struts.

While it has a cabin with a windshield and scissor-like doors that swing forward. It is open to the elements with no side windows.

Looking inside the cockpit of the Nissan Mobility Concept
Vehicle. A very simple dashboard with basic controls.

The interior is clean and simple, with a single driver’s seat. It can either be fitted with a tandem rear seat, or a package tray, to carry a second person or a small cargo of items. The NMC is without HVAC, but has an instrument cluster that tells you speed and battery life.

#NissanFutureLab's Mobility
Concept Vehicle instruments are basic.

Nissan Mobility Concept Vehicle has exposed fenders,
headlights and a mono-blade windshield wiper.

Outside it has the basics of a road vehicle, a mono-blade windshield wiper and turn signals, headlights and rearview mirrors, as there is no back window.

Segway Expericmental Vehicle

This little runabout is more like a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle or a Golf Cart that you would see in private suburban gated communities. It reminded me of the Segway/GM experimental vehicle shown at NYIAS about ten years ago. 

Indeed the NMC is on the tiny side of compact, smaller than the NYC Pedi-cabs, and a Nissan Leaf is a behemoth in comparison. So wrangling for space on NYC’s crowded streets with taxicabs and black car limousines was like flying an RC plane alongside 747’s.

The view of the streets of New York City from inside Nissan Mobility Concept Vehicle.

Driving on NYC streets in any vehicle is a testimate to your metal. Driving the NMC reminded me of when I was a kid, hot-rodding the riding lawnmower at full speed. While the NMC does have a suspension, you did get to feel every bump, and driving over rattling manhole covers, made you wonder if they were going to swallow you before a bus ran over you!

Charging port on the front of the NMC.

But size has its advantages in the jungle of NYC, the NMC slipped into small openings in traffic, pulling into the space between vehicles, that the drivers of larger vehicles thought were already tight. The NMC was nimble enough to slip in, and the battery powered electric motors were powerful enough for you to speed off when you had the chance.

Nissan's basic dash and instrument cluster on the NMC.

#NissanFutureLab

The Nissan Mobility Concept is a product of the joint partnership between France’s Renault and Japan’s Nissan, known as the Twizy, debuting a concept vehicle in 2009, and has been on the market in Europe since 2012.

Nissan, Innovation that Excites

This little Electric Vehicle is already in use in European cities, and here in the USA, it is part of a test fleet in San Francisco’s Scoot Network, (a scooter rental service) and labeled the Scoot Quad.

While not planned for the consumer market, other than a few urban test fleets, you can find out more about this vehicle on Nissan’s website.  #NissanFutureLab

William West Hopper

The Infiniti QX60 Is Better Than an a Luxury SUV or Crossover, Much Better!

We had a chance to put 1800 miles on a 2015 Infiniti QX60 out of the Mid-Atlantic press fleet for a trip to Florida, it arrived with just shy of 25K on the odometer.

Infiniti's QX60 the luxurious modern full-size Station Wagon.

While the PR Staff from Infiniti apologized about the high miles, and that it was last year’s model, for me, it is good to see how a car holds up after the initial new car smell is gone. 

The inside of the Infiniti QX60 features wheat colored leather
and maple wood trim accents.

This one was doing just fine! Its bright wheat beige leather seats and black carpeting were not heading to the rough trade of being a press car that gets a new driver every week. Hint, press fleet cars have a rougher life than rental fleet cars.

The long muscular hood of the Infiniti QX60.

The first thing I noticed getting into it, was the size of the and muscular look of the hood, not unlike that of a Porsche Cayenne.

The dash of the QX60 lacks the iconic Infiniti oval analog clock.

While the inside was clearly an obsessively designed Japanese dash with plenty of buttons and controls to manage everything from the headlights, to the heated seats. The only thing I felt was missing was the oval analog clock that Infiniti was chastised for when it came to market in the 1990’s.

Infiniti's 3.5 6-cylinder engine under the muscular hood.

What I enjoyed while driving it, was the power from 265 hp, 248-pounds of ft.-torque, 3.5-liter, 6-cylinder engine and intelligent all-wheel drive with continuously variable transmission. The good fuel economy (in excess of 24 mpg on this trip.) And the wide range of active safety features, such as forward and rear collision warning systems, blind spot warning and prevention, intelligent cruise control with distance cruise assist, which kept an eye on the vehicle in front, and matched its speed without running up onto its tail.

Infiniti's Active Safety Display
features lane departure and
blind spot warning systems.

Lane departure warning and prevention system was helpful during the long drive, especially in the dark, (where it continued to work, even though visual distances were impaired by rain.) 

Blind Spot Warning light on each door.

Blind Spot Detection was especially helpful in heavy traffic on the interstate, when drivers appear out of nowhere, though the rear view mirrors were ample in size, it was great to have the assistance of this technology.

The Caravan of cars to Florida featured a BMW Z3,
a rare Marcos GT, the Infiniti QX60, Ford Roush Performance
Mustang with Track Package and a Jaguar XKE Coupe.

