Van - Aftermarket It seems so long ago we were talking about he arrival of the Tesla Roadster and how it was going to change people's perception of the EV-Hybrid marketplace. But today it seems that Chrysler is looking to change that perception once again with their new special edition for the Pacifica. Sure no ever asked for a performance orientated hybrid and neither did anyone who did ask for one, asked for that model to be a minivan. But I guess when you want to change people's perception of the hybrid world, you might as well start with your bread and butter and for Chrysler that's the Pacifica. And as with any other company out there it is always best to take a chance on your bread winner, because if it fails there, then it wouldn't have made it anywhere. But why again would they did this to a minivan. Well let's take a look at the marketplace for minivans. The average consumer who is purchasing minivans is someone who needs to haul a lot of people and cargo around. Sure its not the same people who need a truck, but they are usually associated. The minivan breed today is looking for a good all around family hauler and they don't really care about all road versatility. They only care about hauling their friends and family around town. And that is what the Pacifica is all about. But why carve out a new niche with a performance model yet again carve one out for your hybrid version. Well there's two reasons for that. One being that some consumers would prefer something a bit more sporty than others so that they can stand out from the crowd. And the other being that special editions are the easiest way to prop up your bottom line. Why do you think you always see special editions of most models within 18 months of their release. It's because this is when the fad of the new model is starting to die off and you need to keep that gravy train going before your refresh. Now we also hinted that some people want to stand out from the crowd and that is where vehicles like the Sienna SE Premium come from. They are just the basic model, but with an added low profile appearance and larger flat painted wheels. This doesn't mean their any sportier than the basic model, but they do look a whole lot better. And that is really why Chrysler has decided to do this to the Pacifica. Knowing that it's their bread and butter and that they already have a S Package for the ICE model just makes it a lot easier. Now as we said at the beginning, this could be the start of something new, as more and more companies start to follow suit. It could be the start of performance orientated models from Tesla, Toyota, Honda and Chevrolet as well. But really only time will tell if they decide to follow the Chrysler crowd. Everett J. AutoLooks.net, @AutoLooks, #AutoLooks SEE MORE Chrysler MODELS AT: WWW.Chrysler.COMSCORE: 43.00% |