The intelligent cruise control and distance control assist was especially handy as we were part of a multi-car caravan of classic, and vintage cars heading to the Amelia Island Concours, made up of a diverse group of vehicles from a 2016 Roush Performance Mustang with Track Pack to a 1960 Jaguar XKE, from a BMW M Series to a rare Marcos_GT. A Model A Boat Tail open roadster that had recently gone on a race from New York City USA to Paris France recreation of one done a century ago, joined the group during the trip.

The QX60 sporting the Amelia or Bust sign at a lunch stop.

While one would think that our Infiniti QX60 would not seem to be in step with this Caravan of classic and exotic vehicles, organized by a Hagerty Insurance. The Infiniti QX60 took it all in stride, holding its own, being the car that passengers from other cars wanted to ride in, when they were being overwhelmed by the journey, or just tired of riding in an old classic.

Wonder where does this the QX60 fit in, in this modern world of vehicles? Without sliding side doors, it can’t be a minivan! Without big tires and a discernible 4X4 drive train, it is more refined than an SUV. And its size and stature make it a hard fit for a crossover. In reality it is a little bit of all three.

2nd & 3rd row rear seats fold down to extend the cargo area.

The QX60 succeeds as a luxurious and capable mover of people and cargo. Like a classic full size station wagon of yesteryear, with plenty of room, comfort and luxury. Passengers who jumped in after riding in the vintage classics, enjoyed the infinitely adjustable, heated and cooled seats, and the quietness of the cabin. And as the QX60 had plenty of cargo room with the rear seats down, it ended up carrying luggage and other large items.

Around View® monitor gives a new meaning to backup camera.

The QX60’s luxury appointments seemed almost like the standard features you need. It remembered the driver’s seating position, and provided a great view of the road, fore, and aft, as well as with the Around View® monitor with moving object detection and front and rear sonar, which made a simple backup camera seem like an outdated polaroid photograph, as this system gave you an aerial view of the vehicle’s surroundings.

The QX60 features plenty of glass roof as well as interior space.

Our 2015 model stickers at $56,090 with options of Roof Rails, $95. Infiniti’s Technology Package, $2,800 (included much of the safety features we really benefited from on a long trip like backup collision intervention, intelligent brake assist, forward collision warning, blind spot and lane departure warning, intelligent cruise control and distance control assist.) Deluxe Touring Package, $3,450 (20-Inch alloy wheels, Bose ® cabin surround sound, advanced climate control, climate-controlled front seats, heated second row seats, power moon roof and maple interior accents, that did not appear to be fake plastic.)   Premium Package, $1,550 (Bose® 13-speaker premium sound system, dual occupant memory system heated steering wheel and enhanced intelligent key, and remote engine start.) And Premium Plus Package, $3K, (Infiniti Connection™ and hard drive navigation, 8-Inch VGA Color touch screen, voice recognition, Sirius XM's NavTraffic & NavWeather, Around View® monitor and moving object detection, rain-sensing windshield wipers.) That brought the price up from a base of $43,800. As I used all of those packages and options on this trip, except for the remote start, I would say they were an essential part of my positive Infiniti experience.

Hagerty Classic Car Insurance's Motto
"Life is too short to drive Boring Cars."

My overall impression of this vehicle is it is a great if you travel long distances or have people and cargo to haul. It will work as a great family mover, or as a vehicle for a traveling business person who needs to carry thing with them. The safety features made me feel secure and the luxury features made the drive comfortable and enjoyable, especially on such a long trip.

Infiniti Logo on the grill of the QX60.

Nissan’s Infiniti line debuted in the 1990's bringing together what American automobile manufacturers were not providing consumers at the time, dependability in a luxurious vehicle. Since then, they have evolved as the American drivers looked for carry-all vehicles with luxurious touches. At a mid-fifty’s price, this QX60 is a vehicle that gives the buyer a lot of value for the money. The 2016 model, has been refreshed with new Infiniti design language, the chassis dynamics have been returned for a more engaging and comfortable drive, and the interior has been enhanced luxury for up to 7 passengers. An augmented suite of safety and driving assistance technology which include predictive forward collision warning and emergency braking with pedestrian detection. All of which are perfect for this or any other model.

Build your own Infiniti QX60. We built a 2016 model to the specs of the 2015 QX60 Infiniti provide us with, and came out with a price less than the 2015 model. Price includes the $995 destination & handling fee. As a prudent buyer, make use of your membership in a credit union, AAA, Costco, or similar organization. Often they have connections to local dealers which result in a lower price.  

Take a test drive today at your neighborhood Infiniti dealer of the QX60, and also check out the new Infiniti Q50 Sedan, which is also a pretty nice ride.

The new Infiniti Q50 Sedan, a pocket rocket dressed in a nice suit.

Remember buying from a dealer for a lower price, miles away, may not be the most prudent purchase decision. Supporting local businesses within your community is important to everyone.

Enjoy the Drive - William West Hopper